The “Saturday Night Massacre” occurred in 1973 when President Nixon fired the Watergate special prosecutor. The House Judiciary Committee investigated Nixon for possible impeachment. Other historical events include the Hollywood blacklist, the Louisiana Purchase, the establishment of the US-Canada border, the creation of the Continental Association, the Cleveland gas explosion, the “Johnny Bright Incident,” the first MLB World Series game played outside the US, and the filming of Big Foot.
The “Saturday Night Massacre” occurred. (1973) On a famous evening, US President Nixon ordered the firing of Archibald Cox, the Watergate special prosecutor who had found evidence of Nixon’s wrongful actions and abuse of power during the Watergate scandal investigation. Elliot Richardson, the attorney general, refused to fire Cox and resigned, as did William Ruckelshaus, deputy attorney general. Cox was eventually fired by Robert Bork, the attorney general. The brow-raising events led the House Judiciary Committee to investigate the possible impeachment of President Nixon two days later. President Nixon resigned about a year later on August 9, 1974 amid impending impeachment.
The United States Congress began its investigation into communist activity in the Hollywood film industry. (1947) Congress established the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) to question witnesses and collect the names of suspected Communists among Hollywood’s elite. The investigation resulted in a blacklist of approximately 325 actors, directors and writers, whose work was banned for many years thereafter.
The Louisiana Purchase was ratified by the US Senate. (1803) The United States bought the Louisiana Territory from France for just over 11 million US dollars (USD) and agreed to cancel all of France’s debts to the United States. The total purchase price, approximately $15 million USD, is more than $215 million USD today.
The border between the United States and Canada has been established. (1818) The United States and the United Kingdom signed the Convention of 1818, also called the Treaty of 1818, which set the northern border of the United States approximately at the 49th parallel.
For the first time, diplomatic relations were established between Pakistan and the United States. (1947) Agreement established US military and economic assistance to Pakistan.
The Continental Association was created by the United States Continental Congress. (1774) Under the Continental Association, all trade between Great Britain and the United States was prohibited. The ban was a protest against the “intolerable acts” committed by Britain against US colonies after the Boston Tea Party incident. The US Revolutionary War to gain US independence from Great Britain began the following April.
The Cleveland East Ohio gas explosion occurred, killing 130 people and completely destroying 30 blocks on Cleveland’s east side. (1944) The natural gas explosion changed the way natural gas was stored in US cities. Where storage tanks had been stored above ground, the explosion resulted in natural gas being stored underground.
The “Johnny Bright Incident” occurred in Oklahoma, changing the rules of NCAA football and causing racial outrage. (1951) Incident involved a white player, Wilbanks Smith playing for the Oklahoma A&M Aggies, violently attacking a black player, Johnny Bright playing for the Drake Bulldogs, during the game. Smith attacked Bright multiple times throughout the game, knocking him unconscious three times and breaking his jaw. Oklahoma A&M and the NCAA refused to punish Smith, and Drake University cut ties with the NCAA in protest. The incident, however, prompted the NCAA to establish rules against illegal blocking and to increase demand for safety equipment. A formal apology was issued in 2005 by Oklahoma A&M, now Oklahoma State University, expressing regret at the situation.
A Major League Baseball World Series game was played outside the United States for the first time. (1992) The game was played in Toronto, Ontario. The Atlanta Braves lost the game to the Toronto Blue Jays, 3 to 2.
The footage was shot of a creature that looks like Big Foot. (1967) Robert Gimlin and Roger Patterson shot the footage, which scientists have never been able to debunk or authenticate. Patterson, on his deathbed in 1972, swore the footage was real, and Gimlin attests to its authenticity to this day.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
