TODAY IN HISTORY

1862

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, which was intended to encourage settlements west of the Mississippi River by making federal land available for farming.

1927

Charles Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field on Long Island, New York, aboard the Spirit of St. Louis on his historic solo flight to France.

1932

Amelia Earhart took off from Newfoundland to become the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic.

1956

The United States exploded the first airborne hydrogen bomb over Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

1969

U.S. and South Vietnamese forces captured Ap Bia Mountain, referred to as “Hamburger Hill” by the Americans, following one of the bloodiest battles of the Vietnam War.

1985

Radio Marti, operated by the U.S. government, began broadcasting; Cuba responded by attempting to jam its signal.

Birthdays

Actor-author James McEachin is 92. Singeractor Cher is 76. Actorcomedian Dave Thomas is 74. Rock musician Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's) is 64. Actor Timothy Olyphant is 54. Former race car driver Tony Stewart is 51. Rapper Busta Rhymes is 50. Country singer Jon Pardi is 37.