In 1778, the expedition of Captain James Cook left Unalaska for the Hawaiian Islands, where Cook was killed.
In 1936, the pipeline and bridges at the Sawmill Creek hydroelectric plant in Sitka were washed out.
In 1982, the Aurora I Telecommunications satellite was launched.
In the nation
In 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, was published in a New York newspaper.
In 1904, the first rapid transit subway, the IRT, was inaugurated in New York City.
In 1922, the first annual celebration of Navy Day took place.
In 1938, Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn: "nylon."
In 1947, "You Bet Your Life," starring Groucho Marx, premiered on ABC Radio. (It later became a television show on NBC.)
In 1995, a sniper killed one soldier and wounded 18 others at Fort Bragg, N.C. (Paratrooper William J. Kreutzer was later convicted in the shootings, and condemned to death; however, the death sentence was later overturned.)
In the world
In 1505, the Grand Duke of Moscow, Ivan III (also known as "Ivan the Great"), died; he was succeeded by his son, Vasily III. (Vasily's son, Ivan IV, later became the first czar of Russia, "Ivan the Terrible.")
In 1967, Expo '67 closed in Montreal, Canada.
In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord.
In 1995, thousands rallied in Montreal for national unity three days before a referendum on whether Quebec should secede.
In 2000, Canadian authorities arrested two men they say masterminded the 1985 bombing of an Air India jumbo jet near Ireland that claimed the lives of all 329 people aboard. (The men were acquitted at trial in March 2005.)