Today:
1. 1774 – Louis XVI becomes King of France, inheriting a financially troubled monarchy that contributes to the onset of the French Revolution.
2. 1869 – The First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States is completed with the “Golden Spike” ceremony at Promontory Summit, Utah, which linked the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads.
3. 1872 – Victoria Woodhull becomes the first woman nominated for the presidency of the United States by the Equal Rights Party.
4. 1908 – Mother’s Day is observed for the first time in the United States in Grafton, West Virginia; the holiday was advocated by Anna Jarvis and became officially recognized in 1914.
5. 1940 – Winston Churchill is appointed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain.
6. 1941 – Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler’s deputy in the Nazi Party, parachutes into Scotland in an attempt to negotiate peace with the United Kingdom during World War II.
7. 1960 – The nuclear submarine USS Triton completes the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe, a significant achievement in naval history.
8. 1994 – Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as South Africa’s first Black president, marking the end of apartheid policies in South Africa.
9. 2005 – A hand grenade thrown by Vladimir Arutyunian lands about 65 feet (20 meters) from U.S. President George W. Bush while he was giving a speech in Tbilisi, Georgia, but it fails to explode.
10. 2018 – Malaysia sees a significant political change as Mahathir Mohamad takes office as Prime Minister after winning the general election, making him the world’s oldest leader at 92.