ON THIS DATE

In 1777, the first Battle of Saratoga was fought during the Revolutionary War; although British forces succeeded in driving out the American troops, the Americans prevailed in a second battle the following month.

In 1796, President George Washington’s farewell address was published. In it, America’s first chief executive advised, “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.” In 1881, the 20th president of the United States, James A. Garfield, died 2 1/2 months after being shot by Charles Guiteau. In 1945, Nazi radio propagandist William Joyce, known as “Lord Haw-Haw,” was convicted of treason and sentenced to death by a British court. In 1957, the United States conducted its first contained underground nuclear test, code-named “Rainier,” in the Nevada desert. In 1984, Britain and China completed a draft agreement on transferring Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule by 1997. In 1985, the Mexico City area was struck by a devastating earthquake that killed at least 9,500 people. In 1986, federal health officials announced that the experimental drug AZT would be made available to thousands of AIDS patients. In 1995, The New York Times and The Washington Post published the manifesto of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, which proved instrumental in identifying and capturing him. In 1996, IBM announced it would extend health benefits to the partners of its gay employees. In 2001, the Pentagon ordered dozens of advanced aircraft to the Persian Gulf region as the hour of military retaliation for deadly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 drew closer. In 2004, Hu Jintao became the undisputed leader of China with the departure of former President Jiang Zemin from his top military post. In 2008, struggling to stave off financial catastrophe, the Bush administration laid out a radical bailout plan calling for a takeover of a half-trillion dollars or more in worthless mortgages and other bad debt held by tottering institutions. Relieved investors sent stocks soaring on Wall Street and around the globe.