Today:
1775 – Patrick Henry delivered his famous “Give me liberty, or give me death!” speech at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia, urging the American colonies to arm in self-defense against British tyranny.
1806 – The Lewis and Clark Expedition began its journey home after reaching the Pacific Ocean the previous year.
1839 – The first recorded use of the term “OK” was published in The Boston Morning Post, helping popularize the now-universal expression.
1857 – Elisha Otis installed the first safety elevator for passenger use in a New York City building, revolutionizing urban architecture.
1889 – The free land rush in Oklahoma began after U.S. President Benjamin Harrison opened unassigned lands to settlers, later leading to the establishment of Oklahoma Territory.
1903 – The Wright brothers applied for a patent for their airplane, laying the foundation for modern aviation.
1919 – Benito Mussolini founded the Fascist political movement in Milan, Italy, which would later lead to his dictatorship.
1933 – The German Reichstag passed the Enabling Act, granting Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers and marking the rise of Nazi Germany.
1983 – President Ronald Reagan proposed the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), also known as “Star Wars,” a missile defense system intended to protect the U.S. from nuclear attack.
2010 – The Affordable Care Act (commonly known as Obamacare) was signed into law by President Barack Obama, representing the most significant overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system in decades.