On this date...

Henry Clay in the Senate

In 1774, the special investigative commission reports to the English Privy Council that the Massachusetts petition calling for the dismissal of Governor Hutchinson and provincial secretary Andrew Oliver is based on false charges.

In 1775, Benjamin Franklin published "An Imaginary Speech" in defense of American courage. At the time, Franklin was residing in London.

In 1776, at Cambridge, Washington issued General Orders to steady his army. Guards and sentries must remain alert, properly armed, and attentive at all times. Cleanliness in quarters and camp streets is required to protect the army’s health and readiness. 

In 1776, in New York City, Crown authorities went to printer James Parker and forced him to reveal the name of the man writing inflammatory articles in a local newspaper. He provided it, and Alexander McDougall was arrested at his home and held on a £1000 bail.

In 1795, the 11th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified.

In 1799, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, federal marshals arrested John Fries, the leader of a taxpayer’s rebellion.

In 1812, one of the largest earthquakes in U.S. history occurred along the New Madrid Fault.

In 1839, Henry Clay declared in the Senate, "I would rather be right than president."

In 1876, Pres Grant’s private secretary, Gen. Orville E. Babcock, was acquitted of involvement in the Whiskey Ring.

In 1881, Albert McKenzie pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of embezzlement in Alameda County, California. McKenzie had originally been charged with a felony for taking $52.50 from the sewing-machine company for which he worked. However, rather than go through a trial, the prosecution and defendant agreed to a plea bargain, one of the first documented in American courts—and a practice that was becoming increasingly common.

In 1894, the US House of Representatives passed a resolution that prevented the sending of US troops to Hawaii to restore Queen Lili’uokalani.

In 1894, the Cripple Creek miners’ strike of 1894 was a five-month strike by the Western Federation of Miners (WFM) in Cripple Creek, Colorado, USA.

In 1904, the Great Baltimore Fire broke out.

In 1914, On this day in 1914, Charlie Chaplin debuted his most famous screen character—the Little Tramp. In the 11-minute short film Kid Auto Races at Venice, audiences witnessed the Little Tramp's trademark style, which consisted of a small derby hat, comically large shoes, and a badly fitted suit. While early versions of the Tramp were obnoxious and disruptive, the character eventually evolved into a figure that audiences understood and sympathized with. The Little Tramp, in 1972, earned a record-breaking 12-minute standing ovation at the Academy Awards.

In 1943, the government abruptly announced that wartime rationing of shoes made of leather would go into effect in two days, limiting consumers to buying three pairs per person per year. (This was reduced to two pairs per year in 1944; rationing was lifted in October 1945.)

In 1962, the US banned all Cuban imports and exports.

In 1964, the British Invasion began when the Beatles landed in New York City. Two nights later, as Beatlemania stormed America, their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show was watched by 73 million viewers.

In 1974, in one of Hollywood’s zaniest movie premiere stunts, Mel Brooks’ 1974 western spoof Blazing Saddles screened at the Pickwick Drive-In Theater in Burbank, California. Guests attend not in cars, but on horseback.

In 1984, while in orbit 170 miles above Earth, Navy Captain Bruce McCandless II became the first human being to perform an untethered spacewalk, when he exited the U.S. space shuttle Challenger and maneuvered freely, using a bulky white jet pack of his own design.

In 1994, after more than 40 years playing second fiddle to her husband's relentless crime-fighting schedule, Tess, the long-suffering wife of comic book gumshoe Dick Tracy, files for divorce.

In 2002, President George W. Bush announced his plan to federally fund faith-based initiatives.

In 2011, AOL Inc. announced the $315 million purchase of The Huffington Post website.

In 2012, A federal appeals court ruled California's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional.

In 2013, Mississippi became the last U.S. state to officially abolish slavery; it had ratified the Thirteenth Amendment in 1995 but failed to submit the necessary paperwork.