Today in history: Mar. 14
On this day in 1794, Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin, an invention that revolutionized America’s cotton industry.
1794: Eli Whitney
In 1794, Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin, an invention that revolutionized America’s cotton industry.
1879: Albert Einstein
In 1879, physicist Albert Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany.
1951: Korean War
In 1951, during the Korean War, United Nations forces recaptured Seoul.
1962: Edward M. Kennedy
In 1962, Democrat Edward M. Kennedy officially launched in Boston his successful candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat from Massachusetts once held by his brother, President John F. Kennedy.
1964: Jack Ruby
In 1964, a jury in Dallas found Jack Ruby guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, and sentenced him to death.
1967: President John F. Kennedy
In 1967, the body of President John F. Kennedy was moved from a temporary grave to a permanent memorial site at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
1990: Mikhail S. Gorbachev
In 1990, the Soviet Congress of People’s Deputies held a secret ballot that elected Mikhail S. Gorbachev to a new, powerful presidency.
2011: Neil Diamond
In 2011, Neil Diamond, Alice Cooper, Tom Waits, Darlene Love, Dr. John and Leon Russell were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
2012: British Prime Minister David Cameron
President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, hosted a White House state dinner for British Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha. Earlier, the two leaders announced that NATO forces would hand over the lead combat role in Afghanistan to Afghan forces in 2013 as the U.S. and its allies aimed to get out by the end of 2014.
2015: Robert Durst
In 2015, Robert Durst, a wealthy eccentric linked to two killings and his wife’s disappearance, was arrested by the FBI in New Orleans on a murder warrant a day before HBO aired the final episode of a serial documentary about his life.
2017: Mitch Seavey
Mitch Seavey won his third Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, becoming the fastest and oldest champion at age 57.
2017: Robert Neller
Declaring “enough is enough,” Gen. Robert Neller, the Marine Corps commandant, told senators that he intended to fix the problem that led to current and former Corps members sharing nude photos of female Marines online and making lewd or threatening comments about them.
2018: Stephen Hawking
In 2018, Stephen Hawking, the best-known theoretical physicist of his time, died at his home in Cambridge, England, at the age of 76; he had stunned doctors by living with the normally fatal illness ALS for more than 50 years.
2021: Brian Sicknick
U.S. authorities arrested and charged two men with assaulting U.S. Capitol Police officer Brian Sicknick with bear spray during the Jan. 6 riot.
2021: Drew Brees
Record-setting New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees announced his retirement after 20 NFL seasons.
Here are today's top stories, celebrity birthdays and a look back at this day in history. Get caught up.