1816 – Poet John Keats had his first poem published by The Examiner.
1818 – Socialist writer Karl Marx was born in Moselle, Germany.
1821 – Napoleon Bonaparte died in a prison on the South Atlantic island of St. Helena.
1847 – The American Medical Association was organized in Philadelphia, PA.
1862 – The Mexican army defeated the French military in the town of Puebla de Los Angeles, as the French tried to reach México City.
1893 – The U.S. experienced the worst economic crisis to date, as stock prices plummeted and major railroads entered into receivership. More than 15,000 businesses went bankrupt and 15 – 20% of the work force was unemployed. Within seven months, over 600 banks had closed.
1961 – Navy Commander Alan Shepard, Jr., became the first American in space when he was launched from Cape Canaveral, FL, aboard the Freedom 7 capsule.
Chief Writing Wolf 