1693 – Date traditionally ascribed to Dom Perignon’s invention of champagne; it is not clear whether he actually invented champagne, however he has been credited as an innovator who developed the techniques used to perfect sparkling wine.
1753 – George Washington became a master mason.
1790 – A tariff act created the Revenue Cutter Service (the forerunner of the United States Coast Guard).
1821 – The Saturday Evening Post was published for the first time as a weekly newspaper.
1873 – American Indian Wars: While protecting a railroad survey party in Montana, the United States 7th Cavalry, under Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer, clashed for the first time with the Cheyenne and Lakota people near the Tongue River; only one man on each side was killed.
1889 – The Great Fire of Spokane, Washington destroyed some 32 blocks of the city, which prompted a mass rebuilding project.
1892 – The father and stepmother of Lizzie Borden were found murdered in their Fall River, Massachusetts home. She was tried and acquitted for the crimes a year later.
1914 – In response to the German invasion of Belgium, Belgium and the British Empire declared war on Germany. The United States declared its neutrality.
1918 – Adolf Hitler received the Iron Cross first class for bravery on the recommendation of his Jewish superior, Lieutenant Hugo Gutmann.
1942 – The first train with Jews departed Mechelen Belgium to Auschwitz.
1944 – The Holocaust: A tip from a Dutch informer led the Gestapo to a sealed-off area in an Amsterdam warehouse, where they found and arrested Jewish diarist Anne Frank, her family, and four others.
1952 – Gambling boss Theodore Roe was murdered by the crew of Sam Giancana.
1956 – Elvis Presley released “Hound Dog”.
1958 – The Billboard Hot 100 was published for the first time, with “Poor Little Fool” by Ricky Nelson at #1.
1964 – Civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney were found dead in Mississippi after disappearing on June 21.
1967 – Pink Floyd released their first album “The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn”, their only record made under the leadership of Syd Barrett.
1972 – Arthur Bremer was sentenced to jail for 63 years for shooting Alabama Governor Wallace.
1975 – Led Zeppelin singer Robert Plant was seriously hurt in a car crash in Rhodes, Greece.
1980 – John Lennon and Yoko Ono began recording “Double Fantasy”.
1982 – Outfielder Joel Youngblood became only MLB player to get hits for 2 different teams in 2 different cities on the same day; singles for Mets in Chicago day game; traded, then singles for Expos in Philadelphia night game.
1984 – Prince’s “Purple Rain” album reached #1 and remained there for 24 weeks.
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