1895

The Lumiere brothers, Auguste and Louis, held the first public showing of their films in Paris, France.

1912

San Francisco’s Municipal Railway began operations with Mayor James Rolph Jr. at the controls of Streetcar No. 1 as 50,000 spectators looked on.

1945

Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance.

1972

Kim Il Sung, the premier of North Korea, was named the country’s president under a new constitution.

1973

The Endangered Species Act was signed into law by President Richard Nixon.

2014

The U.S. war in Afghanistan came to a formal end after 13 years with a quiet flag-lowering ceremony in the capital of Kabul that marked the transition of the fighting from American-led combat troops to the country’s own security forces.

Birthdays

Actor Denzel Washington is 70. TV personality Gayle King is 70. Hockey Hall of Famer Ray Bourque is 64. Linux creator Linus Torvalds is 55. Political commentator Ana Navarro is 53. TV host-comedian Seth Meyers is 51. Actor Joe Manganiello is 48. Musician John Legend is 46. Actor André Holland is 45. Actor Sienna Miller is 43. Actor Jessie Buckley is 35.