Birth anniversaries of Francis Crick (1916-2004) and Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959).
Happy Birthday! Scott Adams, Barbara Bush, James Darren
1783 - One of the most violent volcanic eruptions of recorded history began when the Laki volcano in southern Iceland spewed lava, ash, and acid rain for the next eight months. The eruption brought famine which took the lives of 100,000 and its climatic and atmospheric effects were felt worldwide.
1869 - Ives W. McGaffey received a U.S. patent for the suction vacuum cleaner.
1872 - The penny postcard was authorized by the U.S. Congress.
1947 - "Lassie" debuted on ABC radio. It was a 15-minute show.
1987 - Fawn Hill began testifying in the Iran-Contra hearings. She said that she had helped to shred some documents.
1988 - The judge in the Iran-Contra conspiracy case ruled that Oliver North, John Poindexter, Richard Secord and Albert Hakim had to be tried separately.
1995 - U.S. Air Force pilot Captain Scott O'Grady was rescued by U.S. Marines after surviving alone in Bosnia after his F-16 fighter was shot down on June 2.
1996 - China set off an underground nuclear test blast.
1998 - The National Rifle Association elected Charlton Heston to be its president.
1998 - The space shuttle Discovery pulled away from Mir, ending America's three-year partnership with Russia.