- Major nuclear powers around the world signed the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. (1996) The treaty, signed by the US and 70 other countries, would effectively ban the development and testing of nuclear weapons. The treaty has yet to go into effect because some countries, including the US, have signed but not yet ratified, and others have yet to sign.
- The US Supreme Court and the Office of the Attorney General were created. (1789) The "First Judiciary Act" passed through the US Congress and was signed by US President George Washington. The Supreme Court started out with six justices, who were appointed by President Washington and approved by the US Senate. The first Supreme Court session was held on February 1, 1790. The number of justices increased to nine in 1869, where it stands today.
- The first Internet service for consumers launched. (1979) US computer company Compu-Serve launched the public information service. By the 1980s, Compu-Serve became the world's largest information service provider.
- The "Warren Report" was given to US President Lyndon B. Johnson. (1964) The "Warren Report" documented the investigation into US President John F. Kennedy's assassination. The report did little to quiet conspiracy theories, but it documented that Lee Harvey Oswald was a lone shooter and not part of a larger-scale plot.
- The Japanese secretly begin gathering information on Pearl Harbor. (1941) Working with insiders in Hawaii, the Japanese worked to separate Pearl Harbor into five sections so they could develop strategic battleship plans. The US government intercepted this information, but once officials decoded it in October, they decided it wasn't a cause for concern. The Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th, that year.
- US President Harry S. Truman allegedly assembled a secret committee to investigate the Roswell alien spacecraft crash. (1947) The Majestic 12 committee supposedly consisted of government officials, scientists and US military leaders. Conspiracy theorists consider the Majestic 12 major evidence supporting the government-cover-up theories. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has since debunked any documents associated with the committee. Debate continues to this day about whether or not the committee existed.
- The first US National Monument was named. (1906) US President Theodore Roosevelt chose Devil's Tower, a 1,267-foot (386-meter) volcanic protrusion, as the nation's first National Monument. The 1,347-acre (5.45-square kilometer) park is located in Wyoming.
- The Honda Motor Company was founded. (1948) The company first became famous for its motorcycles and didn't start manufacturing cars until the 1970s.
- A forest fire in Alberta, Canada, raged to the point that the smoke blocked out the sun and caused a very rare blue moon. (1950) A literal blue moon is a rare occurrence caused by atmospheric particles and smoke, called a Tyndall effect. The fire in Alberta was so big, the blue moon could be seen from North America all the way to Europe.
- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints banned polygamy. (1890) Under pressure from the US government, which threatened to confiscate their temples and deny their members civil rights, the Mormon church reluctantly renounced polygamy with the "Mormon Manifesto." The document clearly stated members were required to uphold the marriage laws of the US.
- The Trump Tower in Chicago became the world's tallest above-ground residential building. (2008) The building measured 1,389 feet (423 meters). It was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa building in Dubai in 2010.
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