Original Japanese movie poster for ゴジラ (Gojira), 1954

On This Day in History

• George Washington issues his Farewell Order and the American Continental Army is disbanded following the end of the Revolutionary War. A standing US Army will not come into existence for another 13 years (1783)
• African-American John Willis Menard is elected to the US House of Representatives from Louisiana, but the House refuses to seat him after an electoral challenge (1868)
• The Old West outlaw Black Bart the Poet commits his last stagecoach robbery (1883)
• Panama (with help and encouragement from the US) separates from Colombia (1903)
• Chevrolet Motor Car Company is founded (1911)
• Poland declares independence from Russia (1918)
• The German Revolution begins, leading to the overthrow of the imperial government and establishment of the Weimar republic (1918)
• The first Godzilla film (ゴジラ, Gojira) is released by Toho Studio, beginning the kaiju (怪獣) film genre (1954)
• The Soviet Union launches Sputnik 2 (Спутник-2), carrying Laika the dog, the first animal to enter Earth orbit (1957)
• Washington, DC, residents are permitted to vote for US President for the first time (1964)
• NASA launches Mariner 10, the first space probe to reach Mercury (1973)
• Dominica becomes independent from the UK (1978)
• Micronesia becomes independent from the US (1986)

Birthdays

Deaths

Holidays