This Day in History
In Alaska
• In 1902, the Kotzebue Post Office was established with Dana H. Thomas as postmaster.
• In 1925, the Cape Spencer Light Station was commissioned by the U.S. Lighthouse Service.
• In 1939, Seldovia began using water from its own city water system. The project was handled by the Public Works Administration, a New Deal agency.
• In 1964, the State Commissioner of Public Works announced plans to build a new international terminal at Anchorage International Airport.
• In 1979, the Beaufort Sea Oil and Gas Lease Sale brought $1 billion, of which $456 million went to the State of Alaska.
In the nation
• In 1816, Indiana became the 19th state.
• In 1872, America's first black governor took office as Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback became acting governor of Louisiana.
• In 1928, police in Buenos Aires thwarted an attempt on the life of President-elect Herbert Hoover.
• In 1980, President Carter signed a bill creating a $1.6 billion environmental "superfund" to pay for cleaning up chemical spills and toxic waste dumps.
• In 1980, "Magnum P.I.," starring Tom Selleck, premiered on CBS television.
• In 1991, a jury in West Palm Beach, Fla., acquitted William Kennedy Smith of sexual assault and battery, rejecting the allegations of Patricia Bowman.
• In 1995, U.S. Rep. Enid Greene Waldholtz, R-Utah, held an emotional news conference, publicly addressing the scandal surrounding her personal and campaign finances and blaming the mess on her estranged husband, Joe.
• In 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments from lawyers representing George W. Bush and Al Gore concerning the Florida presidential vote recount. Shortstop Alex Rodriguez agreed to a $252 million deal with the Texas Rangers.