1642 – Georgeana (York) in Maine becomes the 1st incorporated American city. 1780 – Pennsylvania becomes 1st US state to abolish slavery (for newborns only). 1847 – Michigan becomes 1st English-speaking jurisdiction to abolish the death penalty (except for treason against the state) 1869 – US Postage stamps showing scenes issued for 1st time. These pictorials showed a post horse and rider, a locomotive, a shield, an eagle and a ship, the Adriatic. 1872 – Yellowstone becomes the world’s 1st national park. 1875 – Republicans in the U.S. Congress passed the last of the Force Acts, which protected the constitutional rights of blacks during Reconstruction. 1896 – The Ethiopian army of Emperor Menilek II won a decisive victory against the Italian army at Adwa, Ethiopia. 1919 – Protesters in Seoul, Korea, launched the March First Movement, a series of demonstrations for Korean national independence from Japan. 1932 – The infant son of American aviator Charles A. Lindbergh was abducted from his home, Bruno Hauptmann being later convicted of the baby’s kidnapping and murder. 1954 – US explodes Castle Bravo, a 15 megaton hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll, which accidentally became the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the US 1961 – The Peace Corps was established by U.S. President John F. Kennedy by means of his Peace Corps Act. 2005 – In a major capital punishment case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to execute convicts who were under age 18 at the time of their crimes.
Births & Deaths:1994 – Justin Bieber, a Canadian singer noted for his fresh-faced good looks and appealing pop songs, was born in Stratford, Ontario. 2014 – French film director Alain Resnais—who was a leader of the New Wave of unorthodox influential film directors in France in the late 1950s—died at age 91.
Sport: 1969 – New York Yankees legend Mickey Mantle announces his retirement due to persistent knee injuries; finishes 18-season career with 536 home runs and .298 batting average
Music: 1973 – Pink Floyd release their album “Dark Side of the Moon”, since sold over 45 million copies
TV & Film: 1975 – Colour television transmissions begin in Australia.
