On This Day - August 31
Image credit: The GrayVine
Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Let's look back at some of the most significant events in America and beyond that happened on this day, starting with...
12 CE: The Birth of Emperor Caligula
The future Roman emperor Caligula was born. His brief but notorious reign from 37 to 41 AD would become synonymous with tyranny and madness, ending when he was assassinated by his own guards.
1798: America's First Bank Robbery
The Bank of Philadelphia was robbed of $162,821 in the first bank heist in American history. The thief was a employee in an inside job who was caught after making the foolish mistake of depositing the stolen money back into the same bank.
1850: Honolulu Became the Capital
King Kamehameha III of Hawaii issued a royal decree that officially established Honolulu as a city and declared it the new capital of his kingdom.
1864: The Evacuation of Atlanta
Confederate forces began their retreat from Atlanta during the American Civil War. The city was soon occupied by Union troops under General William T. Sherman, providing a critical victory for the North.
1897: Edison Patented the Movie Camera
Thomas Edison received the patent for his Kinetograph, a motion picture camera. He had already been demonstrating the device and its viewer for several years prior.
1935: FDR Signed the Neutrality Act
President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Neutrality Act into law. The act was designed to keep the United States out of foreign wars by limiting its involvement in international conflicts.
1955: The First Solar-Powered Car
Engineer William G. Cobb of General Motors unveiled his "Sunmobile", a 15-inch model car that became the world's first automobile powered by solar energy, demonstrated at a Chicago auto show.
1997: The Death of a Princess
Diana, Princess of Wales, was killed in a high-speed car crash in Paris along with her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul. Her tragic death at age 36 sparked an unprecedented global outpouring of grief.
Do you have more events (historical or not!) you'd like to share with the community? Post them below and let's reminisce together!
