1543 – Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus died.
1816 – Artist Emanuel Leutze (Washington Crossing the Delaware, Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth, Columbus Before the Queen) was born in Würtemberg, Germany.
1844 – Samuel F.B. Morse tapped out the message “What hath God wrought” in Morse code, inaugurating America’s telegraph industry. The message was sent from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, MD.
1883 – The Brooklyn Bridge, linking the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn, officially opened. Designed by John A. Roebling, it took 14 years to build and – at 1,595 feet in length – it was then the world’s longest suspension bridge.
1931 – The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) began service on the Columbian run between New York City and Washington, D.C. The passenger train was the first train with air conditioning throughout.
1935 – Major league baseball held its first night game, thanks to recently-installed lights at Cincinnati’s Crosley Field. The Cincinnati Reds defeated Philadelphia 2-1.





