Today in History

On this date: 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).

1940: Walt Disney’s

second animated feature, “Pinocchio,” premiered in New York.

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.

1962:

President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba.

1984:

Space shuttle Challenger astronauts Bruce Mccandless II and Robert L. Stewart went on the first untethered spacewalk, which lasted nearly six hours.

1986:

The Philippines held a presidential election marred by charges of fraud against the incumbent, Ferdinand E.

Marcos. Haitian President-for-life Jean-claude Duvalier fled his country, ending 28 years of his family’s rule.

1991:

Jean-bertrand Aristide was inaugurated as the first democratically elected president of Haiti. (He was overthrown by the military the following September.)

1998:

The Winter Olympic Games were opened in Nagano, Japan, by Emperor Akihito.

Ten years ago:

A nearly completed Kleen Energy Systems power plant in Middletown, Connecticut, exploded, killing six people and injuring 50. 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.