1. In 1861, Kansas Senator James H. Lane delivered an impassioned speech in the U.S. Senate, calling for the abolition of slavery and the immediate emancipation of all slaves in the southern states.

2. In 1850, Congress passed the Compromise of 1850, a series of legislative measures aimed at resolving the growing tensions between free and slave states. The compromise included the Fugitive Slave Act, which mandated the return of runaway slaves to their masters.

3. In 1979, Jimmy Carter became the first U.S. president to deliver an address in sign language, as part of a ceremony honoring the International Year of the Child. Carter was joined by a group of young deaf children, who signed along with him.

4. In 1947, the first commercial television station in the United States, WCBW-TV, began broadcasting in New York City. The station, which later became WCBS-TV, was initially owned by CBS and broadcast on channel 2.

5. In 1964, the 24th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, abolishing the poll tax. The amendment prohibited states from imposing a tax or other payment as a prerequisite for voting in federal elections.