1775 – The American Revolution began as 700 British troops seized seized a Patriot arsenal and marched into Lexington, MA.
1861 – The first casualties of the Civil War occurred when a secessionist mob in Baltimore attacked troops bound for Washington, D.C., killing 4 soldiers and 12 rioters.
1892 – The Duryea gasoline buggy was first driven in the United States.
1897 – The first annual Boston Marathon was held.
1933 – The U.S. abandoned the gold standard by revoking gold as the universal form of legal tender for national debts.
1951 – General Douglas MacArthur spoke before Congress. His memorable address featured the statement: “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.”
1993 – The Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX, burned to the ground, ending a 51-day standoff between the religious cult and U.S. federal agents; 86 perished, including 17 children.
1995 – The Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, OK, was destroyed by a bomb hidden in a rental truck; killing 168 people, including 19 children, and injuring 490 others.
Oklahoma City firefighter carried Baylee Almon away from the scene. Baylee passed away shortly after this picture was taken.
2000 – On the 5th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, the Oklahoma City Memorial, designed by Hans and Torrey Butzer and Sven Berg, was dedicated at the site of the attack. An expanse of green lawn and a 320-foot-long reflecting pool lined with black stone marks the memorial, along with 168 stone chairs, symbolic of tombstones and representing each victim. A 70-year-old elm tree survived the bombing. Known as “The Survivor Tree,” it’s now protected by the Rescuer’s Orchard.
Chief Writing Wolf 