This Day In History

May 26th 1868: President Johnson acquitted

On this day in 1868 President Andrew Johnson’s impeachment trial ended, finding him not guilty by one vote. Johnson became President in 1865 after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and oversaw the Reconstruction era after the Civil War. The unpopular President was impeached in February by the House of Representatives, with the main charge being that he violated the Tenure of Office Act by removing Edwin Stanton as Secretary of War. Johnson was then put on trial in the Senate, with Chief Justice Salmon Chase presiding, however he was found not guilty. He was one vote short of conviction and thus removal from office. Whilst Congress gave specific reasons for the impeachment, many still consider the affair mostly political. Johnson and Bill Clinton in 1998 are the only Presidents to have been impeached.

May 24th 1883: Brooklyn Bridge opens

On this day in 1883 the iconic Brooklyn Bridge in New York City opened. The bridge connects Manhattan and Brooklyn and when opened was the longest suspension bridge in the world. Thousands attended the opening ceremony, including President Chester A. Arthur and New York Mayor Franklin Edson who crossed the bridge to celebratory cannon fire. A few days after opening, a rumour spread that the bridge was unstable and would collapse. However, the rumours were ended on May 17th 1884 when famous circus master P.T Barnum showed its stability by having his famous attraction Jumbo the elephant lead a parade of elephants over the Brooklyn Bridge.

May 23rd 1934: Bonnie and Clyde killed

On this day in 1934 the infamous American bank robbing duo Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow were ambushed by police and killed in Louisiana. Bonnie and Clyde and their gang were outlaws who robbed banks and killed several police officers and civilians from 1931 to 1934. The couple became legendary for their exploits and their love story, especially after Arthur Penn’s 1967 film ‘Bonnie and Clyde’.

“Some day they’ll go down together;
They’ll bury them side by side;
To few it’ll be grief-
To the law a relief-
But it’s death for Bonnie and Clyde.”
- from Bonnie’s poem about the duo

May 21st 1924: Leopold and Loeb kill Bobby Franks

On this day in 1924, University of Chicago students Richard Loeb and Nathan Leopold Jr murdered 14 year old Bobby Franks. The pair killed the boy as a ‘thrill killing’ in their attempt to perform the perfect crime. However, the two were caught and put on trial. They used their wealth and influence to hire famous defence lawyer Clarence Darrow who argued the pair could not be held morally accountable because they had been raised thinking they were superior and thus are not to blame for their actions. He was successful, and the men avoided the death penalty, instead getting life imprisonment.

May 17th 1954: Brown v. Board of Education decision

On this day in 1954, the US Supreme Court handed down its unanimous decision in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. The decision declared segregation on grounds of race in schools unconstitutional. The ruling overturned the 1896 decision Plessy v. Ferguson which allowed segregation under the doctrine ‘separate but equal’. The case had been bought by African-American parents, including Oliver L. Brown, against Topeka’s educational segregation. It was argued before the Court by the chief legal counsel of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP): Thurgood Marshall, who became the first African-American Supreme Court justice in 1967. The Court, led by Chief Justice Earl Warren, declared that segregation violates the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The landmark decision is considered the start of the Civil Rights Movement which led to racial integration and full legal rights for African-Americans.

“We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal”
- Warren’s opinion for the Court

May 14th 1804: Lewis and Clark Expedition departs

On this day in 1804 Meriwether Lewis & William Clark and their team departed from Camp Dubois, Illinois to explore the newly purchased Louisiana Territory and to reach the Pacific coast. The journey was commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson in order to explore the new area and its plants and animal life, and to establish US sovereignty over native peoples along the Missouri River. Lewis and Clark were accompanied by a young Indian woman named Sacagawea and made numerous scientific and commercial discoveries on their journey. They returned in September, 1806.

May 4th 1970: Kent State shootings

On this day in 1970 during the Vietnam War, four unarmed students were killed and 9 injured by the Ohio National Guard who were sent to Kent State University to break up protests against the United States’ invasion of Cambodia. Some of those shot were not even protesters, but bystanders. The event caused national outrage and escalated opposition to the government which had been increasing due to the continued war with in Vietnam.

April 30th 1789: Washington becomes the first President

On this day in 1789 the dominant general of the War of Independence and one of the framers of the Constitution, George Washington, was inaugurated first President of the United States on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York City. He was unanimously chosen President by the Electoral College and the runner-up, John Adams, became Vice President. At his inauguration, Washington set the first of many precedents in making an inaugural address. In office, he created a stable and strong national government with a cabinet system and ensured neutrality in the European wars. Washington was re-elected in 1792 but stepped down after two terms, thus setting the precedent that Presidents usually served two terms (this became part of the Constitution with the 22nd Amendment in 1951). Washington is still considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, President in history for his systematic, effective and thoughtful leadership.

“Long live George Washington, President of the United States!”
- New York Chancellor Livingston upon swearing in the President

April 25th 1898: Spanish-American War begins

On this day in 1898, the United States of America declared war on Spain, thus beginning the Spanish-American War. The war was a result of American intervention in the Cuban War of Independence as Cuba revolted against Spanish rule. Political pressure to end the Spanish atrocities and to avenge the sinking of a US ship forced President McKinley into war. The war was over within the year. Cuban independence was secured, and the US had temporary control of Cuba and authority over Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines.

April 24th 1980: Operation Eagle Claw

On this day in 1980, the American military operation named Operation Eagle Claw to try to end the Iran Hostage Crisis was launched. 52 Americans had been taken hostage at the US Embassy in Tehran and the operation was intended to save the captives by sending helicopters into Iran. However many of the helicopters were damaged and some crashed, killing 8 servicemen; President Carter aborted the mission. Upon discovery of the attempt, the hostages were scattered across Iran to make a second rescue attempt impossible. The debacle was humiliating for the Carter administration and contributed to Carter’s defeat in the 1980 presidential election to Ronald Reagan. The hostages were eventually released after extensive diplomatic negotiations on January 20th 1981, Carter’s last day in office.