1993 John Wayne Bobbitt His wife cuts off his penis and discards it along the roadside. It was later retrieved and reattached.

1951 Ten Most Wanted Thomas James Holden, who was the first person listed on the infamous list, is arrested. He had killed his wife and her two brothers.

1938 Civil Aeronautics Authority is established by Congress, to promote safety and development and to regulate civil aeronautics.

1891 Rain making experiments are conducted in Texas by the Department of Agriculture.

1888 First black to receive a nominating vote for presidential candidate at a political convention, Frederick Douglass for the Republican party, although they nominated Benjamin Harrison.

1887 First baby hospital exclusively for infants is chartered, Babies Hospital of the City of New York.

1868 First practical typewriter is patented. Only able to type capital letters, it was first built in 1873.

1865 Civil War Last formal surrender of Confederate troops.

1860 The U.S. Secret Service is established by Congress.

1860 The Government Printing Office is established.

1846 Saxophone is patented, by Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax.

1845 Texas Congress votes for annexation to the U.S.

1812 First naval battle after declaring war on Great Britain (War of 1812). A gun explodes on the USS President killing 22 and allowing the HMS Belvidera to escape.

1683 English Quaker William Penn signs a treaty purchasing land from the Pennsylvania Indians. Source: An Almanac of the Christian Church

1946 Ted Shackelford American actor. TV: Dallas (Gary Ewing) and Knots Landing (Gary Ewing).

1940 Stuart Sutcliffe d. 1962 English musician, bass guitarist for the Beatles before they became famous (May 1960 - August 1961). He is partially credited with coming up with the name of the group, when he jokingly suggesting "Beetles" as a play on Buddy Holly's Crickets.

1939 Bert Convy d. 1991 American Emmy-winning game show host, actor. TV: Super Password.

1936 Richard David Bach American author. Writings: Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970), which in five years sold over 7,000,000 copies in the U.S. It had been turned down by 18 publishers.

1929 June Carter Cash d. 2003 American Grammy-winning singer, wife of Johnny Cash. TV: Grand Ole Opry.

1927 Bob Fosse d. 1987 (Robert Louis Fosse), American dancer, choreographer, director. He was the first director to win an Oscar (Cabaret, 1972), a Tony (Pajama Game, 1954), and an Emmy (Liza with a Z, 1973). He also directed his semi-autobiographical All That Jazz (1979).

1912 Alan Mathison Turing d. 1954 British mathematician, computer expert, invented the Turing Test (1937) which defined the modern digital computer.  He also cracked Germany's "unbreakable" war code Enigma. In 1952 he was prosecuted for homosexuality by the British government and forced to undergo chemical castration. He died from eating a cyanide-laced apple.

1911 David Ogilvy d. 1999 English advertising genius, called "The Father of Advertising." His slogan, "Only Dove is one-quarter moisturizing cream" helped Dove become the top-selling soap in the U.S. Writings: Confessions of an Advertising Man.

1894 Edward VIII d. 1972 (Duke of Windsor), King of England (1936). He gave up the Throne in 1937 to marry American divorcee Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson.

1894 Alfred Charles Kinsey d. 1956 American zoologist. His book Sexual Behavior in the Human Male (1948) shocked the public by pointing out how many "perverted acts" were common place in American homes.

1763 Josephine d. 1814 French Empress, first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. Their marriage was dissolved (1809) when she failed to produce an heir.

2006 Aaron Spelling b. 1923 American TV and film producer. TV: Charlie's Angels, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island, Dynasty, Beverly Hills 90210, and Melrose Place.

1995 Jonas Edward Salk b. 1914 American physician, scientist. He discovered a polio vaccine in 1953, saving thousands from the crippling disease. In 1952 alone, polio paralyzed 21,000 people and killed 3,100.

1946 William S. Hart b. 1862 American silent Western actor.

1945 Simon Lake b. 1866 American engineer, father of the modern submarine. He built his first sub in 1894.

1611 Henry Hudson b. 1575 English explorer. He was the first white man to go up the Hudson River (1609).

A.D. 79 Vespasian b. A.D. 9 Roman Emperor (69-79 A.D.), responsible for the building of the Colosseum.

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