Highlights in history

• In 1774, the first Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia.

• In 1793, the Reign of Terror began during the French Revolution as the National Convention instituted harsh measures to repress counter-revolutionary activities.

• In 1864, voters in Louisiana approved a new state constitution abolishing slavery.

• In 1939, four days after war had broken out in Europe, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a proclamation declaring U.S. neutrality in the conflict.

• In 1961, President John F. Kennedy signed legislation making aircraft hijackings a federal crime.

• In 1972, the Palestinian group Black September attacked the Israeli Olympic delegation at the Munich Games, killing 11 Israelis and a police officer. German forces killed five of the gunmen.

• In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford escaped an attempt on his life by Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a disciple of Charles Manson, in Sacramento, California.

• In 1984, the space shuttle Discovery ended its inaugural flight as it landed at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

• In 1997, Catholic nun and missionary Mother Teresa, who dedicated her life to serving the sick and the poor, died in Calcutta, India, at age 87. The 1979 Nobel Peace Prize winner is now honored by the church as St. Teresa of Calcutta.

• In 2016, Phyllis Schlafly, the outspoken conservative activist who helped defeat the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s, died in St. Louis at age 92.