On this date
In 1789, Georgetown University was established in present-day Washington, D.C.
In 1845, Congress decided all national elections would be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
In 1937, 17 people went on trial in Moscow during Josef Stalin’s “Great Purge.” (All were convicted of conspiracy; all but four were executed.)
In 1964, the 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, eliminating the poll tax in federal elections, was ratified as South Dakota became the 38th state to endorse it.
In 1968, North Korea seized the Navy intelligence ship USS Pueblo, charging its crew with being on a spying mission. (The crew was released 11 months later.)
In 1977, the original TV mini-series “Roots,” based on the Alex Haley novel, began airing on ABC.
In 1997, a panel of experts gathered by the National Cancer Institute concluded that “each woman should decide for herself” whether to start having mammograms as early as her 40s — a recommendation that infuriated the American Cancer Society.
Ten years ago: A new rule requiring U.S. airline passengers to show a passport upon their return from Mexico, Canada or the Caribbean took effect.
Five years ago: The Supreme Court unanimously agreed to bar police from installing GPS technology to track suspects without first getting a judge’s approval.
One year ago: A blizzard with hurricane-force winds brought much of the East Coast to a standstill, dumping as much as 3 feet of snow, stranding tens of thousands of travelers and shutting down Washington, D.C., and New York City.