On this day in 1867, the U.S. formally takes possession of Alaska
after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2 million, or less
than two cents an acre. The Alaska purchase comprised 586,412
square miles, about twice the size of Texas, and was championed
by William Henry Seward, the secretary of state under the 17th
President of the United States Andrew Johnson.

William Henry Seward
(May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872)

Andrew Johnson
(December 29, 1808 – July 31, 1875)

TIM MAGUIRE

On this day in 1968, two black athletes, Tommie Smith and John
Carlos, were suspended by the U.S. Olympic Committee for giving
a "black power" salute (above) during a ceremony in Mexico City.

The three scientists shared the Nobel Prize on this day in 1962 for
DNA discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic
acids and its significance for information transfer in living material.”

Watson and Crick DNA model.