On this date
In 1790, Congress moved to Philadelphia from New York.
In 1917, about 2,000 people died when an explosivesladen French cargo ship collided with a Norwegian vessel at the harbor in Halifax, Nova Scotia, setting off a blast that devastated the city.
In 1922, the Anglo-Irish Treaty, which established the Irish Free State, came into force one year to the day after it was signed in London.
In 1947, Everglades National Park in Florida was dedicated by President Harry S. Truman.
In 1957, America’s first attempt at putting a satellite into orbit failed as Vanguard TV3 rose about 4 feet off a Cape Canaveral launch pad before crashing down and exploding.
In 1969, a free concert by The Rolling Stones at the Altamont Speedway in Alameda County, Calif., was marred by the deaths of four people, including one who was stabbed by a Hell’s Angel.
In 1973, House minority leader Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew.
Ten years ago: The bipartisan Iraq Study Group concluded that President George W. Bush’s war policies had failed in almost every regard and said the situation in Iraq was “grave and deteriorating.”
Five years ago: Declaring the American middle class in jeopardy, President Barack Obama, speaking in Osawatomie, Kan., outlined a populist economic vision that would drive his re-election bid, insisting the United States had to reclaim its standing as a country in which everyone could prosper if provided “a fair shot and a fair share.” One year ago: The Kennedy Center Honors recognized “Star Wars” creator George Lucas, singer-songwriter Carole King, actress-singer Rita Moreno, conductor Seiji Ozawa and actress Cicely Tyson.