December 2nd, 2008

Today in History

1962:
Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of US President John F. Kennedy, US Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official to not make an optimistic public comment on the war's progress.

1851:
Newly-elected French President Charles Louis Bonaparte violently overthrows the Second Republic.

1852:
Napoleon III becomes Emperor of France.

1930:
Great Depression: US President Herbert Hoover goes before Congress and asks for a US$150 million public works program to help generate jobs and stimulate the economy.

1409:
The University of Leipzig opens.