Postcard photo of the Southern Pacific’s “Sunset Limited” train as it traveled between Los Angeles and San Francisco, c. 1910s.

The Southern Pacific Railroad completed its transcontinental “Sunset Route”
from New Orleans to California, consolidating its dominance over rail traffic
to the Pacific.

One of the most powerful railroad companies of the 19th century, the “Espee”
(as the railroad was often called) originated in an ambitious plan conceived in
1870 by the “Big Four” western railroad barons: Collis P. Huntington, Charles Crocker, Leland Stanford and Mark Hopkins. A year earlier, the Big Four’s
western-based Central Pacific had linked up with the eastern-based Union
Pacific in Utah, creating the first transcontinental American railway. With
that finished, the “Big Four” began to look for ways to increase their control
over West Coast shipping, and decided to focus their efforts on extending
the California-based Southern Pacific southward.

Early 20th-century postcard of the “Sunset Express” train passing
through Yuma, Arizona.

Greyhound Lines, Inc., usually shortened to Greyhound, is an
intercity bus common carrier serving over 3,800 destinations
across North America. The company’s first route began in
Hibbing, Minnesota in 1914, and the company adopted the
Greyhound name in 1929.

CAMILLE BOHANNON

During World War II on this day in 1940, German war planes bombed
most of the English town of Coventry when about 500 Luftwaffe
bombers attacked.

Coventry Cathedral in ruins following the German attack.

The ruins of the old Coventry Cathedral today, a visible modern-day
reminder of the Blitz of 1940.

Herman Melville’s novel "Moby Dick" was first published in the U.S.
on this day in 1851. 

Herman Melville (August 1, 1819 – September 28, 1891)

SANDY KOZEL

Central Pacific and Union Pacific Rail Roads meet in Promontory, UT. 
on this day in 1869. A golden spike was driven in the rail during the      
celebration of the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S.

The Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany on this
day in 1933. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as
being subversive or representing ideologies opposed to Nazism.

On this day in 1941, Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler’s deputy, parachuted
into Scotland on what he claimed was a peace mission.

Allied military and locals pose with the remains of Rudolph Hess’ Messerschmitt ME-110 after it crash-landed near the Scottish
village of Eaglesham.

Nelson Mandela made history by becoming the first black president
of South Africa after more than three centuries of white rule. He was sworn in to office on this day in 1994.

Convicted of 33 murders, John Wayne Gacy Jr. was sentenced to
death on March 13, 1980, for 12 of those killings. He spent 14 years
on death row before he was executed by lethal injection at Stateville Correctional Center on this day in 1994.  

Gacy during a TV interview in 1992.

Bono (Paul David Hewson) is 58 today. Born in Dublin, Ireland.

Bono is best known as the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of rock band U2
which earned over 20 Grammy Awards and has sold of 150 million records.