- 1455 – Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western book printed with movable type.
- 1886 – Charles Martin Hall produced the first samples of man-made aluminum, after several years of intensive work. He was assisted in this project by his older sister Julia Brainerd Hall.
- 1905 – Chicago attorney Paul Harris and three other businessmen meet for lunch to form the Rotary Club, the world’s first service club.
- 1927 – The Federal Radio Commission (later renamed the Federal Communications Commission) begins to regulate the use of radio frequencies in the United States.
- 1947 – The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is founded.
Photo by NYC Wanderer.