Discover What Happened Today in History
John C. Calhoun became the first U.S. Vice President to resign from office, stepping down over political differences with President Andrew Jackson, particularly regarding states' rights and the Nullification Crisis.
The Lumière brothers held the first paid public screening of films at the Grand Café in Paris, marking the birth of the commercial cinema industry. They showed ten short films, including their famous 'Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat.'
A devastating 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck the Strait of Messina between Sicily and mainland Italy, followed by a tsunami. It killed an estimated 75,000 to 200,000 people, making it Europe's deadliest earthquake.
The U.S. Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance and its inclusion of the phrase 'under God.' This act codified a change made the previous year to distinguish the United States from 'godless' communism during the Cold War.
President Richard Nixon signed the Endangered Species Act into U.S. law, providing a framework for the conservation and protection of threatened and endangered plants, animals, and their habitats.