On this date, Dec. 1

1862 President Abraham Lincoln sent his Second Annual Message to Congress, in which he called for the abolition of slavery and said, “Fellow-citizens, we can not escape history. We of this Congress and this Administration will be remembered in spite of ourselves.”

1924 In the face of heated protests, Allegheny County commissioners asked for bids for the razing of the Ninth Street Bridge. 1955 Rosa Parks, a black seamstress, was arrested after refusing to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Ala., city bus. The incident sparked a yearlong boycott of the buses by blacks. 1958 Arnold “Red” Manning was hired as coach of Duquesne University’s men’s basketball team.

1976 Allegheny County’s mass transit system came to a halt as striking Port Authority Transit workers shut down all public transportation.

2004 Tom Brokaw signed off for the last time as principal anchor of the “NBC Nightly News.” He was succeeded by Brian Williams.

Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology).

— Compiled by Rick Nowlin

Today’s birthdays: Actor-director Woody Allen, 83. World Golf Hall of Famer Lee Trevino, 79. Television producer David Salzman, 75. Rock singer-musician Eric Bloom (Blue Oyster Cult), 74. Rock musician John Densmore (The Doors), 74. Actress-singer Bette Midler, 73. Singer Gilbert O’Sullivan, 72. Actor Treat Williams,

67. Actress Charlene Tilton, 60. Actressmodel Carol Alt, 58. Actress-comedian Sarah Silverman, 48. Rock musician Brad Delson (Linkin Park), 41. Actor Riz Ahmed (Film: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”),

36. Actress Zoe Kravitz, 30.

Thought for today: “The only people who attain power are those who crave it.” — Erich Kastner, German author and poet (1899-1974)