James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget at Sutter’s Mill in northern California, a discovery that led to the gold rush of ‘49, and more events that happened on this day in history.
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1848: Gold Rush
In 1848, James W. Marshall discovered a gold nugget at Sutter’s Mill in northern California, a discovery that led to the gold rush of ‘49.
1908: Robert Baden-Powell
In 1908, the Boy Scouts movement began in England under the aegis of Robert Baden-Powell.
1924: Leningrad
In 1924, the Russian city of Petrograd (formerly St. Petersburg) was renamed Leningrad in honor of the late revolutionary leader. (However, it has since been renamed St. Petersburg.)
1943: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill
In 1943, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill concluded a wartime conference in Casablanca, Morocco.
1945: Joseph Morton
In 1945, Associated Press war correspondent Joseph Morton was among a group of captives executed by the Germans at the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp in Austria.
1965: Winston Churchill
In 1965, British statesman Winston Churchill died in London at age 90.
1984: Macintosh
In 1984, Apple Computer began selling its first Macintosh model, which boasted a built-in 9-inch monochrome display, a clock rate of 8 megahertz and 128k of RAM.
1989: Theodore Bundy
In 1989, confessed serial killer Theodore Bundy was executed in Florida’s electric chair.
1993: Thurgood Marshall
In 1993, retired Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall died in Bethesda, Maryland, at age 84.
2003: Tom Ridge
In 2003, former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was sworn as the first secretary of the new Department of Homeland Security.
2011: Jared Lee Loughner
Ten years ago: In his second court appearance, Jared Lee Loughner (LAWF’-nur) pleaded not guilty in Phoenix to federal charges he’d tried to kill U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and two of her aides in a Tucson shooting rampage that had claimed six lives.
2011: Moscow
Ten years ago: A suicide bomber attacked Moscow’s busiest airport, killing 37 people; Chechen separatists claimed responsibility.
2015: The NFL
Five years ago: The Denver Broncos defeated the New England Patriots, 20-18, to win the AFC Championship; the Carolina Panthers claimed the NFC Championship with a 49-15 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.
2020: China
One year ago: After the Chinese city of Wuhan halted outbound flights, trains, buses and ferries in an effort to stop the spread of a deadly new virus, 12 other cities in the province followed suit, bringing more than 36 million people under lockdown.
2020: Chicago
One year ago: Health officials in Chicago said a woman in her 60s had become the second U.S. patient diagnosed with the new virus; she'd returned from China in mid-January.
2020: Coco Gauff
One year ago: Fifteen-year-old Coco Gauff upset defending champ Naomi Osaka in the third round of the Australian Open.
2020: Donald Trump
One year ago: President Donald Trump became the first sitting president to address abortion opponents at the annual March for Life.
2020: Impeachment
One year ago: Concluding their opening arguments at President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, House Democrats warned that Trump would persist in abusing his power and endangering democracy unless Congress acted to remove him before the 2020 election.
