This day in history

Some notable historical facts today include:

 

1789- the first US Congress created the US Lighthouse Establishment bringing all lighthouses under the responsibility of the federal government and was the first public Works law passed

 

1882- an election day battle between the Hatfields and McCoys leads to the death of Ellison McCoy

 

1888- Theophilus Van Kannel patented the first successful revolving door

 

1939- Howard Hughes received the Congressional Gold Medal from Congress but never appeared to receive it. The Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are the 2 highest honors a civilian can receive in the US

 

1946- Legislation passed approving a Booker T. Washington memorial silver half dollar. He was a former slave who advised presidents and established the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute 

 

1948- American Alice Coachman earned Gold at the London Olympics in the high jump making her the first Black woman to ever win Olympic gold

 

1957- Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957. The limited legislation was the first of its kind in the 20th century. It primarily focused on voting and juries and established the Commission on Civil Rights

 

1959- NASA launched Explorer 6 into orbit around the Earth sending back the first photos of Earth

 

1960- Arnold Palmer earned his 20th PGA Tour win of his career 

 

1972- the Baseball Hall of fame admitted Yogi Berra, an icon known for his turns of phrase.

 

1990- Operation Desert Shield began when military assistance was ordered ti Kuwait's defense during the early days of the Gulf War

 

1992- Louisiana State University's 7'11" center Shaquille O'Neal signed with the Orlando Magic as a first draft pick

 

1993- Ada Deer wad sworn in as the Assistant Secretary of the Interior and the first woman to hold the position of head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. She was sworn in on her birthday.

 

2004- Greg Maddox joined the 300 Win Club when he pitched his 300th career Gan win. The Cubs won against the Giants

 

Some interesting birthdays include:

 

Mata Hari (1876)

Billie Burke (1884) - best known for her role as Glinda the Good Witch in the Wizard of Oz

Herb Reed (1928) - a founding member of the vocal group The Platters, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990

Abebe Bikila (1932) - the Olympic marathon runner who won his first gold medal running barefoot

Robert Mueller (1944) - served as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2001 after President Bush's nomination and served until 2019

Charlize Theron (1975)