In 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened in Philadelphia, with George Washington presiding. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy announced his plan to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade. In 1977, the first Star Wars movie was released in American theaters. In 2011, the final episode of Oprah Winfrey's long-running TV talk show aired.

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-82), poet/essayist/philosopher; Bill “Bojangles” Robinson (1878-1949), dancer/actor; Gene Tunney (1898-1978), boxer; Miles Davis (1926-91), jazz musician; Robert Ludlum (1927-2001), author; Sir Ian McKellen (1939- ), actor; Mike Myers (1963- ), actor/comedian; Miguel Tejada (1974- ), baseball player; Lauryn Hill (1975- ), singer; Brian Urlacher (1978- ), football player.

In 1935, just a week before playing in his last major league game, Babe Ruth went 4 for 4 with three home runs.

Including its revenue from rereleases, Star Wars is the fifth highest-grossing movie of all time (after Avatar, Titanic, The Dark Knight, and Star Wars: Episode I—The Phantom Menace).

“First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth.” – John F. Kennedy