The first spam email was sent in 1978, the Sears Tower became the tallest building in the world in 1973, West Virginia enacted the first state sales tax in 1921, Joseph Fletcher landed at the North Pole in 1952, Birmingham Police used violence against civil rights protesters in 1963, The Fantasticks opened in 1960, Congressional hearings on General MacArthur’s dismissal began in 1951, the Kentucky Derby was televised nationally for the first time in 1952, Gone with the Wind won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937, and Machiavelli was born in 1469.
The first spam email has been sent. (1978) The first spam message was sent by a Digital Equipment Corporation marketing representative to all West Coast addresses of the ARPANET, the predecessor of the Internet.
The Sears Tower has become the tallest building in the world. (1973) Officially known as Willis Tower, Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world for nearly 25 years, before being surpassed by Taipei 101. It also has the tallest restrooms in the Western Hemisphere.
West Virginia enacted the first state sales tax. (1921) Although the first sales tax laws went into effect on this day, the state had not instituted any process for charging or collecting the tax, so it was not implemented on a regular basis until more than ten years later.
Joseph Fletcher landed at the North Pole. (1952) Others – notably Robert Peary and Frederick Cook – had claimed to have reached the North Pole earlier, but it is not known whether they actually reached the exact North Pole or merely got closer. Fletcher was the first person to definitively and demonstrably reach the exact North Pole.
Birmingham Police officers used dogs and fire hoses on civil rights protesters. (1963) Violence made the front page of the New York Times and put the civil rights movement in the national spotlight.
The Fantasticks opened, starting a record-breaking run. (1960) The show opened in Greenwich Village on this day and ran until 2003, making it the longest running musical in the world.
Congressional hearings on General MacArthur’s dismissal have begun. (1951) MacArthur had been relieved of his command in Asia in a controversial decision by President Truman. The hearings were extremely political, with MacArthur openly criticizing Truman’s “shyness” and playing a role in setting the tone for future US military involvement in Asia.
Kentucky Der was televised nationally for the first time. (1952) The Derera has been popular since it was started by Meriwether Lewis Clark, granddaughter of famed explorer Meriweather Lewis, and became even more so after it was televised as part of a general modernization of the event.
Gone with the Wind won the Pulitzer Prize. (1937) The book had taken the author, Margaret Mitchell, over seven years to write, and had sold over 30 million copies. It was the only book Mitchell ever published.
Machiavelli was born. (1469) Considered one of the founders of modern politics, The Prince by Niccolò Machiavelli is considered a must-read for politicians and businessmen.
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