This Day in History – July 7, 2011

1668 Isaac Newton receives MA from Trinity College, Cambridge 1754 Kings College in NYC opens (renamed Columbia College) 1768 Firm of Johann Buddenbrook founded, in Thomas Mann’s novel 1838 Central American federation is dissolved 1846 US annexs California 1862 Land Grant Act endows state colleges with federal land 1863 1st military draft by US (exemptions cost $100) 1865 4 Lincoln assassination conspirators, including Mary Surratt, hanged 1891 Travelers cheque patented 1898 Pres McKinley signs resolution of annexation of Hawaiian Islands 1923 University of Delaware invents the “junior year abroad” (at Sorbonne) 1930 Construction begins on Boulder (Hoover) Dam 1937 Japanese & Chinese troops clash, which will become WW II 1941 US forces land in Iceland to forestall Nazi invasion 1946 Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini canonized as 1st American saint 1948 6 female reservists become 1st women sworn into regular US Navy 1949 “Dragnet” premiers on NBC radio; also a TV series in 1951 & 1967 1958 Pres Eisenhower signs Alaska statehood bill 1965 Otis Redding records “Respect” 1967 Beatles’ “All You Need is Love” is released 1980 Az Judge Sandra Day O’Connor 1st female nominated to Supreme Court 1980 Jim King completes riding Miracle Strip Roller coaster 368 hours 1981 Solar Challenger powered only by solar energy crosses English Channel 1983 11 year old Samantha Smith of Manchester, Maine, leaves for USSR 1986 IBM-PC DOS Version 3.2 (updated) released 1986 Supreme Court struck down Gramm-Rudman deficit-reduction law 1987 Kiwanis Clubs end men-only tradition, vote to admit women 1987 Lt Col Oliver North began public testimony at Iran-Contra hearing 1988 Soviet Union launches Phobos 1 to probe Martian moon (unsuccessful)]]]]> ]]>