1868

The 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting citizenship and “equal protection under the laws” to anyone “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people.

1850

President Zachary Taylor died of gastrointestinal illness after consuming a large amount of cherries and iced milk five days earlier.

1937

A fire at 20th Century Fox’s storage facility in Little Ferry, New Jersey, destroyed most of the studio’s silent films.