Events, Births and Deaths Happening on this Date

1776

The first naval battle of Lake Champlain was fought during the American Revolution.

1811

The first steam-powered ferryboat, the Juliana, was put into operation between New York City and Hoboken, N.J.

1890

The Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in Washington, D.C.

1942

The World War II Battle of Cape Esperance began in the Solomon Islands, resulting in an American victory over the Japanese.

1958

The lunar probe Pioneer 1 was launched; it failed to go as far as planned, fell back to Earth, and burned up in the atmosphere.

1962

Pope John XXIII convened the first session of the Roman Catholic Church's 21st Ecumenical Council, also known as Vatican II.

1968

Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard.

1975

''Saturday Night Live'' made its debut on NBC.

1984

Space shuttle Challenger astronaut Kathy Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space.

1986

President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev opened two days of talks concerning arms control and human rights in Reykjavik, Iceland.

1991

Testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, law professor Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her; Thomas reappeared before the panel to denounce the proceedings as a "high-tech lynching."

1998

Pope John Paul II canonized the first Jewish-born saint of the modern era: Edith Stein, a Catholic nun killed at Auschwitz.

1779

Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski was killed while fighting for American independence during the Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah, Ga.