Today in History
Historical Events
Martin Luther King Makes His "I Have a Dream" Speech. The historic speech that was a call to end racism in the United States was given in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington, a political rally organized by human and political rights groups. Over 200,000 people gathered in Washington DC to demand jobs and equality for African-Americans. The I Have a Dream speech by Dr. King became a symbol of the American civil rights movement and is one of the most recognizable speeches in recorded history.
Evergreen Bridge Opens for Traffic for the First Time. The longest floating bridge in the world, the Evergreen Point Bridge or the Governor Albert D. Rosellini Bridge, is on Route 520 in the state of Washington. It is built on Lake Washington and connects Seattle with the city of Medina. The bridge is 4,750 meters long, half of which is over the water.
Emmett Till is Murdered in Mississippi. The 14-year old African-American boy was brutally killed by white men after he was allegedly reported to have flirted with a white woman a day before. Till, who was from Chicago, was visiting family in Money, Mississippi, when he was kidnapped, mutilated, and his body dumped into the river.
Toyota Motor Corporation is Formed. The car company was first founded in 1933 as a subsidiary of the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. The division was headed by Kiichiro Toyoda, the son of the Toyota founder, Sakichi Toyoda.
First Issue of Scientific American hits the newsstands. The science magazine was founded by American inventor and artist Rufus M. Porter. The magazine began as a weekly newsletter and is now the oldest continuously published magazine in the United States.
Famous Births
Born on this day

Gilad Shalit
1986
Israeli soldier

Shania Twain
1965
Canadian singer-songwriter

Surayud Chulanont
1943
Thai politician, 24th Prime Minister of Thailand

Lindsay Hassett
1913
Australian cricketer

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
1749
German writer, scientist
Famous Deaths
Died on this day

Willy Vandersteen
1990
Belgian writer, illustrator

John Huston
1987
American director

Emmett Till
1955
American murder victim

Frederick Law Olmsted
1903
American journalist, landscape designer, co-designed Central Park