It was on this date in 1501 that Michelangelo was awarded the contract to carve the statue of David in the Florence cathedral. And it was on this date in 1896 that gold was discovered in the Klondike region of Yukon, Canada.

It was on this date in 1876 that the Bayreuth Festspielhaus in Germany opened. It premiered Richard Wagner's piece, Der Ring des Nibelungen (The Ring of the Nibelung). The performance lasted four days. And it was on this date in 2008 that swimmer Micheal Phelps won three gold medals in one day at the Beijing Olympics.

It was on this date in 1930 that Clarence Birdseye introduced us to a new way to eat. He figured out how to freeze meat and produce quickly to stop the products from getting mushy. And it was on this date in 1972 that the Broadway hit, Oh! Calcutta! ended its run after 1,316 performances. The play consisted of sketches consisting of sex-related topics and featured total nudity by the actors.

It was on this date in 1896 that Harvey Hubbel patented a pull string to turn a light on and off. And it was on this date in 1964 that the Beatles premiered their movie, A Hard Day's Night. It garnered two Academy Award nominations.

It was on this date in the year 70 that Romans destroyed much of Jerusalem, including the Second Temple. And it was on this date in 1787 that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart completed his Eine kleine Nachtmusik or Serenade No. 13 in G major.

It was on this date in 1944 that Smokey the Bear made his debut in preventing forest fires. And it was on this date in 1974 that President Richard Nixon became the first U.S. president to resign from office.

It was on this date in 1945 that an American B-29 bomber dropped the first atomic bomb over the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Approximately 80,000 people were killed as a direct result of the blast.

It was on this date in 1861 that President Abraham Lincoln signed the first income tax into law. And it was on this date in 1914 that the world's first electric traffic signal was put into place. It was at the corner of Euclid Avenue and 105th Street in Cleveland.

It was on this date in 1753 that George Washington became a Master Mason in the Freemasons. And it was on this date in 1909 that a Major League Baseball umpire instigated a riot when he spit into the face of a Philadelphia Athletics player.

It was on this day in 1492 that Christopher Columbus began his journey that would lead to European discovery of the New World. And it was on this date in 1963 that the Beatles gave their last performance at the Cavern Club in Liverpool.