Today:
1609 – English explorer Henry Hudson entered Delaware Bay while searching for a northwest passage to Asia. He would soon continue north and explore the river that now bears his name.
1789 – William Herschel discovered Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons. The small icy moon is now of particular scientific interest because a global ocean lies beneath its frozen surface.
1845 – The first issue of Scientific American was published in New York City. Originally a weekly newspaper devoted to inventions and patent news, it became one of the world’s best-known science publications.
1867 – The United States formally took possession of Midway Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The islands later became strategically important, particularly during World War II.
1907 – UPS traces its beginnings to this date, when 19-year-old James E. Casey founded the American Messenger Company in Seattle with $100 borrowed from a friend. It eventually became United Parcel Service.
1917 – Ten women suffragists protesting outside the White House were arrested while demanding voting rights for women. The demonstrations were part of the National Woman’s Party’s campaign for a constitutional amendment.
1955 – Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black teenager visiting Mississippi from Chicago, was abducted and murdered. His death and his mother’s decision to hold an open-casket funeral became powerful catalysts for the American civil rights movement.
1963 – Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. More than 200,000 people attended the historic demonstration.
1996 – Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s divorce became final, formally ending their 15-year marriage. Diana retained the title Princess of Wales but no longer held the style “Her Royal Highness.”
2005 – Hurricane Katrina reached Category 5 strength over the Gulf of Mexico, with sustained winds reaching approximately 175 mph. The following day it made landfall along the Gulf Coast, contributing to one of the deadliest and costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.