Today In History

In 1577: Sir Francis Drake of England set out with five ships on a nearly three-year journey that would take him around the world.

In 1862: Confederate forces dealt Union troops a major defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg.

In 1918: President Wilson arrived in France, becoming the first chief executive to visit Europe while in office.

In 1944: During World War II, the U.S. cruiser Nashville was badly damaged in a Japanese kamikaze suicide attack that claimed 138 lives.