A British man was convicted of sending himself a letter bomb
Paul Reed-Brittle, 46, mailed himself an explosive device to frame his business partner in a bizarre insurance scam. The bomb squad was called, and in...
October 18 in History
Significant events that happened on this day.
Historical Events
2012
2007
A Bulgarian man was arrested for being too good at a carnival game
Lasho Gogev won so many giant teddy bears at a shooting gallery in Leipzig, Germany, that suspicious carnival operators called the police. Officers de...
1968
Bob Beamon shattered the long jump world record by nearly two feet at the Mexico City Olympics
MajorBeamon's jump of 29 feet 2½ inches exceeded the previous record by an almost unbelievable 21¾ inches. The measurement equipment didn't go far enough a...
1963
A French cat named Félicette became the first feline launched into space
France sent Félicette 130 miles above Earth in a rocket, where she experienced weightlessness for about five minutes before safely parachuting back. E...
1954
The first transistor radio went on sale in the United States
The Regency TR-1 was marketed as small enough to fit in a pocket and cost $49.95 (about $570 today). Despite poor sound quality and eating through bat...
1926
American inventor Chuck Berry was born in St. Louis, Missouri
Berry would go on to become one of rock and roll's pioneers and most influential guitarists. His signature guitar style, showmanship, and songs like "...
1898
The United States took control of Puerto Rico from Spain
MajorDuring the Spanish-American War, American forces raised the U.S. flag over Puerto Rico for the first time. This transfer would be formalized in the Tr...
1892
The first long-distance telephone line between New York and Chicago was officially opened
The 900-mile connection was a marvel of engineering, using 10,000 telegraph poles. The call quality was poor by modern standards, and the service was...
1867
The United States officially took possession of Alaska from Russia
MajorAlaska was formally transferred to the United States after being purchased for $7.2 million (about 2 cents per acre). Many Americans mocked the purcha...
1851
Herman Melville's novel "Moby-Dick" was published in the United States
The epic tale of Captain Ahab's obsessive quest to kill a white whale initially sold poorly and received mixed reviews. Melville died believing himsel...
1775
The U.S. Navy's forerunner was established when the Continental Congress authorized the first naval force
The Continental Congress created a small fleet to intercept British supply ships during the Revolutionary War. The initial authorization was for two a...
1767
The Mason-Dixon Line was officially established, marking the boundary between Pennsylvania and Maryland
After four years of surveying, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon completed their famous boundary line. Originally created to settle a property dispute,...