Events, Births and Deaths Happening on this Date

1789

The U.S. War Department established a regular army with a strength of several hundred men.

1829

London's reorganized police force, which became known as Scotland Yard, went on duty.

1902

Impresario David Belasco opened his first Broadway theater.

1918

Allied forces scored a decisive breakthrough of the Hindenburg Line during World War I.

1943

General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Italian Marshal Pietro Badoglio signed an armistice aboard the British ship Nelson off Malta

1954

New York Giants centerfielder Willie Mays made a spectacular running catch with his back to home plate on a 450-foot blast by Cleveland Indians batter Vic Wertz in the opening game of the World Series. It is widely considered to be the greatest catch ever

1957

The New York Giants played their last game at the Polo Grounds, losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1. The Giants moved to San Francisco for the next season.

1963

The second session of Second Vatican Council opened in Rome.

1978

Pope John Paul I was found dead in his Vatican apartment just over a month after becoming head of the Roman Catholic Church.

1988

The space shuttle Discovery blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., marking America's return to manned space flight following the Challenger disaster.

1989

Actress Zsa Zsa Gabor was convicted of battery for slapping a Beverly Hills police officer who had pulled over her Rolls-Royce for expired license plates. (Gabor served three days in jail.)

1995

The O.J. Simpson trial was sent to the jury.

1995

Three U.S. servicemen were indicted in the rape of a 12-year-old Okinawa girl and handed over to Japanese authorities. (They were later convicted.)

2000

Israeli riot police stormed a major Jerusalem shrine and opened fire on stone-throwing Muslim worshippers, killing four Palestinians and wounding175.

1758

English Admiral Horatio Nelson was born.

1982

Seven people in the Chicago area died after unwittingly taking Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide.

1998

Former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley died at age 80.