TODAY IN HISTORY

1507

A world map produced by German cartographer Martin Waldseemueller contained the first recorded use of the term America, in honor of Italian navigator Amerigo Vespucci.

1859

Ground was broken for the Suez Canal.

1862

During the Civil War, a Union fleet commanded by Flag Officer David G. Farragut captured the city of New Orleans.

1898

The United States Congress declared war on Spain; the 10-week conflict resulted in an American victory.

1901

New York Gov. Benjamin Barker Odell Jr. signed an automobile registration bill which imposed a 15 mph speed limit on highways.

1945

During World War II, U.S. and Soviet forces linked up on the Elbe River, a meeting that dramatized the collapse of Nazi Germany’s defenses.