Today in History

• 1996 The Irish paramilitary organization IRA ends an 18-month ceasefire by exploding a large bomb in London

  The explosion in London’s Canary Wharf left 2 people dead and 39 injured.

• 1969 The Boeing 747 flies for the first time

  The “Jumbo Jet” was the world’s largest passenger aircraft at the time.

• 1964 The Beatles embark on their first tour in the United States

  Their appearance in the Ed Sullivan Sow marked the beginning of the “British Invasion”

• 1959 The world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile becomes operational in the USSR

  The Soviet R-7 Semyorka missile had a range of 8800 km (5500 mi).

• 1950 U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy launches his anti-communist campaign

  On this day, McCarthy accused the U.S. State Department of being infiltrated by communists.