Today:
1788: Virginia becomes the 10th state to ratify the United States Constitution.
1864: Union troops begin tunneling toward Confederate lines at Petersburg, Virginia, in an effort to break the stalemate during the Civil War.
1876: The Battle of the Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand, occurs in southeastern Montana Territory, resulting in the deaths of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer and 268 of his men.
1910: The Mann Act is passed by the United States Congress, prohibiting the interstate transport of women or girls for “immoral purposes.”
1941: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs Executive Order 8802, banning ethnic and racial discrimination in the country’s defense industry.
1947: “The Diary of a Young Girl” (also known as “The Diary of Anne Frank”) is first published in the Netherlands.
1950: The Korean War begins as armed forces from communist North Korea invade South Korea.
1962: The U.S. Supreme Court rules it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools.
1967: The world’s first live global satellite television program, “Our World,” is aired, featuring artists from 19 countries, including The Beatles premiering “All You Need Is Love.”
1991: Slovenia and Croatia declare their independence from Yugoslavia, marking the beginning of the breakup of Yugoslavia.