Ether was used as an anesthetic for the first time, by American surgeon Crawford Long, in Athens, Georgia.
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The Heinkel He 100 fighter set a world airspeed record of 463 mph (745 km/h).
A police detective offered to split a lottery ticket with his regular waitress at a pizzeria in Yonkers, NY. She ended up with a $3 million tip!
Swimmer Michael Phelps smashed the world record for the 200-meter butterfly swim at just 15 years old.
The US adopted the 15th Amendment, guaranteeing citizens the right to vote.
The United States bought Alaska from the Russian Empire.
