This day in History
In Alaska
• In 1778, the expedition of Captain James Cook left Unalaska for the Hawaiian Islands, where Cook was killed.
• In 1936, the pipeline and bridges at the Sawmill Creek hydro-electric plant in Sitka were washed out.
• In 1982, the Aurora I Telecommunications satellite was launched.
In the nation
• 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the U.S. Constitution, was published in a New York newspaper.
• In 1858, the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was born in New York City.
• In 1880, Theodore Roosevelt married Alice Lee.
• In 1904, the first rapid transit subway, the IRT, opened in New York City.
• In 1922, the first annual celebration of Navy Day took place.
• In 1938, Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn: "nylon."
• In 1947, "You Bet Your Life," starring Groucho Marx, premiered on ABC Radio. (It later became a television show on NBC.)
• In 1954, Walt Disney's first television program, titled "Disneyland" after his yet-to-be completed theme park, premiered on ABC.
• In 1993, brush fires raged across Southern California, destroying several hundred homes. President Clinton presented a revised version of his health care reform plan to Congress, urging its passage within a year.
• In 2002, Emmitt Smith broke the NFL career rushing yardage record held by the late Walter Payton. The Anaheim Angels won the World Series, beating the San Francisco Giants 4-1 in Game Seven.
In the world
• In 1914, author-poet Dylan Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales.
• In 1967, Expo '67 closed in Montreal, Canada.
• In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord.
• In 1998, Hurricane "Mitch" cut through the western Caribbean, pummeling coastal Honduras and Belize. The storm caused several thousand deaths in Central America in the days that followed.