1861 – The first telegram was transmitted across the United States from California Chief Justice Stephen Field to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln in Washington.
1929 – $5 billion in market values were swept away in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which marked the beginning of the Great Depression.
1940 – The 40-hour workweek went into effect in the United States.
1962 – The U.S. blockade of Cuba during the missile crisis began under a proclamation signed by President John F. Kennedy.
