2003—Newsweek publishes a poll saying 74 percent of Americans think the Bush administration has “a well thought-out military plan.”
1995—Rep. Dan Burton [R-Ind.] says the U.S. “should place an aircraft carrier off the coast of [land-locked] Bolivia and crop dust the coca fields.”
1973—Army Master Sergeant Max Beilke becomes the last U.S. combat soldier to leave Vietnam. He will die at the Pentagon, a civilian, on 9/11/01.
1972—Anticipating a $100,000 “contribution” to the Nixon re-election campaign, the EPA lays off enforcement of a lead smelter in Idaho.
1971—A court martial for 22 murders makes Lt. W. Calley the scapegoat for My Lai; he gets “life in prison,” does three years home confinement.
1960—For reasons which are unfathomable, France launches a nuclear sub.
1956—Mississippi creates a State Sovereignty Commission. Its $250K/yr. budget buys PR, then surreptitious surveillance of civil rights groups.
1929—Abdulaziz ibn Abdul Rahman Al Saud’s army defeats Ikhwan rebels at Sabilla, demonstrating the obsolescence of camel-mounted cavalry and the efficacy of machine guns.
1849—In Richmond, Va., friends nail Henry Brown, an enslaved Black man, into a box. Shipped as freight to Philadelphia, he’s free 27 hours later.
1843—As the Cabinet meets, War Sec. Spencer lunges at Navy Sec. Upshur, but Pres. Tyler stops the fight.