On this date...

War of the Worlds 1938

In 1775, Officers have begun recruiting soldiers without proper authorization. Washington orders that all unauthorized enlistments stop immediately and emphasizes that commissions in the new army will be based on merit, not recruitment numbers.

In 1776, in his first speech before British Parliament since the leaders of the American Revolution came together to sign the Declaration of Independence that summer, King George III acknowledges that all was not going well for Britain in the war with the United States.

In 1837, the overloaded Monmouth steamboat carrying between 600 and 700 Creek (Muscogee) Indians from New Orleans to Arkansas collides violently with a sailboat being towed by another steamship. The Monmouth splits in half and sinks just north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Casualty reports vary, but it is believed the accident kills about half the Native American people aboard.

In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state of the United States.

In 1900, AL President Ban Johnson writes to National League President Nick Young, seeking peace.

In 1913, the Lincoln Highway, the first automobile highway across the United States, was dedicated.

In 1938, The day after his "War of the Worlds" broadcast had panicked radio listeners, Orson Welles expressed "deep regret" but also bewilderment that anyone had thought the show was real.

In 1938, Great Depression: In an effort to try restore investor confidence, the New York Stock Exchange unveils a 15-point program aimed to upgrade protection for the investing public

In 1941, Mount Rushmore National Memorial is completed.

In 1950, 21-year-old Earl Lloyd becomes the first African American to play in an NBA game when he takes the court in the season opener for the Washington Capitols.

In 1959, Lee Harvey Oswald announces in Moscow he will never return to the US, calling it "a country I hate".

In 1963 in Indianapolis, hundreds of spectators are gathered at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum for the “Holiday on Ice” skating exhibition. Then, just after 11 pm, a propane gas explosion from the concession area rips through the Coliseum and shoots a 40-foot orange flame through the south-side seats.The explosion killed 54 people on site, and at least 20 more later died of their injuries. Nearly 400 additional people were injured.

In 1963, J. Edgar Hoover's last meeting with President John F. Kennedy.

In 1968, U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered an end to American bombing in North Vietnam.

In 1987, American jockey Chris Antley becomes the first rider to win nine races in a day (four at Aqueduct and five at Meadowlands).

In 1992, It was announced that five American nuns in Liberia had been shot to death near the capital Monrovia; the killings were blamed on rebels loyal to Charles Taylor.

In 1997, 33-year-old Violet Palmer becomes the first woman to officiate an NBA game. Despite the watershed moment, there is little reaction from the crowd when she is announced before the tip-off of the Dallas Mavericks-Vancouver Grizzlies game.

In 2002, A federal grand jury in Houston, Texas, formally indicts former Enron Corp. chief financial officer Andrew Fastow on 78 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice related to the collapse of his ex-employer.

In 2005, President George W. Bush nominated Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.

In 2017, A judge on Maui, Hawaii, orders a man to write 144 compliments to his ex-girlfriend after violating a protection order by sending her 144 malicious text messages and calls.

In 2019, US House of Representatives votes to formalize impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump