1872

President Ulysses S. Grant signed the Yellowstone National Park Protection Act, making Yellowstone the nation’s first national park.

1954

Four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire from the spectators gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five members of Congress.

1961

President John F. Kennedy signed an executive order establishing the Peace Corps; since its establishment, over 240,000 Americans have served as Peace Corps volunteers.

1966

The Soviet space probe Venera 3 crash-landed on the surface of Venus, becoming the first spacecraft to reach another planet. However, Venera was unable to transmit any data back to Earth because its communications system had failed.

2005

Dennis Rader, the churchgoing family man accused of leading a double life as the BTK serial killer, was charged in Wichita, Kansas, with 10 counts of first-degree murder.

Birthdays

Rock singer Roger Daltrey is 82. Actor Dirk Benedict is 81. Filmmaker Ron Howard is 72. Actor Tim Daly is 70. Hockey Hall of Famer Ron Francis is 63. Filmmaker Zack Snyder is 60. Actor Mark-Paul Gosselaar is 52. Actor Jensen Ackles is 48. Pop singer Kesha is 39. Pop singer Justin Bieber is 32.