This Day in Legal History: Salem Witch Trial Executions On August 19, 1692, five individuals—four men and one woman—were executed for witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts, during the height of the Salem Witch Trials. This dark period in American colonial history saw widespread hysteria and a fervent belief in the supernatural, leading to accusations …

This Day in Legal History: WWI Spy Convicted On August 16, 1918, Lothar Witzke became the first German spy convicted by the United States during World War I. Tried by a military commission at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, Witzke was found guilty of espionage for his role in sabotage activities against the U.S., including his alleged involvement in the B…

This Day in Legal History: “Starve or Sell” On August 15, 1876, the U.S. Congress passed a "starve or sell" bill, a genocidal piece of legislation aimed at coercing the Sioux Nation into surrendering their sacred Black Hills. The bill was passed just two months after the Battle of Little Bighorn, where Sioux and Cheyenne warriors achieved a signifi…

This Day in Legal History: Social Security Act Signed On August 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, a landmark piece of legislation that reshaped the American social welfare system. The Act established several critical programs, including unemployment insurance, pension plans for the elderly, and "Aid …

This Day in Legal History: Chinese Exclusion Treaty On August 13, 1894, the U.S. Senate ratified the Chinese Exclusion Treaty, marking a significant moment in American immigration history. This treaty was an extension of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, which was the first significant law restricting immigration into the United States. Under the …

This Day in Legal History: Swiss Banks Settle with Holocaust Survivors On August 12, 1998, a landmark settlement was reached when Swiss banks agreed to pay $1.25 billion to Holocaust survivors and their heirs. The settlement resolved lawsuits that accused the banks of withholding millions of dollars deposited by Holocaust victims before and during …

This Day in Legal History: Webster-Ashburton Treaty On August 9, 1842, the United States and Great Britain signed the Webster-Ashburton Treaty, which played a crucial role in resolving longstanding boundary disputes between the two nations. The treaty, negotiated by U.S. Secretary of State Daniel Webster and British diplomat Lord Ashburton, focused…

This Day in Legal History: Nixon Resigns On this day in legal history, August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation from the office of the President of the United States, becoming the first and only president to do so. This unprecedented event followed the Watergate scandal, a complex political affair that began with a break-in…

This Day in Legal History: Gulf of Tonkin Resolution On August 7, 1964, the U.S. Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, a pivotal moment in American history that marked a significant escalation in the Vietnam War. This resolution was a direct response to the alleged attack on the USS Maddox by North Vietnamese forces on August 4, 1964. The …

This Day in Legal History: Voting Rights Act On August 6, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law, marking a pivotal moment in U.S. legal history. This landmark legislation aimed to eradicate racial discrimination in voting, targeting practices like literacy tests and poll taxes that had disenfranchised African Ameri…

This Day in Legal History: Ronald Reagan Fires Air Traffic Controllers On August 5, 1981, President Ronald Reagan made a landmark decision to fire over 11,000 striking air traffic controllers. These federal employees, members of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization (PATCO), had initiated a strike on August 3, demanding better pay, …

This Day in Legal History: Declaration of Independence Signed On August 2, 1776, the formal signing of the Declaration of Independence took place in Philadelphia, solidifying a pivotal moment in American history. Although the Declaration was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, the actual signing by the delegates occurred nearly a month …

This Day in Legal History: Switzerland Federal Charter Signed This day in legal history marks the anniversary of the signing of the Federal Charter on August 1, 1291, which laid the foundation for the Swiss Confederation. This historic agreement united three Alpine cantons—Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden—establishing a pact for mutual defense against …

This Day in Legal History: Weimar Republic Born On July 31, 1919, the Constitution of the German Reich was signed in Weimar, Germany, marking the birth of the Weimar Republic. This constitution established a full democracy in Germany, introducing a President, Parliament, and an independent judiciary to govern the nation. It was a groundbreaking doc…

This Day in Legal History: Medicare Bill Signed On July 30, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicare bill into law, marking a significant milestone in American healthcare. This landmark legislation, part of Johnson's Great Society programs, aimed to address the healthcare needs of the nation's elderly population. With the stroke of his…

This Day in Legal History: NASA Created On July 29, 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, officially establishing the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). This landmark legislation was a response to the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik in 1957, which marked the beginning of the space ra…

This Day in Legal History: Dutch Low Countries Independence from Spain On July 26, 1581, the Dutch Low Countries signed the Plakkaat van Verlatinghe, also known as the Act of Abjuration, formally declaring their independence from Spanish rule. This monumental document marked the culmination of a prolonged struggle against the oppressive policies of…

This Day in Legal History: National Security Act of 1947 On July 25, 1947, Congress passed the National Security Act of 1947, a landmark legislation that restructured the United States' military and intelligence operations in the post-World War II era. This pivotal act established the National Security Council (NSC), which would advise the Presiden…

This Day in Legal History: Scopes Monkey Trial On July 24, 1925, John Scopes, a high school teacher in Dayton, Tennessee, was found guilty of teaching evolution, a violation of the Butler Act. This state law prohibited the teaching of any theory that denied the divine creation of man as taught in the Bible, specifically targeting Charles Darwin's t…

This Day in Legal History: Province of Canada Created On July 23, 1840, the British Parliament passed the Act of Union, a pivotal piece of legislation that led to the creation of the Province of Canada. This act merged the colonies of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario) and Lower Canada (present-day Quebec) into a single entity. The Act of Union was…

This Day in Legal History: First African-American Woman Appointed Judge On July 22, 1939, history was made when New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia appointed Jane Matilda Bolin to the city's Domestic Relations Court, making her the first African-American woman to serve as a judge in the United States. Born in Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1908, Bol…

This Day in Legal History: Pennsylvania First Movie Censorship Laws On July 19, 1911, Pennsylvania enacted the first movie censorship laws in the United States, marking a significant moment in legal and cultural history. These laws empowered a state board to review and censor films, aiming to protect the public from what were considered immoral or …

This Day in Legal History: Narcotic Control Act Becomes Law On July 18, 1956, the Narcotic Control Act became law, significantly transforming the landscape of narcotics regulation in the United States. The Act was introduced to combat the growing concerns about drug abuse and trafficking. It imposed harsher penalties for violations of existing drug…

This Day in Legal History: Lincoln Signs the Second Confiscation Act On July 17, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Second Confiscation Act into law, marking a significant legal development during the Civil War. This act allowed for the seizure of property owned by individuals engaged in rebellion against the Union. Unlike previous measures…

This Day in Legal History: The District of Columbia is Established On July 16, 1790, the District of Columbia was established as the permanent seat of the United States government by the Residence Act. This pivotal legislation, signed by President George Washington, designated a new federal district along the Potomac River, which would be separate …

This Day in Legal History: Federal Housing Act Passed On this day in legal history, July 15, 1949, Congress passed the Federal Housing Act, a pivotal piece of legislation that aimed to address the nation’s post-war housing crisis. This Act, also known as the Housing Act of 1949, was a key component of President Harry S. Truman’s Fair Deal program. …

This Day in Legal History: 16th Amendment Passed On July 12, 1909, Congress passed the Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, marking a significant shift in the country's fiscal policy. This amendment granted Congress the authority to levy income taxes without apportioning it among the states or basing it on the United States Census…

This Day in Legal History: Former President Taft Becomes Chief Justice On July 11, 1921, William Howard Taft was sworn in as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, making history as the only person to have held both the presidency and the chief justiceship. Taft had previously served as the 27th President of the United States from 1909 t…

This Day in Legal History: Operation Satanique On July 10, 1985, French intelligence agents bombed the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbor, New Zealand. This covert operation, codenamed "Operation Satanique," aimed to prevent the vessel from protesting French nuclear tests in the South Pacific. The attack resulted in the sinking of t…

This Day in Legal History: Eight States Ratify Articles of Confederation On July 9, 1778, eight American states—New Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and South Carolina—ratified the Articles of Confederation, marking a significant milestone in the establishment of the United States' first con…

This Day in Legal History: Vermont Abolishes Slavery On July 8, 1777, Vermont made history by becoming the first state to abolish slavery through the formal adoption of its new state constitution. This landmark event occurred during the American Revolutionary War, reflecting the evolving values of liberty and human rights among the colonists. Vermo…

This Day in Legal History: Black Sox Scandal Jury Selection On July 5, 1921, jury selection commenced for one of the most infamous trials in baseball history: the Chicago "Black Sox" trial. Eight players from the Chicago White Sox, including the legendary "Shoeless Joe" Jackson, stood accused of conspiring to throw the 1919 World Series against the…

This Day in Legal History: Carlin’s Seven Dirty Words Get to SCOTUS On July 3, 1978, the US Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision in FCC v. Pacifica Foundation, affirming the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) authority to reprimand New York radio station WBAI for airing George Carlin's "Seven Dirty Words" comedy routine. The 5-4 rulin…

This Day in Legal History: Sherman Antitrust Act On July 2, 1890, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison signed the Sherman Antitrust Act into law, marking a transformative moment in American economic history. This landmark legislation aimed to prohibit the formation of trusts and monopolies that restricted trade across states, fundamentally altering the…

This Day in Legal History: First US Income Tax On July 1, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Tax Act of 1862 into law, marking a pivotal moment in American financial history. This legislation introduced a federal income tax to help fund the Civil War, imposing a 3% tax on incomes over $600 and a 5% tax on incomes above $10,000. Despite the …

This Day in Legal History: Regents of the University of California v. Bakke On June 28, 1978, the US Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision in the case of Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, shaping the future of affirmative action in university admissions. The case centered around Allan Bakke, a white applicant who was twice den…

This Day in Legal History: LaGrand ICJ Case On June 27, 2001, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) made a landmark ruling in the LaGrand case, Germany v. United States, affirming that foreign nationals must be informed of their right to contact their home country's embassy following an arrest. This case revolved around brothers Karl and Walter …

This Day in Legal History: Pivotal LGBTQ+ Rights Decisions On this day, June 26th, in legal history, two pivotal Supreme Court decisions significantly advanced the cause of marriage equality in the United States. On June 26, 2013, the Supreme Court delivered its decision in United States v. Windsor. In a 5-4 ruling, the Court struck down Section 3 …

This Day in Legal History: Engel v. Vitale Decided On June 25, 1962, the United States Supreme Court made a landmark decision in the case of Engel v. Vitale. The Court ruled that the recitation of a state-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. This case arose from a New York State law that requi…

This Day in Legal History: Military Selective Service Act On June 24, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed the Military Selective Service Act, marking a significant moment in U.S. legal and military history. This legislation established a peacetime draft system, requiring all male U.S. citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 to register for potent…

This Day in Legal History: Halifax Founded On June 21, 1749, British colonists established the town of Halifax in what is now Nova Scotia, Canada. This strategic move was part of Britain's broader efforts to assert control over the North American territories and to counter French influence in the region. Halifax's founding was spearheaded by Edward…

This Day in Legal History: Lizzie Borden Acquitted On June 20, 1893, in New Bedford, Massachusetts, Lizzie Borden was acquitted of the notorious axe murders of her father, Andrew Borden, and stepmother, Abby Borden. The trial had gripped the nation, with its sensational details and the prominent social standing of the Borden family. On the morning …

This Day in Legal History: Patent Cooperation Treaty Signed On June 19, 1970, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) was signed, marking a significant milestone in international intellectual property law. The PCT established a unified procedure for filing patent applications to protect inventions in multiple countries. Prior to the PCT, inventors need…

This Day in Legal History: Posse Comitatus Act Passed On June 18, 1878, the U.S. Congress passed the Posse Comitatus Act, a significant piece of legislation that shaped the relationship between the military and civil authorities. The Act made it a felony to use the Army to enforce domestic policies without explicit authorization from Congress or th…

This Day in Legal History: James McCord Arrested On June 17, 1972, James McCord, security director for President Richard Nixon's re-election committee, and four Cuban-Americans were arrested for breaking into the Democratic National Committee Headquarters at the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. This event marked the beginning of the Watergate …

This Day in Legal History: Flag Statutes in Public Schools On this day in legal history, June 14, 1943, the US Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, profoundly impacting the rights of individuals in public schools. The case arose when Jehovah's Witnesses challenged a West Virginia mandate re…

This Day in Legal History: Miranda Rights On June 13, 1966, the U.S. Supreme Court delivered a landmark ruling in Miranda v. Arizona, fundamentally transforming the criminal justice system. The Court held that suspects must be informed of their rights prior to police interrogation, a decision aimed at protecting the Fifth Amendment right against se…

This Day in Legal History: Loving v. Virginia On June 12, 1967, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in the case of Loving v. Virginia, striking down state laws prohibiting interracial marriage. Richard Loving, a white man, and Mildred Jeter, a Black woman, were married in Washington, D.C., in 1958 but were arrested upon their…

This Day in Legal History: University of Alabama Desegregated On June 11, 1963, a pivotal moment in the American Civil Rights Movement unfolded at the University of Alabama. Governor George Wallace famously stood in the doorway of Foster Auditorium to block the enrollment of two African-American students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, symbolizing h…

This Day in Legal History: Discriminatory Districting On June 10, 1946, the US Supreme Court rendered a pivotal decision in Colegrove v. Green, which upheld the validity of uneven congressional districting plans. The case involved a challenge to Illinois' districting plan that disproportionately concentrated voters into large districts in the centr…