TODAY IN HISTORY

1882

President Chester Arthur signed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese immigrants from the U.S. for 10 years.

1935

The Works Progress Administration began operating under an executive order signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

1937

The hydrogen-filled German airship Hindenburg caught fire and crashed while attempting to dock at Lakehurst, N.J.; 35of the 97people on board were killed along with a crewman on the ground.

1942

During World War II, some 15,000 American and Filipino troops on Corregidor island surrendered to Japanese forces.

1994

Former Arkansas state worker Paula Jones filed suit against President Bill Clinton, alleging he'd sexually harassed her in 1991.

2004

President George W. Bush apologized for the abuse of Iraqi prisoners by American soldiers, calling it “a stain on our country's honor”; he rejected calls for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation.

Birthdays

Baseball Hall of Famer Willie Mays is 91. Rock singer Bob Seger is 77. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is 69. Rock singer John Flansburgh is 62. Actordirector George Clooney is 61. Rock musician Chris Shiflett is 51. Actor Adrianne Palicki is 39. Houston Astros infielder Jose Altuve is 32.