Today In History

In 1844: A 12-inch gun aboard the USS Princeton exploded, killing Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur, Navy Secretary Thomas W. Gilmer and several others.

In 1849: The ship California arrived at San Francisco, carrying the first of the gold-seekers.

In 1940: The first televised college basketball games were broadcast, by New York City station W2XBS, as Pittsburgh defeated Fordham, 57-37, and New York University beat Georgetown, 50-27, at Madison Square Garden.

In 1951: The Senate committee headed by Estes Kefauver, D-Tenn., issued a preliminary report saying at least two major crime syndicates were operating in the United States.

In 1986: Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme was shot to death in central Stockholm.

In 1995: Denver International Airport opened after 16 months of delays and $3.2 billion in budget overruns.