Today In History

In 1812: Massachusetts Gov. Elbridge Gerry signed a redistricting law that favored his party - giving rise to the term “gerrymandering.”

In 1847: American inventor Thomas Alva Edison was born in Milan, Ohio.

In 1858: A French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed for the first time to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary near Lourdes.

In 1937: A sit-down strike against General Motors ended, with the company agreeing to recognize the United Automobile Workers Union.

In 1945: President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Soviet leader Josef Stalin signed the Yalta Agreement during World War II.

In 1979: Followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized power in Iran, nine days after the religious leader returned to his home country following 15 years of exile.

In 1990: South African activist Nelson Mandela was freed after 27 years in captivity.