TODAY IN HISTORY

1707

The Kingdom of Great Britain was created as a treaty merging England and Scotland took effect.

1866

Three days of race-related rioting erupted in Memphis, Tenn., as white mobs targeted Blacks, 46 of whom were killed, along with two whites.

1960

The Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane over Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

1963

James W. Whittaker became the first American to conquer Mount Everest as he and Sherpa guide Nawang Gombu reached the summit.

1964

The computer programming language BASIC was created by Dartmouth College professors John G. Kemeny and Thomas E. Kurtz.

2011

President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden as a result of a U.S. commando operation.