On this date
In 1904,
the United States and Panama proclaimed a treaty under which the U.S. agreed to undertake efforts to build a ship canal across the Panama isthmus.
In 1917,
President Woodrow Wilson signed a congressional act establishing Mount McKinley National Park (now Denali National Park) in the Alaska Territory.
In 1919,
President Woodrow Wilson signed a congressional act establishing Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
In 1929,
President Calvin Coolidge signed a measure establishing Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
In 1940,
The United States Air Defense Command was created.
In 1994,
a jury acquitted 11 followers of David Koresh of murder, rejecting claims they had ambushed federal agents; five were convicted of voluntary manslaughter.
In 1998,
a jury in Amarillo, Texas, rejected an $11 million lawsuit brought by Texas cattlemen who blamed Oprah Winfrey’s talk show for a price fall after a segment on food safety that included a discussion about mad cow disease.
Ten years ago:
New York Gov. David Paterson announced he wouldn’t seek re-election amid an investigation over his handling of a domestic violence complaint against a top aide. (Investigators found no evidence of witness tampering.)
Five years ago:
The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to impose the toughest rules yet on broadband service to prevent companies like Comcast, Verizon and AT&T from creating paid fast lanes and slowing or blocking web traffic.
One year ago:
A federal appeals court cleared AT&T’s takeover of Time Warner.