| On this date in: |
| 1845 | Florida became the 27th state. |
| 1847 | Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. |
| 1849 | Congress created the Minnesota Territory. |
| 1849 | The Home Department, forerunner of the Interior Department, was established. |
| 1887 | Anne Sullivan arrived at the Alabama home of Capt. and Mrs. Arthur H. Keller to become the teacher of their blind and deaf 6-year-old daughter, Helen. |
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| AP Photo |
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| 1931 | President Herbert Hoover signed into law a bill making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the national anthem. |
| 1969 | Apollo 9 was launched on a mission to test the lunar module that was used in the moon landings. |
| 1991 | Motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police in a scene captured on amateur video.
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| AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian |
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| 2002 | Voters in Switzerland approved joining the United Nations, abandoning almost 200 years of formal neutrality. |
| 2006 | Former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham, R-Calif., was sentenced by a federal judge to more than eight years in prison for corruption. |
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Highlights of This Day in History |
| Today's Birthdays: |
| Actress Julie Bowen ("Ed," "Boston Legal") turns 40 years old today. |
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| AP Photo/Dan Steinberg |
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| Name | Profession | Age |
| George Miller | Director, producer ("Mad Max" films) | 65 |
| Jennifer Warnes | Singer | 63 |
| Tim Kazurinsky | Actor, director ("Saturday Night Live") | 60 |
| Robyn Hitchcock | Rock musician | 57 |
| Miranda Richardson | Actress | 52 |
| Jackie Joyner-Kersee | Olympic track and field gold medalist | 48 |
| Tone-Loc | Rapper, actor | 44 |
| Brian Leetch | Hockey player | 42 |
| David Faustino | Actor ("Married... With Children") | 36 |
| Santonio Holmes | Football player | 26 |
| Actress Jessica Biel ("7th Heaven") turns 28 years old today. |
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| AP Photo/Dan Steinberg |
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