1997-Paul McCartney knighted

American Revolution
1779-Congress establishes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Automotive
2009-Toyota sells 1 millionth hybrid in U.S.

Civil War
1862-Lincoln shuffles the Union command

Cold War
1985-Mikhail Gorbachev picked to succeed Chernenko

Crime
1989-COPS makes TV debut

Disaster
1888-Great Blizzard of ’88 hits East Coast

General Interest
1861-Confederate constitution adopted
1941-FDR signs Lend-Lease
1942-MacArthur leaves Corregidor
1990-Lithuania proclaims its independence
2004-Terrorists bomb trains in Madrid

Hollywood
1989-COPS debuts on Fox

Literary
1818-Frankenstein published

Music
1903-Lawrence Welk is born

Old West
1884-Gunslinger Ben Thompson dies

Presidential
1947-Truman thanks Herbert Hoover for aiding post-WWII reconstruction

Sports
1901-Newspaper reports signing of so-called Chief Tokohama

Vietnam War
1967-Heavy battle rages during Operation Junction City

World War I
1918-First cases reported in deadly influenza epidemic

World War II
1942-MacArthur leaves the Philippines