In 1796, the statement that became known as President George Washington's "Farewell Address" was first published. In 1957, the U.S. conducted its first underground nuclear test in a mountain tunnel in Nevada. In 1970, The Mary Tyler Moore Show premiered on CBS. In 1995, the Washington Post and New York Times published the Unabomber's manifesto; the FBI had recommended its publication. In 2002, President George W. Bush requested that Congress authorize him to "use all means" to disarm and depose Saddam Hussein in Iraq.

William Golding (1911-93), writer/Nobel laureate; Frances Farmer (1913-70), actress; Roger Angell (1920- ), writer; Duke Snider (1926-2011), baseball player; Adam West (1928-2017), actor; Cass Elliot (1941-74), singer; Jeremy Irons (1948- ), actor; Barry Scheck (1949- ), lawyer/activist; Twiggy (1949- ), model/actress; Mario Batali (1960- ), chef/TV personality; Trisha Yearwood (1964- ), singer; Sunita Williams (1965- ), astronaut; Sanaa Lathan (1971- ), actress; Jimmy Fallon (1974- ), comedian/TV personality

In 1988, U.S. Olympic diver Greg Louganis hit his head on the board during a dive; he came back to win gold at the Summer Games in Seoul, South Korea, just one day later.

The Threshold Test Ban Treaty, signed in 1974, was the first to prohibit underground weapons tests of any size.

"Baseball, in spite of its grassy spaciousness and apparent unpredictability, is the most intensely and satisfyingly mathematical of all our outdoor sports." – Roger Angell