December 3rd, 2008

Today in History

1818:
Illinois becomes the 21st U.S. state

1901:
US President Theodore Roosevelt delivers a 20,000-word speech to the House of Representatives asking Congress curb the power of trusts "within reasonable limits".

1999:
NASA loses radio contact with the Mars Polar Lander moments before the spacecraft enters the Martian atmosphere.

1925:
George Gershwin's Piano Concerto in F is premiered at Carnegie Hall.

1982:
A soil sample is taken from Times Beach, Missouri that would be found to contain 300 times the safe level of dioxin.