Today in history, Constantinople falls to Muhammad II, ending the Byzantine Empire in 1463.
Today in history, Charles II is restored to the English throne, succeeding the short-lived Commonwealth in 1660.
Today in history, Rhode Island becomes the last of the original thirteen colonies to ratify the Constitution in 1790.
Today in history, Wisconsin becomes the thirtieth state in 1848.
Today in history, A patent for lifting vessels is granted to Abraham Lincoln in 1849
Today in history, The Indianapolis 500 is run for the first time in 1911.
Today in history, The U.S. Supreme Court rules organized baseball is a sport not subject to antitrust laws in 1922.
Today in history, C. F. Blair (see picture below) becomes the first man to fly over the North Pole in single-engine plane in 1951.
Today in history, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay (see picture below) become the first men to reach the top of Mount Everest in 1953.
Michael Morse's Blog 