This day in history

Some notable historical events that happened today include:

 

1813 -  the US got the nickname Uncle Sam. Meat packer Samuel Wilson supplied barrels of beef to the Army during the War of 1812. The letters "U.S." (United States) were stamped on the barrels but soldiers began calling the supply "Uncle Sam's" which eventually came to refer to the US government. Thomas Nast gradually created the cartoon character we recognize today.

 

1880 -  George Ligowsky received a patent for clay pigeons designed for trap shooting and later invented a device to launch the targets into the air. He designed the targets (not made of clay or shaped like pigeons) to replace glass targets used at the time. Before the glass targets, trapshooters released live pigeons from cages to shoot them

 

1888 -  Eleanor McLean became the first US premature baby treated in an incubator. Hospitals and doctors took their time grasping the importance of the invention. Dr. Martin Couney, German physician, set out to change that by displaying premature babies in incubators in an exhibit at the 1896 Berlin Exposition. Over time as the technology saved more and more lives, they found their way into hospitals around the world

 

1903 -  the New York Motorcycle Club organized the Ferderation of American Motorcyclists (FAM). FAM protected the rights of motorcyclists, regulated racing and promoted the good roads movement. The organization folded after 16 years

 

1914 -  the James A. Farley Post Office Building officially opened to the public. The central post office in NYC bears the famous inscription "Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds." The phase is the unofficial motto of the US Post Office 

 

1915 -  Johnny Gruelle received the patent for the Raggedy Ann Doll (D47789)

 

1916 -  Congress passed the Workmen's Compensation Act protecting employees who were injured on the job and were not able to work

 

1921 -  Atlantic City, NJ hosted the first Miss America Pageant. Representatives from 8 cities (including Atlantic City) participated in the 2 day event. The winner was Miss Margaret Gorman of Washington, D.C.

 

1927 -  Philo Farnsworth demonstrated the first electronic tv at the age of 21. He patented his invention that same year

 

1936 -  the Boulder Dam began operations. Originally named the Boulder Canyon Project, the 60-story dam diverted water from the Colorado River to create hydroelectric power for the growing Southwest population. It was eventually renamed Hoover Dam after Herbert Hoover's effort to make the project possible 

 

1963 -  the Pro Football Hall of Fame opened in Canton, OH

 

1977 -  President Jimmy Carter and Panama's General Omar Torrijos signed the Panama Treaty and the Neutrality Treaty. The agreement transferred control of the canal to Panama in 2000

 

1986 -  Angelican bishop, Desmond Tutu received the appointment of Dean to St. Mary's Cathedral in Johannesburg making him the first black bishop to hold the position. 3 years later he became the first Black General Secretary of the South African Council of Churches. He was honored with the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for opposing South Africa's apartheid regime and non-violent efforts for equal civil rights 

 

2018 -  Abdul Basit Siddiqi Ashiq Muhammad named all the elements of the periodic table in 2 minutes and 18 seconds, the fastest time on record

 

Some interesting birthdays include:

 

Queen Elizabeth I (1533)

Grandma Moses (1860) - also known as Anna Mary Robertson Moses, best known for her paintings depicting small-town and country life

Edward Francis Hutton (1875) - founded the brokerage firm E.F. Hutton & Company with his brother Franklyn and Gerald M. Loeb

Paul Brown (1908)

Elia Kazan (1909) - directed On the Waterfront, A Streetcar Named Desire, East of Eden, Gentleman's Agreement and America America.

David Packard (1912) - co-founder of Hewlett Packard and served as President Richard Nixon's deputy to the Secretary of Defense in 1968

Jacob Lawrence (1917)

Louise Suggs (1923) - first woman inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame 

Laura Ashley (1925)

Peggy Noonan (1950) - Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, she served as a speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan 

Chrissie Hynde (1951) - leader of the rock band The Pretenders