MIKE  GRACIA

The 13-day siege of the Alamo by Santa Anna and his army ended 
on this day in 1836. The Mexican army of about four thousand men 
under President General Santa Anna defeated 189 Texas volunteers fighting for independence from Mexico.

Rob Reiner (Robert Norman Reiner) is 72 years-old today.

Actor and director Rob Reiner is known especially for his role as
Michael (“Meathead”) Stivic in the CBS television series All in the
Family (1971–79) and for his direction of such culturally resonant
films as This Is Spinal Tap (1984), The Princess Bride (1987), When
Harry Met Sally… (1989), and A Few Good Men (1992).

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs
a declaration of war.

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)

TIM MAGUIRE

America’s Great Depression began with the crash of the Wall Street
stock market on this day in 1929.

A crowd of people gather outside the New York Stock Exchange following the Crash of 1929.

On this day in 1998, the space shuttle Discovery blasted off with
John Glenn on board. Glenn was 77 years old at the time. In 1962
he became the first American to orbit the Earth.

The crew of the Space Shuttle Discovery (front row) Payload
Specialist Chiaki Mukai and Mission Commander Curt Brown;
Payload Specialist John Glenn; (C) and Mission Specialist
Pedro Duque depart the Operations & Checkout building and
head to the Space Shuttle Discovery to begin their mission
into space from the Kennedy Space Center, FL.

John Glenn (left) and Stephen Oswald sitting in the flight deck of Space Shuttle Discovery.