On this date
In 1817,
America’s first public gas street lamp was lighted in Baltimore at the corner of Market and Lemon streets (now East Baltimore and Holliday streets).
In 1943,
the government abruptly announced that wartime rationing of shoes made of leather would go into effect in two days, limiting consumers to buying three pairs per person per year. (Rationing was lifted in October 1945.)
In 1948,
Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as U.S. Army chief of staff; he was succeeded by Gen. Omar Bradley.
In 1962,
President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba.
In 1984,
space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered spacewalk, which lasted nearly six hours.
In 1986,
Haitian President-for-Life Jean-Claude Duvalier fled his country, ending 28 years of his family’s rule.
In 1991,
Jean-Bertrand Aristide was inaugurated as the first democratically elected president of Haiti (he was overthrown by the military the following September).
Ten years ago:
Pro-Russian opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych declared victory in Ukraine’s presidential runoff, but his opponents rejected the claim, saying the vote was too close to call. (Yanukovych was inaugurated Feb. 25.)
Five years ago:
In a memo released by NBC, Brian Williams said he was stepping away temporarily from the anchor chair of the “NBC Nightly News” amid questions about his recollections of war coverage in Iraq. (Williams ended up being permanently removed from the principal anchor chair, but remained with NBC News.)
One year ago:
Democrats launched a sweeping plan to transform the U.S. economy to combat climate change and create thousands of jobs in renewable energy; at least six senators running for president or considering White House bids backed the “Green New Deal.”