Events, Births and Deaths Happening on this Date

1532

The Incan empire fell to Spain.

1676

On Nantucket Island, located in the English colony of Massachusetts, local authorities hire William Bunker to establish the first prison in the America colonies.

1776

British troops captured Fort Washington during the American Revolution.

1821

Trader William Becknell reached Santa Fe, New Mexico, via the route that will become known as the Santa Fe Trail.

1824

Australian explorer Hamilton Hume discovered the Murray River, the longest river in Australia.

1864

Union Gen. William T.Sherman and his troops began their ''March to the Sea'' during the Civil War.

1889

The Oahu Railway and Land Company began operating in Hawaii.

1907

Oklahoma became the 46th state.

1920

The Russian Civil War ended; the Bolsheviks were victorious.

1920

Metered mail was started in Stamford, Connecticut with the first Pitney-Bowes postage meter.

1933

The United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations. President Roosevelt sent a telegram to Soviet leader Maxim Litvinov, expressing hope that United States-Soviet relations would "forever remain normal and friendly."

1945

The United States brings 88 German scientists who had been working on the V-1 and V-2 rockets for Germany to work on the American Space / Defense program.

1946

The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), headquartered in Paris, France, comes into operation.

1959

The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ''The Sound of Music'' opened on Broadway.

1966

Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard was acquitted in his second trial of charges he had murdered his pregnant wife, Marilyn, in 1954.

1969

Lieutenant William Calley, Jr., faced a court martial for directing his platoon in the massacre of at least 400 unarmed peasants in the Vietnamese village of My Lai.

1973

Skylab 3, carrying a crew of three astronauts, was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on an 84-day mission.

1973

President Nixon signed the Alaska Pipeline measure into law.

1973

The Alaska Pipeline was signed into law.

1982

An agreement was announced in the 57th day of a strike by National Football League players.

1988

Estonia's parliament declared the Baltic republic ''sovereign,'' but stopped short of complete independence.

1988

Benazir Bhutto, daughter of former leader Zulfikar Bhutto, was elected prime minister and first female head of state of Pakistan.

1993

Vladimir Lenin's mausoleum was closed by the Russian authorities.

1997

China's most prominent pro- democracy campaigner, Wei Jingsheng, arrived in the United States after being released on medical parole after nearly 18 years in prison.

1873

W. C. Handy, American composer and cornetist. Called the father of blues.

1889

George S. Kaufman, American playwright, director, and producer

1895

Paul Hindemith, German American composer and violinist

1896

Fibber McGee (Jim Jordan), American actor.

1907

Burgess Meredith, American actor.

1964

Dwight Gooden, American professional baseball player

1960

Clark Gable, American film actor.

1961

House Speaker Sam Rayburn died in Bonham, Texas.

1981

William Holden, American film actor (found dead on this date after a head injury).