On this date in ...

1918: The United States Army fighting in Europe needed a certain number of cannons delivered monthly to achieve victory, according to Watervliet Arsenal commandant Col. Charles G. Mettler, and the arsenal was necessary in supplying them. That is why, Mettler said, it was imperative to build at least 500 new houses in Albany immediately to accommodate the families of the additional men required to handle the increased demands at the facility.

1968: Members of the Schenectadybased 1018th Army Reserve Services and Supplies Co. were scheduled to leave Fort Lee, Va. for Vietnam next week unless their departure was halted by a restraining order being sought in Richmond, Va., District Court. An advance contingent of eight men from the unit were stationed at Da Nang to prepare huts for the 140 soldiers. But a Cleveland group had been granted a delay and if the Supreme Court were to hear the appeal and rule in favor of the Ohio unit, the presumption was that all reserve units would be returned to inactive status. 1993: Educated baby boomers in two-income families would be better off financially in retirement than their parents, according to a congressional study that contradicted widespread fears about the generation’s future. Not all baby boomers, however, could look forward to a comfortable retirement, according to the report released by the Congressional Budget Office. Single, poorly educated baby boomers could wind up on public assistance when they retired, the CBO warned, while couples who never bought their own home or relied on a single income may also have trouble making ends meet.