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Levi Strauss patented jeans with copper rivets in 1873, Charles Lindbergh made the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight in 1927, and the road in front of the White House was closed in 1995. The Homestead Act was passed in 1862, the First Council of Nicaea took place in 325, Vasco de Gama reached India in 1498, the Battle of Hamburger Hill ended in 1969, martial law was declared in Taiwan in 1949, the Saturday Evening Post published its first Norman Rockwell cover in 1916, and the Supreme Court defended gay rights in 1996.
The jeans have been patented. (1873) Levi Strauss jeans patented with copper rivets on this day at the request of Jacob Davis, a Reno, Nevada tailor. The pants were an instant hit with miners and ranchers, and Levi Strauss has since sold over 200 million pairs of jeans.
Charles Lindbergh took off on the first non-stop solo transatlantic flight. (1927) Lindbergh was the first to fly nonstop between New York and Paris; on the same day, five years later, Amelia Earhart began her flight as the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.
The road in front of the White House has been closed to traffic. (1995) Prior to this day, anyone could walk the two blocks or so in front of the While House in hopes of catching a glimpse of the president. President Clinton permanently closed the road as a safety measure.
The Homestead Act has been passed. (1862) The deed allowed any adult over the age of 21 to claim up to 160 acres (0.647 sq km) of public land for their own, as long as they improved it in some way and lived on it for at least five years.
The First Council of Nicaea takes place. (325) It was the first major ecumenical meeting of the Christian church and laid the foundations for many modern Christian doctrines. Among other things, the Council decided when Easter would be celebrated, defined Jesus’ relationship with God the Father and resolved some questions relating to baptism.
Vasco de Gama reached India. (1498) Portuguese de Gama was the first European to reach India by sea, and his achievement established a very lucrative trade route for Portugal, which helped it become a major exploring power in the early 1500s.
The Battle of Hamburger Hill ended. (1969) The battle was one of the bloodiest – and generally considered the most futile – battles of the Vietnam War. The battle for the tactically meaningless hill lasted ten days, with hundreds of casualties, but US and South Vietnamese forces abandoned it soon after capturing it.
Martial law has been declared in Taiwan. (1949) Chiang Kai-Shek’s party, the Kuomintang (KMT), declared martial law when they transferred the government of the Republic of China to Taiwan. Tensions had been building between native Taiwanese and the KMT for several years, and KMT forces dealt with an estimated 30,000 dissidents.
The Saturday Evening Post published its first issue with a cover by Norman Rockwell. (1916) The magazine became known for its American-themed Rockwell covers; during his career, Rockwell did more than 300 covers for the Post.
The Supreme Court defended the rights of homosexuals. (1996) The Supreme Court struck down legislation that would have made it illegal for Colorado authorities to take any steps to prevent discrimination against homosexuals. It was considered a landmark constitutional ruling for gay rights.
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