On January 31, 1950, U.S. President Harry S. Truman publicly
announced his decision to support the development of the
hydrogen bomb, a weapon theorized to be hundreds of times
more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Japan
during World War II.
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On January 31, 1865, the U.S. House of Representatives passed
the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, abolishing slavery in
America.
The amendment read, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude
…shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to
their jurisdiction.”
Several Democrats abstained, but the 13th Amendment was sent
to the states for ratification, which came in December 1865.
With the passage of the amendment, the institution that had
indelibly shaped American history was formally outlawed.
