1781 - Trapped in Yorktown, British General Lord Cornwallis surrenders 8,000 British soldiers and seamen to a larger Franco-American force, effectively bringing an end to the American Revolution.
1867 - The U.S. formally takes possession of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for $7.2 million, or less than two cents an acre.
1931 - Al Capone was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison for tax evasion. He spent 2 years in Atlanta and 5 years on Alcatraz. He was released early due to severe mental and physical decline from neurosyphilis.
1940 - The 40-hour workweek officially went into effect under the U.S. Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Henry Ford popularized it in 1926 after finding it boosted factory productivity.
1967 - 100,000 people march on Washington D.C. to protest the Vietnam War. Public skepticism grew after President Johnson raised taxes by 10% to pay for the war, and Cold War sentiments were diminishing.
The One and Only Al Capone
Some quick facts about the life and reputation of America’s “Public Enemy #1”.
- He quit school at age 14
- While bartending, a man slashed his face in an altercation, leading to his nickname, “Scarface”
- A low-profile crime boss, Johnny Torrio, began grooming Capone at 21 in Chicago
- He took charge of Torrio’s mob operations at 26
- Newspapers estimated Capone’s operation generated $100 million in revenue annually
- He had seven rivals gunned down by his men on Valentine’s Day in 1929
- The Supreme Court ruled illegal activities were taxable, leading to the prosecution of Capone
- He was arrested at 32 and sent to an Atlanta prison for 2 years
- He was found bribing prison guards and was then sent to Alcatraz where he was one of the very first inmates of the infamous prison
- He learned to play the banjo and started a band in Alcatraz
- He suffered from neurosyphilis, caused by years of untreated syphilis
- He spent 3 years in a mental hospital after he was released from prison
- Plagued by health problems, he died at 48 at home in Miami
Ridiculous History Posts from Last Week
