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    Today in History

  • Johnstown flood

    Over 2,200 people perish in western Pennsylvania during the Johnstown Flood as the South Fork Dam fails, emptying Lake Conemaugh down the Conemaugh River into Johnstown, Pennsylvania. One of the worst natural disasters in American history, the dam's failure, combined with severe flooding, caused over $17 million in damages.

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  • Walt Whitman born

    American poet and journalist Walt Whitman is born on Long Island in Huntington, New York. Whitman's Leaves of Grass has become one of the most iconic poetry collections in American literature, and his writing frequently embodied American values.

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