1865 – John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Confederate sympathizer, fatally shot President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. Lincoln died at 7:22 A.M. the next day.
1894 – Thomas Alva Edison demonstrated the kinetoscope in New York City. A viewer that held 50 feet of film – about 13 seconds worth – showed images of Annie Oakley and Buffalo Bill. The demonstration was actually called the first peep show, as one had to peep into the device to see what was on the film. Movies were not projected on a screen at that time.
1902 – James Cash Penney opened his first store, dry goods and clothing store named Golden Rule, in Kemmerer, WY.
1912 – The R.M.S. Titanic of the White Star Line struck an iceberg at approximately 11:40 P.M. The great ship, on its maiden voyage, sank just under three hours later, taking 1,517 people with it.
1912 – Stunt man Frederick Rodman Law became the first man to intentionally jump from the Brooklyn Bridge in New York without intending to take his own life. He survived the leap.
1939 – John Steinbeck published The Grapes of Wrath.
1956 – Ampex Corporation of Redwood City, CA demonstrated the first commercial magnetic tape recorder for sound and picture. The videotape machine had a price tag of $75,000.
Chief Writing Wolf 