Today In History

1775: The British repulsed an attack by Continental Army generals Richard Montgomery and Benedict Arnold at Quebec; Montgomery was killed.

1879: Thomas Edison first publicly demonstrated his electric incandescent light in Menlo Park, N.J.

1897: Brooklyn, N.Y., spent its last day as a separate entity before becoming part of New York City.

1946: President Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II.

1985: Singer Rick Nelson, 45, and six other people were killed when fire broke out aboard a DC-3 that was taking the group to a New Year’s Eve performance in Dallas.