Today:
1. 1845: U.S. President John Tyler signed a resolution to annex the Republic of Texas.
2. 1931: “The Star-Spangled Banner” was adopted as the official national anthem of the United States.
3. 1938: Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia, leading to significant changes in the region’s economy and global oil markets.
4. 1991: Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers, leading to widespread riots in 1992 after the officers were acquitted.
5. 2005: Steve Fossett completed the first solo, non-stop, non-refueled circumnavigation of the world in the GlobalFlyer aircraft.
6. 2017: SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket successfully launched the EchoStar XXIII communications satellite