The U.S. Post Office is created, the first book on Esperanto was published, and the major world powers signed the Potsdam Declaration. Happy birthdays to quite a trio: George Bernard Shaw, Carl Jung, and Gracie Allen - with a reading from Shaw.

Mozart finishes his 40th Symphony, Jack London sails from San Francisco for gold in the Yukon, and JFK says any attack on West Berlin would be treated as an attack on the U.S. Happy birthday to Anne Applebaum - with a reading from her book "Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism."

O. Henry gets out of prison, the Kellogg-Briand Pact goes into effect, SCOTUS rules Pres. Nixon could not ignore a subpoena for the White House tapes. Happy birthdays to Alexandre Dumas and Zelda Fitzgerald - with a reading from one of Zelda's letters to F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The Ford Motor Co. sells its first car, Chinese Communists meet for the first time to overthrow capitalism, and Phillippe Petain is put on trial in France for treason. Happy birthday to Raymond Chandler - and a reading from Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley's "The Last Man."

Katherine Lee Bates starts writing the poem that would become "America the Beautiful." And happy birthday to Emma Lazarus - with a reading of her poem "The New Colossus."

The first showdown in America's Wild West, the Scopes "Monkey" Trial ends with a verdict of guilty, and a reading from Willa Cather's "My Mortal Enemy."

Humans walk on the moon for the first time, and happy birthdays to Gregor Mendel, Tom Crean, Edmund Hillary, and Julie Bindel. Today's episode includes a reading of "Invictus," by William Ernest Henley.

The Seneca Falls Women’s Rights Convention begins, and it is the birthday of Alice Dunbar-Nelson - with a reading from her poem "If I Had Known."

The Hough Riots choke the streets of Cleveland, and the birthday club includes William Makepeace Thackery, Nelson Mendela, and Hunter S. Thompson. Today's reading is from Jean Ingelow's "Cold and Quiet."

Spain sells Florida to the U.S., Willis Carrier draws up the plan for the air conditioner, and the International Criminal Court is created. Happy birthday to Phyllis Diller - with a reading of "Solitude," by Ella Wheeler Wilcox.

J. D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" is published and happy birthday to Ida B. Wells - with a reading from her speech "Lynch Law in America."

The Rosetta Stone is discovered, the Spanish Inquisition ends, and Alzheimer's is named. Happy birthdays to Clement Clark Moore and Iris Murdoch - with a reading from Murdoch's "The Bell."

It's Bastille Day! Also, U.S. President John Adams signs the Sedition Act, another fire nearly destroys the city of Chicago, and Jane Goodall reaches the Gombe Stream Reserve to begin studying chimpanzees. Happy birthdays to Mario, William Hanna, and Woody Guthrie - with a reading from Guthrie's "Pretty Boy Floyd."

The birthday club includes George Weller, Marcia Brown, and Cameron Crowe - with a reading of "Miracles" by Jean Blewett.

It's Thoreau-Neruda Day! Today's episode includes a reading from Thoreau's essay, "Walking."

The Jay Treaty is signed by the UK and the U.S., America's most famous duel takes place, and Harper Lee's "To Kill A Mockingbird" is published. Happy birthdays to E. B. White and Jhumpa Lahiri - with a reading from White's "Here is New York."

French King Louis XVI declares war on Great Britain, Alexander Mackenzie completes his 3,000 mile trip through the Canadian wilderness to the Pacific, and French secret agents bomb the Greenpeace ship "Rainbow Warrior." Happy birthdays to Marcel Proust and Alice Munro - with a reading from Proust's "In Search of Lost Time."

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is ratified, the Russell-Einstein Manifesto is made public, and happy birthdays to Elias Howe and Oliver Sacks - with a reading of "Bohemia," by Dorothy Parker.

The Wall Street Journal publishes its first issue, the Dow Jones Industrial Average hits its lowest point in the 20th Century, and the Nixon Administration said it would support self-determination for indigenous people. Happy birthday to Ruby Sales - with a reading of "Hope," by Emily Dickinson.

The Anti-Abolitionist Race Riot begins in New York City, the U.S. begins its first military draft - with loopholes, Hawaii and Alaska change status, and the Ziegfeld Follies begin. This is also the day when the first SLICED loaf of bread went on sale. Today's reading is "Thoughts," by Myra Viola Wilds.