This Week in History
1758 Birthday of US President James Monroe (who articulated the basic principles of Latin American policy, “the Monroe Doctrine”, in 1823)
1792 Birthday of Matthew Vassar, founder of Vassar College (endowed 1861)
1803 US acquired the Louisiana territory from France
1805 US Marines captured the fort at Derna … ”on the shores of Tripoli”
1931 Empire State Building was dedicated (celebrating the world’s tallest structure, against the backdrop of the Great Depression)
1937 US Social Security System made its first payments
1948 Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea was established