| On this date in: |
| 1789 | The War Department was established by Congress. |
| 1912 | The Progressive Party nominated Theodore Roosevelt for president. |
| 1942 | U.S. forces landed at Guadalcanal, marking the start of the first major allied offensive in the Pacific during World War II. |
 |
| AP Photo |
|
| 1947 | The balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki, which had carried a six-man crew 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean, crashed into a reef in a Polynesian archipelago. |
| 1957 | Oliver Hardy of the comedy team Laurel and Hardy died at age 65. |
| 1959 | The United States launched Explorer 6, which sent back a picture of the Earth. |
| 1964 | Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers to deal with reported North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. forces. |
| 1971 | Apollo 15 returned to Earth after a manned mission to the moon. |
| 1974 | French stuntman Philippe Petit walked a tightrope strung between the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center. |
 |
| AP Photo |
|
| 1990 | President George H.W. Bush ordered U.S. troops and warplanes to Saudi Arabia to guard the oil-rich desert kingdom against a possible invasion by Iraq. |
| 2000 | Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore chose Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman as his running mate, making him the first Jewish candidate on a major party ticket. |
| 2004 | Greg Maddux became the 22nd pitcher in major league history to reach 300 victories as he led the Chicago Cubs to an 8-4 victory over San Francisco. |
| 2005 | ABC anchorman Peter Jennings died at age 67. |
| 2007 | Barry Bonds became baseball's career home run leader when he hit No. 756 during a home game in San Francisco, passing Hank Aaron's mark. |
