History: What Happened Today?

1. In 1457, the oldest exactly dated book was printed, 3 years after Gutenberg invented printing.
2. In 1820, the first US eye hospital, the New York Eye Infirmary, opens in New York City.
3. In 1842, the Seminole War ended and all Indians (Native Americans) were removed from Florida to Oklahoma.
4. In 1893, France issues the first driving licenses, included a required test.
5. In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, creating unemployment insurance and pension plans for the elderly.
6. In 1945, V-J Day; Japan surrendered unconditionally to end World War II.
7. In 1947, India and Pakistan were granted independence within the British Commonwealth.
8. In 1980, Workers went on strike at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, Poland - a job action that resulted in the creation of the Solidarity labor movement.
9. In 1994, the Hubble space telescope photographs the planet Uranus with its rings.
10. In 2003, a huge blackout hit the northeastern United States and parts of Canada. Fifty (50) million people lost power.
11. Famous Birthdays: Arthur Dempster (physicist), Ernest Thompson Seton (founder of Boy Scouts), John Galsworthy (Nobel prize winning novelist), Steve Martin (actor), Danielle Steel (author)

For famous birthdays and other daily events in history, visit our Daily Dose Activities.

Click Here for Yesterday in History: August 13

Click Here for Tomorrow in History: August 15

For more history resources on Internet 4 Classrooms, visit our Social Studies and History index. For Pre K-8th Grade Level History and Social Studies Resources, visit our Grade Level Index.