Today in 1861, Lincoln imposes the first federal income tax by signing the Revenue Act. Strapped for cash with which to pursue the Civil War, Lincoln and Congress agreed to impose a 3 percent tax on annual

Today in 1753,George Washington, a young Virginia planter, becomes a Master Mason, the highest basic rank in the secret fraternity of Freemasonry. The ceremony was held at the Masonic Lodge No. 4 in

Today in 1921, Adolf Hitler becomes the leader of the National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party. Under Hitler, the Nazi Party grew into a mass movement and ruled Germany as a totalitarian state from

Today in 1861, the first battle of bull run took place. Bull run was the first major land battle of the Civil War. On this day in 1944, Adolf Hitler takes to the airwaves to announce that the attempt on

Today in 1863, on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s last attempt at breaking the line of the Union ends in disastrous failure, bringing the most decisive battle

Today in 1506, great Italian explorer Christopher Columbus dies in Valladolid, Spain. Columbus was the first European to explore the Americas since the Vikings set up colonies in Greenland and Newfoundland

Today in 1607, around 100 English colonists arrived along the west bank of the James River in Virginia to found Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America. Dispatched from England

Today in 1955, Walt Disney's Peter Pan premieres 1990 Mendela set free After 27 years in prison, of the movement to end South African apartheid, is released on this day in 1990. Nelson was convicted of

Today in 1863, at the dedication of a military cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, President Abraham Lincoln delivers one of the most memorable speeches in American history, The Gettysburg Address. 1969,

1777 After 16 months of debate, the Continental Congress, sitting in its temporary capital of York, Pennsylvania, agrees to adopt the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union on this day in 1777.

Today in 1789, George Washington concludes the 1st Presidential tour. Today in 1955, actress, comedian and talk-show host Whoopi Goldberg is born in New York City. Goldberg earned an Oscar nomination for

![404347ab-ac69-4ee2-9fd1-2e83763e17d3.png](http Nov 5 1605 King James I of England learns that a plot to explode the Parliament building has been foiled, hours before he was scheduled to sit with the

Today in 1860, Abraham Lincoln is elected the 16th president of the United States over a deeply divided Democratic Party, becoming the first Republican to win the presidency. Led by Bolshevik Party leader

Early in the morning, King James I of England learns that a plot to explode the Parliament building has been foiled, hours before he was scheduled to sit with the rest of the British government in a general

Oct. 21 1854 Florence Nightingale with a staff of 38 nurses is sent to the Crimean War Oct 22 In a televised speech of extraordinary gravity, President John F. Kennedy announces that U.S. spy planes have

1954 President Eisenhower conducts the first televised Cabinet meeting. 1960 Martin Luther King, Jr., is sentenced to four months in jail for a sit-in. 2002 Lastly, this day in 2002, Irish actor Richard

Today in 1641, Rebellion in Ireland. Catholics, under Phelim O'Neil, rise against the Protestants and massacred men, women and children to the number of 40,000. This day in 1890, Benjamin Harrison issues

In 1867, America formally takes possession of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2 million, or less than two cents an acre. The Alaska purchase comprised 586,412 square miles, about

Today Canada became the first major world country to legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Starting an economic experiment of sorts; hitting the nation with its biggest social cultural change in

1935 Porgy and Bess premieres on Broadway This day in 1935, George Gershwin’s opera Porgy and Bess premieres on Broadway. Singer Al Jolson attempted to mount a musical version of Porgy starring himself