This Day in History

1677 1st medical publication in America (pamphlet on smallpox), Boston 1789 1st American novel, WH Brown’s “The Power of Sympathy”, is published 1799 Edward Jenner’s smallpox vaccination is introduced 1827 Freedom Journal, 1st Black paper, begins publishing 1861 Jefferson Davis of Mississippi & 4 other southern senators resign 1880 1st US sewage disposal system separate from storm drains, Memphis TN 1903 “Wizard of Oz” premieres in New York City NY 1903 Harry Houdini escapes police station Halvemaansteeg in Amsterdam 1908 New York City NY regulation makes it illegal for a woman to smoke in public 1941 1st anti-Jewish measures in Bulgaria 1949 1st inaugural parade televised (Harry Truman) 1954 1st atomic submarine, USS Nautilus, launched on Thames River, christened by First Lady Mamie Eisenhower 1962 Snow falls in San Francisco 1974 Gold hits record $161.31 an ounce in London 1974 Silver hits record $3.97 an ounce in London 1977 President Jimmy Carter pardons almost all Vietnam War draft evaders 1980 Gold hits record $850 an ounce 1987 BB King donates his 7,000 record collection to University of Mississippi 1990 John McEnroe becomes the 1st ever expelled from the Australian Open for throwing a tantrum & swearing at an official 1991 CBS News correspondent Bob Simon captured by Iraqis in Persian Gulf 1994 Lorena Bobbitt found temporarily insane for chopping off spouse’s penis 1998 Pope John Paul II visits Cuba]]]]> ]]>