On this day in 1942, the U.S. 1st Marine Division begins Operation Watchtower, the first U.S. offensive of the war, by landing on Guadalcanal, one of the Solomon Islands.

During the Spanish-American War, U.S. forces launch their invasion of Puerto
Rico, the 108-mile-long, 40-mile-wide island that was one of Spain’s two
principal possessions in the Caribbean. With little resistance and only seven deaths, U.S. troops under General Nelson A. Miles were able to secure the
island by mid-August. After the signing of an armistice with Spain, American
troops raised the U.S. flag over the island, formalizing U.S. authority over its
one million inhabitants. Puerto Rico remains a U.S. commonwealth today.

An American flag flies on Omaha Beach in Normandy on Thursday,
the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

CAMILLE BOHANNON

The D-Day invasion of Europe took place on the beaches of
Normandy, France on this day in 1944. A total of 400,000 Allied
American, British and Canadian troops were involved.

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower gives orders to paratroopers on D-Day.

U.S. paratroopers attached to the static line just prior to jumping
during the invasion of Normandy.

ED DONAHUE

On this day in 1906, San Francisco, CA, was hit with a massive
earthquake. The original death toll was cited at about 700. Later 
information indicated that the death toll may have been three to
four times the original estimate.