The world’s first motel opened on this day in 1925. Located in San Luis Obispo, the Milestone Mo-Tel gave motorists a place to stop as they drove between San Francisco and Los Angeles. 1925.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a fair recount of ballots in Florida could not be performed by the deadline for certifying the state’s electors, effectively ending the 2000 U.S. presidential election and awarding the presidency to George W. Bush. 2000.
American author Joseph Heller—the author of Catch-22 (1961), one of the most significant works of protest literature to appear after World War II—died at age 76. 1999.
Kenya became a republic on the first anniversary of its independence from Britain. 1964.
Chinese Nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shek was seized by one of his own generals, Chang Hsüeh-liang, beginning the Xi’an Incident. 1936.
Singer Frank Sinatra, who also achieved wide success as a film actor, was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. 1915.
