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1861 - Robert E Lee named commander of Virginia Confederate forces.

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1864 - US Congress approves switching the 1-cent coin from copper-nickel to French bronze (95 percent copper, 5 percent tin and zinc), weighing 48 grains. Also authorized is a 2-cent coin of the same composition and twice the weight. Legal tender amount of the 1-cent coin is limited to 10 cents, and the 2-cent piece to 20 cents. Production and circulation of tokens of those denominations is banned.

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1864 - Joseph Gilbert Totten, US Union General-Major, dies at age 76.

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1865 - Francis Washburn, US Union Colonel/General Major, dies of injuries.

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1930 - US, Britain and Japan sign London Naval Treaty to reduce naval forces.

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1931 - Austria, Britain, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the USA recognize the Spanish Republic.

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1937 - New York City college students stage fourth annual peace strike.

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1940 - Rear Admiral Joseph Taussig testifies before US Senate Naval Affairs Committee that war with Japan is inevitable (He was right).

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1951 - Ticker-tape parade for General Douglas MacArthur in New York City, New York, USA.

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1952 - First atomic explosion on network news, Nob Nevada.

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