Today:
331 BC: Alexander the Great defeated Darius III of Persia at the Battle of Gaugamela. This decisive victory led to the fall of the Achaemenid Empire.
1890: Yosemite National Park was established by the United States Congress. This act protected the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.
1903: The first-ever World Series baseball game was played. The Boston Americans (later the Red Sox) faced the Pittsburgh Pirates.
1908: Ford Motor Company introduced the Model T car. This vehicle revolutionized transportation and American industry.
1949: Mao Zedong proclaimed the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in Tiananmen Square.
1958: The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was officially created in the United States, beginning the country’s formal efforts in space exploration.
1962: James Meredith became the first African American student to enroll at the University of Mississippi, a significant moment in the American Civil Rights Movement.
1971: Walt Disney World Resort opened in Orlando, Florida.
1979: The United States officially returned the Panama Canal Zone to Panama.
1982: Epcot Center, the second theme park at Walt Disney World, opened to the public.