The First U.S. Union, Alaska and Puerto Rico Acquired, First Transistor Radio, Black Power At The Olympics

1648 - Boston Shoemakers form first U.S. labor organization.

1851 - Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is first published as The Whale by Richard Bentley of London.

1867 - United States takes possession of Alaska after purchasing it from Russia for $7.2 million. Celebrated annually in the state as Alaska Day.

1898 - United States takes possession of Puerto Rico.

1954 -  Texas Instruments announces the first Transistor radio.

1967 - The Soviet probe Venera 4 reaches Venus and becomes the first spacecraft to measure the atmosphere of another planet.

1968 - The U.S. Olympic Committee suspends Tommie Smith and John Carlos for giving a "black power" salute during a victory ceremony at the Mexico City games.