1985 New Coke After much public outcry and poor sales, Coca-Cola announces it is bringing back its original formula and calling it "Coca-Cola Classic."  The Coke flavor had been changed to New Coke less than three months earlier.

1962 First privately-financed satellite Telstar I is launched sending the first commercial transmission of live television via satellite.

1929 The new smaller sized U.S. currency begins use. Source: Famous First Facts

1925 Monkey Trial John Scopes goes on trial for teaching evolution in Tennessee. He was found guilty and fined $100, but his conviction was overturned by the state supreme court.

1913 Weather Hottest day recorded in the U.S., 134º F (57º C) in Death Valley, California. Source: Guinness Book of World Records

1890 Wyoming becomes the 44th state. Wyoming is Algonquin for "large prairie place."

1947 Arlo Guthrie American folk singer. Music: Alice's Restaurant (1967).

1943 Arthur Ashe d. 1993 American tennis player, first black male to win a major tennis title (1968, U.S. Open) and the first black to win at Wimbledon (1975). Died of AIDS acquired during heart bypass surgery in 1983.

1931 Nick Adams d. 1968 (Nicholas Aloysius Adamshock), American actor. Film: Twilight of Honor (1963, Oscar nomination). TV: The Rebel (Johnny Yuma).

1926 Fred Gwynne d. 1993 American actor. TV: Car 54, Where Are You (officer Francis Muldoon) and The Munsters (Herman).

1921 Jake LaMotta (Giacobbe LaMotta), American Hall of Fame boxer, known as "The Bronx Bull" and "Raging Bull." He was the first person to defeat Sugar Ray Robison, knocking him out in the first round. He admitted to throwing a fight in order to get a title bout. His life is portrayed in the 1980 film Raging Bull.

1920 David Brinkley d. 2003 American Emmy-winning TV news correspondent. ""Good night, Chet; Good night, David."

1917 Don Herbert d. 2007 (Donald Jeffrey Herbert), American TV personality. TV: Watch Mr. Wizard (Mr. Wizard).

1867 Finley Peter Dunne d. 1936 American humorist, creator of Mr. Dooley.

1856 Nikola Tesla d. 1943 Serbian-American inventor, considered America's greatest electrical engineer, credited with inventing radio, and for whom the tesla (unit of magnetic flux density) is named. He invented the first AC induction motor (1883). Noted for making incredible claims, Tesla claimed that he invented a death ray that could send concentrated beams of particles through air with the capability of bringing down a fleet of 10,000 enemy airplanes at a distance of 250 miles. Biography: Wizard: The Life and Times of Nikola Tesla : Biography of a Genius

1834 James McNeill Whistler d. 1903 American artist, known for his portrait of his mother (1872).

1792 George Mifflin Dallas d. 1864 11th U.S. Vice-President (1845-49).

1989 Mel Blanc b. 1908 (Melvin Jerome Blanc), American cartoon voice, man of a thousand voices, Bugs Bunny, Woody Woodpecker, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and Barney Rubble to name just a few.

1979 Arthur Fiedler b. 1894 American conductor, with the Boston Pops Orchestra. He is the world's best-selling classical artist (50,000,000 records) and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom (1977).

1951 Dudley Fisher b. 1890 American cartoonist, created Right Around Home (1937) and Myrtle (1941).

1941 Jelly Roll Morton b. 1885 (Ferdinand Joseph Morton), American jazz musician, the first great composer in jazz.

1910 Johann Gottfried Galle b. 1812 German astronomer. He discovered the planet Neptune (1846).

1884 Paul Charles Morphy b. 1837 American chess player. He won the first American Masters tournament (1857) and went on to defeat every European master who would play him.

1863 Clement Clarke Moore b. 1779 American theology professor. He is best known for his poem A Visit From St. Nicholas (1822, which begins "Twas the night before christmas").

1851 Louis Jacques Mande Daguerre b. 1789 French photographer, inventor of the Daguerreotype photographic process (1839).

1480 René I b. 1409 titular King of Naples (1435-80).

983 Benedict VII b. ???? Italian religious leader, 135th Pope (974-983).

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