Today In History

In 1776: Thomas Paine published his influential pamphlet, “Common Sense.”

In 1870: John D. Rockefeller incorporated Standard Oil.

In 1928: The Soviet Union ordered the exile of Leon Trotsky.

In 1946: The first General Assembly of the United Nations convened in London.

In 1947: The musical fantasy “Finian’s Rainbow,” with music by Burton Lane and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg, opened on Broadway.

In 1957: Harold Macmillan became prime minister of Britain, following the resignation of Anthony Eden.

In 1967: Edward W. Brooke, R-Mass., the first black elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, took his seat.

In 1984: The United States and the Vatican established full diplomatic relations for the first time in more than a century.