This Day in History
In Alaska
• In 1880, Richard Harris and Joe Juneau arrive in Sitka with ore from Gold Creek in Juneau, but backer George Pilz was upset because they did not find the source of the gold.
• In 1881, an election in most towns of Southeast Alaska selected an unofficial delegate to Congress.
• In 1979, 80 percent of Anchorage's school teachers walked out in the first teacher strike in Anchorage.
In the nation
• In 1774, the first Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia.
• In 1836, Sam Houston was elected president of the Republic of Texas.
• In 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth, ending the Russo-Japanese War, was signed in New Hampshire.
• In 1939, the United States proclaimed its neutrality in World War II.
• In 1975, President Ford escaped an attempt on his life by Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a disciple of Charles Manson, in Sacramento, Calif.
• In 1977, the U.S. launched the Voyager 1 spacecraft two weeks after launching its twin, Voyager 2.
• In 1999, the Houston Comets won their third straight WNBA championship, beating the New York Liberty, 59-47. "Candid Camera" creator Allen Funt died in Pebble Beach, Calif., at age 84.
In the world
• In 1793, the Reign of Terror began during the French Revolution as the National Convention instituted harsh measures to repress counter-revolutionary activities.
• In 1914, the First Battle of the Marne began during World War I.
• In 1945, Iva Toguri D'Aquino, a Japanese-American suspected of being wartime broadcaster Tokyo Rose, was arrested in Yokohama.
• In 1972, Arab guerrillas attacked the Israeli delegation at the Munich Olympic games; 11 Israelis, five guerrillas and a police officer were killed in the siege.