“History is the story of events, with praise or blame.”
Cotton Mather, American writer
1. George Washington became the first U.S. President
On this day in history in 1789 George Washington became the first U.S. President. Washington took the oath of office on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City. In the United States, he is venerated as one of the country’s founding fathers.
2. Germany and its World War I allies became the first countries to use daylight saving time (DST)
On this day in history in 1916 Germany and its World War I allies became the first countries to use daylight saving time (DST). The rationale was to save energy to aid the war effort. Other European countries, such as the United Kingdom, first introduced DST later that year.
3. The fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War
On this day in history in 1975 The fall of Saigon marked the end of the Vietnam War. As Communist forces gained control of Saigon, South Vietnamese President Duong Van Minh, who had only been in office for 2 days, surrendered unconditionally.
4. Tennis ace Monica Seles was stabbed by an obsessed fan
On this day in history in 1993 Tennis ace Monica Seles was stabbed by an obsessed fan. Although the stab wound proved to be relatively harmless, the psychological ramifications meant that Seles did not play any tournaments for over two years.
5. CERN announces that World Wide Web protocols will remain free
On this day in history in 1993, CERN announced that World Wide Web protocols will remain freeby offering the software required to operate a web server with an open license, the European organization ensured its dissemination, and the WWW flourished.
