This Day in History Class

On this day in 1775, physician and amateur chemist James Jay invented a new kind of invisible ink, which was later put to use in the American War of Independence.

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On this day in 1895, the first American auto race took place in Chicago, Illinois, with six racers competing in custom, handcrafted cars.

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On this day in 1868, at dawn, Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer led a surprise attack on a peaceful Cheyenne village along the Washita River in what is now Oklahoma.

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On this day in 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed a bill officially declaring that the Thanksgiving holiday would occur every year on the fourth Thursday in November.

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On this day in 1952, “The Moustrap,” a murder-mystery play by Agatha Christie, made its London debut at the Ambassadors Theatre.

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On this day in 1642, Dutch explorer Abel Tasman recorded the first European sighting of the island now known as Tasmania.

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On this day in 1889, an early forerunner of the modern jukebox was installed for public use at the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco, California.

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On this day in 1968, during a turbulent year for race relations in America, actors William Shatner and Nichelle Nichols shared a prominent kiss on an episode of Star Trek.

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On this day in 1934, at 17-years-old, Ella Fitzgerald became the first female performer to win Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem.

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On this day in 1923, prolific inventor and entrepreneur Garrett Morgan received the patent for a traffic light signal of his own design.

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