On this date

In 1848,

President James K. Polk triggered the Gold Rush of ‘49 by confirming that gold had been discovered in California.

In 1932,

German physicist Albert Einstein was granted a visa, making it possible for him to travel to the United States.

In 1945,

five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers disappeared after taking off from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on a training mission with the loss of all 14 crew members; “The Lost Squadron” contributed to the legend of the Bermuda Triangle.

In 1952,

the Great Smog of London descended on the British capital; the unusually thick, toxic fog lasted for five days and was blamed for causing thousands of deaths.

In 1977,

Egypt broke diplomatic relations with Syria, Libya, Algeria, Iraq and South Yemen after criticism of President Anwar Sadat’s peace overtures to Israel.

In 1988,

a federal grand jury indicted PTL founder Jim Bakker on fraud and conspiracy charges. (Bakker was convicted and initially sentenced to 45 years in prison; the term was reduced to eight years, and he served about five.)

In 1994,

Republicans chose Newt Gingrich to be the first GOP speaker of the House in four decades.

Ten years ago:

A judge in Las Vegas sentenced O.J. Simpson to 33 years in prison (with eligibility for parole after nine) for an armed robbery at a hotel room. (Simpson was released to parole in 2017.)

Five years ago:

Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid leader who became South Africa’s first black president, died at age 95.

One year ago:

Democratic congressman John Conyers of Michigan resigned from Congress after a nearly 53-year career, becoming the first Capitol Hill politician to lose his job amid the sexual misconduct allegations sweeping through the nation’s workplaces.