On this day...

687 Conon ends his reign as Catholic Pope
1348 Jews in Zurich Switzerland are accused of poisoning wells
1451 Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa orders Jews of Holland to wear a badge
1776 Great fire in NY
1780 Benedict Arnold gives British Major Andr‚ plans to West Point
1784 1st daily newspaper in America (Penns Packet & General Advertiser)
1792 1st French Republic declared
1823 Moroni 1st appears to Joseph Smith, according to Smith
1863 Union forces retreat to Chattanooga after defeat at Chickamauga
1872 John Henry Conyers of SC becomes 1st black student at Annapolis
1893 Frank Duryea drives 1st US made gas propelled vehicle (car)
1895 1st auto manufacturer opens-Duryea Motor Wagon Company
1897 NY Sun runs famous "Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus," editorial
1906 Yankee 1st baseman Hal Chase's 22 put-outs ties record
1913 1st aerobatic maneuver, sustained inverted flight, performed in France
1915 Stones at Stonehenge, England, sold at auction for œ6,600
1921 Gas generator explodes at Bradishe Aniline chemical works in Germany
1922 Pres Warren G Harding signs a joint resolution of approval to establish a Jewish homeland in Palestine
1929 1st legal forward pass in Canadian senior football thrown (Calgary)
1930 Johann Ostermeyer patents the flashbulb
1931 Britain goes off the gold standard
1934 St Louis Card Paul Dean no-hits Bkln Dodgers, 3-0
1934 Typhoon strikes Honshu Island Japan, kills 4,000
1937 J.R.R. Tolkien, publishes "The Hobbit"
1938 Hurricane (winds 183 MPH) in New England kills 700
1943 Lynch Triangle (Square) in the Bronx named
1948 "Texaco Star Theater" with Milton Berle premieres on NBC-TV
1949 Federal Republic of [West] Germany created under 3-power occupation
1949 People's Republic of China proclaimed
1951 Emil Zatopek runs 15,000 m. in record 44 min, 54.6 sec
1953 Allied forces form West Germany
1954 Nuclear submarine "Nautilus" is commissioned
1956 Yanks set dubious record, stranding 20 men on base Mantle hits a 500' plus homer but Red Sox win 13-9 in Fenway
1957 "Perry Mason" with Raymond Burr premiers on CBS-TV
1958 1st airplane flight exceeding 1200 hours, lands, Dallas Tx
1961 Antonio Abertondo swims the English Channel round trip (44 miles)
1964 Constellation (US) beats Sovereign (England) in 20th America's Cup
1964 Malta gains independence from Britain
1964 Reds Chico Ruiz steals home, beats Phillies 1-0. Phillies start a 10 game losing streak that gives the Cards the pennant
1965 O Kommissarova (USSR) sets women's longest paracute jump (46,250')
1966 5" of rain falls on NYC
1969 NY Jet Steve O'Neal punts 98 yards against Denver Broncos
1970 "Monday Night Football" on ABC premiers (Browns beat Jetss 31-21)
1970 Luna 16 leaves the Moon
1970 Oakland A's Vida Blue no-hits Minn Twins, 6-0
1971 AL OKs Washington Senator move to Arlington (Texas Rangers)
1971 John Lennon & Yoko Ono are Dick Cavett's only guest
1972 Marcos declares martial law in the Philippines
1973 Nate Archibald signs 7 yr contract with NBA KC Kings for $450,000
1973 NY Mets go into 1st place (at .500) after trailing 12« games
1974 US Mariner 10 makes 2nd fly-by of Mercury
1976 Wings performs in Zagreb Yugoslavia
1980 LA Ram Johnnie Johnson scores a 99 yard interception
1980 Richard Todd of the Jets completes 42 passes in a game (NFL record)
1981 Belize gains independence from Britain (National Day)
1981 Sandra Day O'Connor becomes 1st female Supreme Court Justice
1981 Steve Carlton strikes out NL record 3,118th (Andre Dawson)
1982 2,251 turn out to see the Expos play the NY Mets at Shea Stadium
1982 Devils beat Rangers 3-2 in exhibition; 1st hockey in Meadowlands (NJ)
1982 NFL players begin a 57 day strike
1982 SF cable cars cease operations for 2 years of repairs
1982 STS-5 vehicle moves to launch pad
1984 NASA launches Galaxy-C
1985 Michael Spinks becomes 1st light heavyweight to defeat the reigning heavyweight champion, he defeats Larry Holmes
1986 Miami Dan Marino passes for 6 touchdowns vs NY Jets (51-45)
1986 New Orleans Saints Mel Gray returns kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown
1986 NY Jets beat Miami Dolphins 51-45 in OT; record 884 passing yards
1988 Mike Tyson threatens a TV reporter in NJ
1989 Poland's Sejm (National Assembly) approves prime minister Mazowiecki
1990 Oakland A's Bob Welch becomes the 1st 25 game winner in 10 years
1990 Pirate Bobby Bond is 2nd to hit 30 HRs & steal 50 bases in a season
1990 Faye Vincent turns down White Sox bid to reinstate Minnie Minoso, 68, (so he can play in 6 decades) because it is a publicity stunt
1991 Armenia votes on whether to remain in the Soviet Union