Also on this date
In 1791, Congress passed a measure taxing distilled spirits; it was the first internal revenue act in U.S. history.
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed a measure creating the National Academy of Sciences.
In 1943, in London’s East End, 173 people died in a crush of bodies at the Bethnal Green tube station, which was being used as a wartime air raid shelter.
In 1945, the Allies fully secured the Philippine capital of Manila from Japanese forces during World War II.
In 1960, Lucille Ball filed for divorce from her husband, Desi Arnaz, a day after they had finished filming the last episode of “The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show.”
In 1991, motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers in a scene captured on amateur video.
In 1996, Israel declared “total war” against the militant group Hamas after a bus bomb in Jerusalem killed 19 people, including the bomber, the third such suicide attack in eight days.
In 2019, a tornado roared into the small community of Beauregard, Alabama, killing 23 people; it was the nation’s deadliest tornado in nearly six years.
In 2020, a series of tornadoes struck middle Tennessee, including one that carved a 60-mile path in and around Nashville; the storms left 24 people dead.
Ten years ago: Seeking to repair damaged relations, President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon agreed during a White House meeting to deepen their cooperation in combating drug violence and declared a breakthrough in efforts to end a long-standing dispute over crossborder trucking.
Five years ago: President Barack Obama visited Milwaukee to highlight how his signature health insurance overhaul had helped millions of Americans gain coverage.
One year ago: The known virus death toll in the United States climbed to nine; most victims were residents of a Seattle-area nursing home. The number of virus patients who had died in Italy rose to 79, the most of any nation outside of China. The head of the World Health Organization asked people to stop hoarding masks, saying they were needed by health care workers.