Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931)

Thomas Alva Edison, one of the most prolific inventors in
history, died of complications of diabetes in his home, 
in Llewellyn Park in West Orange, New Jersey.Edison was
buried behind the home. He was 84

Edison’s last breath is reportedly contained in a test tube
at The Henry Ford museum near Detroit. Ford reportedly
convinced Charles Edison to seal a test tube of air in the
inventor’s room shortly after his death, as a memento.

Charles Edward Anderson Berry
(October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017)

Music pioneer Chuck Berry refined and developed rhythm and
blues into the major elements that made rock and roll distinctive
with songs such as "Maybellene" (1955), "Roll Over Beethoven"
(1956), "Rock and Roll Music" (1957) and "Johnny B. Goode"
(1958)

On October 18, 1867, the U.S. formally took possession of
Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2
million, or less than two cents an acre. Indigenous peoples
settled the unforgiving territory thousands of years earlier.

The Alaska purchase comprised 586,412 square miles, about
twice the size of Texas, and was championed by William
Henry Seward, the enthusiastically expansionist secretary
of state under President Andrew Johnson.

Russia wanted to sell its Alaska territory, which was remote
and difficult to defend, to the U.S. rather than risk losing it
in battle with a rival such as Great Britain.

Treasury warrant in the amount of $7.2 million for the
purchase of Alaska. (Department of the Treasury;
National Archives)

                 (May 16, 1801 – October 10, 1872)