1692 – In Salem Village in the Massachusetts Colony, Bridget Bishop became the first of several people executed by hanging after being found guilty of practicing witchcraft.
1752 – Benjamin Franklin flew a kite during a thunderstorm and collected a charge in a jar when lightning struck the kite.
1775 – During a meeting of Congress in Philadelphia, John Adams proposed the formation of a Continental Army.
1854 – The U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD, graduated its first class.
1895 – Actress Hattie McDaniel (Gone with the Wind, Judge Priest, The Little Colonel, Showboat, Saratoga; first African-American to win an Oscar) was born in Wichita, KS.
1901 – Composer Frederick Loewe (Gigi, My Fair Lady, Brigadoon, Camelot, Paint Your Wagon) was born in Berlin.
1922 – Actress – singer Judy Garland (The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, A Star is Born, Easter Parade, The Harvey Girls, Judgment at Nuremberg) was born in Grand Rapids, MN.
1924 – The first political convention on radio was presented by NBC. Graham McNamee provided coverage of the Republican National Convention from Cleveland, OH.
1928 – Children’s author – illustrator Maurice Sendak was born in New York City.
1935 – In New York City, two recovering alcoholics, Dr. Robert Smith and William G. Wilson founded Alcoholics Anonymous.
1940 – As Norway surrendered to Germany during World War II, Italy declared war on France and Great Britain.
Nazi troops in Norway
Italian dictator Benito Mussolini with Adolph Hitler
1954 – General Motors announced that the first successful gas-turbine bus had been produced.
Chief Writing Wolf 