Mississippi ratified the 13th amendment in 1995, 130 years after it was ratified by 27 other states. Hitler violated the Treaty of Versailles by rearming Germany in 1935. Samoset, a Mohegan warrior, shocked colonists in 1621 by speaking English. Robert Goddard launched the first liquid fuel rocket in 1926. The My Lai massacre took place in Vietnam in 1968. West Point was established in 1802. GM produced its 100 millionth vehicle, an Oldsmobile Toronado, in 1968. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter was published in 1850. Arthur Evans bought the land surrounding Knossos, Crete in 1900. Terry Anderson was kidnapped in Beirut in 1985 and held until 1991.
The last state ratified the 13th amendment. (1995) Mississippi was the last state to ratify the amendment that abolished slavery. He did so 130 years after the amendment went into effect after being ratified by 27 other states.
Hitler ordered the rearmament of Germany. (1935) This was in direct violation of the Treaty of Versailles, and was the most aggressive move Hitler had yet made.
Samoset, a Mohegan warrior, entered a pilgrim settlement, greeting the settlers in English. (1621) Colonists were shocked to see a Native American speaking English, which he had learned from an earlier group of settlers in Maine.
The first liquid fuel rocket is launched. (1926) Physicist Robert Goddard launched the first rocket to use liquid fuel on this day, a feat most people thought was impossible until Goddard did it. Though mocked during his time, Goddard made many of the discoveries that made space travel possible in the 20th century, including mathematical formulas for the thrust and potential of different fuels.
The My Lai massacre took place in Vietnam. (1968) American troops massacred approximately 500 unarmed villagers, including women and children, in the incident, which became one of the most notorious atrocities of the war. There was massive public outcry following the event, and the officer in charge was eventually court-martialed.
The United States Military Academy at West Point was established. (1802) West Point was America’s first military academy. In addition to its reputation for producing excellent army officers, in the 1800s, West Point was also known for producing some of the best civil engineers in the country.
General Motors (GM) has produced its 100 millionth vehicle. (1968) The car was an Oldsmobile Toronado, designed to be a personal luxury vehicle to compete with the Ford Thunderbird. The Toronado was also the first car model in the United States to have front-wheel drive.
The Scarlet Letter has been published. (1850) Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic about a woman’s punishment for life for adultery became an instant classic, even if it took him only a few months to write. Hawthorne knew many of the literary elite of the time, including Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and novelist Louisa May Alcott’s father Branson Alcott, as well as US President Franklin Pierce, whom he had befriended in college.
Arthur Evans bought the land surrounding Knossos, Crete. (1900) Evans was the archaeologist who discovered the ruins of the palace of Knossos and the two Linear A and Linear B scripts. Eventually he bought the land surrounding the palace to protect his discovery.
Associated Press reporter Terry Anderson has been kidnapped in Beirut. (1985) Anderson’s kidnapping was a major media event, and he was held back until 1991, making his prison term one of the longest in modern history.
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