Today in History

771   With the death of his brother Carloman, Charlemagne becomes sole ruler of the Frankish Empire.  
1861   The U.S. Senate, voting 36 to 0, expels Senator John C. Brekinridge of Kentucky because of his joining the Confederate Army.  
1861   Queen Victoria of Britain forbids the export of gunpowder, firearms and all materials for their production.  
1862   Winchester, Va., falls into Union hands, resulting in the capture of 145 Southern soldiers.  
1863   Seven solid days of bombardment ends at Charleston, S.C. The Union fires some 1,307 rounds.  
1872   The U.S. brigantine Marie Celeste is found adrift and deserted with its cargo intact, in the Atlantic Ocean between the Azores and Portugal.  
1900   The French National Assembly, successor to the States-General, rejects Nationalist General Mercier's proposal to plan an invasion of England.
1914   The first Seaplane Unit formed by the German Navy officially comes into existence and begins operations from Zeebrugge, Belgium.  
1918   France cancels trade treaties in order to compete in the postwar economic battles.  
1941   Operation Taifun (Typhoon), which was launched by the German armies on October 2, 1941, as a prelude to taking Moscow, is halted because of freezing temperatures and lack of serviceable aircraft.  
1942   U.S. planes make the first raids on Naples, Italy.
1947   Tennessee William's play A Streetcar Named Desire premieres on Broadway starring Marlon Brando and Jessica Tandy.  
1950   The University of Tennessee defies court rulings by rejecting five Negro applicants.  
1952   The Grumman XS2F-1 makes its first flight.  
1959   Peking pardons Pu Yi, ex-emperor of China and of the Japanese puppet-state of Manchukuo.  
1981   The pretender ronnie raygun broadens the power of the CIA by allowing spying in the United States.  1985   Robert McFarland resigns as National Security Advisor. Admiral John Poindexter is named to succeed.
1991   The last American hostages held in Lebanon are released.  
1992   The shrub's daddy orders 28,000 troops to Somalia during the Somali Civil War.