February 2nd
Today in America's Present Past
1781 | Founding: The American Colonies ratify the Articles of Confederation.
1787 | Founding: Arthur St. Clair is elected the 9th President of the Continental Congress.
1790 | SCOTUS: First session of the U.S. Supreme Court.
1790 | SCOTUS: Justice William Cushing is sworn in.
1815 | General Nathaniel Collins McLean was born.
1848 | America’s victory in the Mexican-American War.
1848 | First documented Chinese immigrants arrive in America.
1861 | Entrepreneur Solomon Guggenheim was born.
1870 | Mark Twain weds Olivia Langdon.
1888 | An entrepreneur opens the first electric street railway system in Richmond, Virginia.
1892 | Willam Painter receives a patent for the bottle cap.
1897 | Entrepreneur Howard Johnson was born.
1901 | Congress: The Army Reorganization Act created a minimum “in-arms” standard of 58,000 soldiers.
1905 | Author and philosopher Ayn Rand was born.
1913 | NYC’s Grand Central Terminal station opens.
1918 | Boxer John L. Sullivan died.
1937 | Musician Tommy Smothers was born.
1939 | Economist Dale T. Mortensen was born.
1942 | WWII: The Defense Production Act converts all auto manufacturers to defense production.
1942 | Entrepreneur Barry Diller was born.
1944 | WWII: U.S. Marine’s liberate Roi, Marshall Islands.
1944 | WWII: U.S. liberation forces set foot on Japanese territory.
1947 | Actress Farrah Fawcett was born.
1947 | General Jack Bergman was born.
1955 | POTUS: First televised news conference held by Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
1957 | Architect Julia Morgan died.
1959 | Musician Buddy Holly performed for the last time at Clear Lake, Iowa.
1964 | G.I. Joe debuts as a toy.
1980 | The New Mexico State Penitentiary riot started in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
1996 | Entertainer Gene Kelly died.
2013 | Sniper Chris Kyle died.
2014 | Actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died.