Today In History

In 1789: The first U.S. presidential election was held. Americans voted for electors who, a month later, chose George Washington to be the nation’s first president.

In 1894: One of the earliest motion picture experiments took place at the Thomas Edison studio in West Orange, N.J., as comedian Fred Ott was filmed sneezing.

In 1953: President Truman announced in his State of the Union address that the United States had developed a hydrogen bomb.

In 1959: The United States recognized Fidel Castro’s new government in Cuba.

In 1989: Emperor Hirohito of Japan died at age 87; he was succeeded by Crown Prince Akihito.