1495
Culture
First Written Record of Scotch Whisky
Friar John Cor recorded the first known batch of Scotch whisky in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland. The entry noted the purchase of malt 'to make aqua vitae.'
On This Day in History
1533
Politics
Anne Boleyn Crowned Queen of England
Anne Boleyn was crowned Queen of England at Westminster Abbey. Her coronation was met with public hostility, and she would be executed less than three years later.
1792
Politics
Kentucky Becomes 15th State
Kentucky was admitted to the Union as the 15th state, the first west of the Appalachian Mountains. It had previously been part of Virginia.
1796
Politics
Tennessee Becomes 16th State
Tennessee was admitted to the Union as the 16th state. Andrew Jackson would later become its most famous political figure.
1813
War & Conflict
HMS Shannon Captures USS Chesapeake
The British frigate HMS Shannon captured the American frigate USS Chesapeake in a brief but fierce battle off Boston. Captain James Lawrence's dying words, 'Don't give up the ship,' became a U.S. Navy motto.
1916
War & Conflict
National Defense Act Signed
President Wilson signed the National Defense Act, expanding the U.S. Army and establishing the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC). The act prepared America for potential entry into World War I.
2009
Disaster
Air France Flight 447 Crashes into Atlantic
Air France Flight 447 disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing all 228 people aboard. The wreckage was not found for nearly two years.