Today In History

In 1685: King Louis XIV of France revoked the Edict of Nantes, which had established legal toleration of France’s Protestant population, the Huguenots.

In 1767: The boundary between Maryland and Pennsylvania, the Mason-Dixon line, was agreed upon.

In 1867: The United States took formal possession of Alaska from Russia.

In 1898: The American flag was raised in Puerto Rico shortly before Spain formally relinquished control of the island.

In 1931: Inventor Thomas Alva Edison died in West Orange, N.J., at age 84.

In 1989: After 18 years in power, Erich Honecker was ousted as leader of East Germany; he was succeeded by Egon Krenz.