This Day in Legal History: Nixon Signs the EPAA On November 27, 1973, President Richard Nixon signed the Emergency Petroleum Allocation Act (EPAA) into law, marking a pivotal response to the ongoing energy crisis of the 1970s. The legislation granted the federal government broad authority to regulate the production, pricing, allocation, and marketi…

This Day in Legal History: Squeaky Fromme Convicted On this day in 1975, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, a devoted follower of cult leader Charles Manson, was found guilty by a federal jury in Sacramento, California, for attempting to assassinate President Gerald Ford. The incident occurred on September 5, 1975, in Sacramento’s Capitol Park, where Fromme…

This Day in Legal History: President Johnson Impeachment Inquiry On November 25, 1867, the U.S. Congress took a historic step by convening a commission to investigate the potential impeachment of President Andrew Johnson. Johnson, who assumed the presidency after Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, had clashed repeatedly with the Republican-controlled…

This Day in Legal History: Max Headroom Incident On November 22, 1987, a bizarre and illegal hijacking of television signals in Chicago made history as the "Max Headroom incident." During an evening broadcast of the news on WGN-TV, the signal was interrupted by a person wearing a rubber Max Headroom mask—a character from a popular British-American …

This Day in Legal History: Gong Lum v. Rice On November 21, 1927, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision in Gong Lum v. Rice, a landmark case concerning racial segregation in public education. The case arose when Martha Lum, a nine-year-old Chinese American girl, was denied entry to a school for white children in Mississippi. Local authorities …

This Day in Legal History: US DOJ Files Suit Against AT&T On November 20, 1974, the United States Department of Justice initiated one of the most significant antitrust actions in American history by filing a lawsuit against telecommunications giant AT&T. The case, United States v. AT&T, aimed to dismantle the company's monopoly over telephone servi…

This Day in Legal History: Jay Treaty Signed On November 19, 1794, the United States and Great Britain signed the Jay Treaty, formally titled the “Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation.” Negotiated by U.S. Chief Justice John Jay and British Foreign Secretary Lord Grenville, the treaty sought to resolve lingering tensions between the two nations…

This Day in Legal History: Goodridge v. Department of Health On November 18, 2003, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a historic decision in Goodridge v. Department of Public Health, becoming the first court in the United States to rule that a state ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. In a narrow 4–3 decision, the court held…

This Day in Legal History: Articles of Confederation Adopted On November 15, 1777, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Articles of Confederation, establishing the first constitutional framework for the United States. Crafted during the Revolutionary War, the Articles aimed to unify the thirteen colonies under a single government while pre…

This Day in Legal History: Guiteau Stands Trial for Assassination On November 14, 1881, Charles Guiteau stood trial for assassinating President James A. Garfield. Garfield had been shot by Guiteau in July of that year but succumbed to his injuries months later, largely due to medical mismanagement. At the time, sterilization practices were not wide…

This Day in Legal History: SCOTUS Ends Bus Segregation On November 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court took a pivotal stand against racial segregation by refusing to hear the appeal in Browder v. Gayle, a landmark case challenging bus segregation laws in Alabama. This action upheld a ruling from the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alaba…

This Day in Legal History: WTC Bombers Convicted On November 12, 1997, Ramzi Yousef and two of his accomplices were convicted for their roles in the 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center, marking a significant legal milestone in U.S. counterterrorism efforts. The bombing, which took place on February 26, 1993, involved a truck bomb detonated in th…

This Day in Legal History: Lockerbie Bombing Indictments On November 11, 1991, indictments were formally announced in the notorious Lockerbie bombing case, marking a significant milestone in international criminal justice. U.S. and U.K. prosecutors indicted two Libyan nationals—Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al Megrahi and Lamin Khalifah Fhimah—in connectio…

This Day in Legal History: Beer Hall Putsch On November 8, 1923, Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party launched a failed coup known as the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich, Germany. Hitler, alongside other far-right leaders, sought to overthrow the Weimar Republic by forcibly taking control of the Bavarian government and inspiring a national revolution. The pl…

This Day in Legal History: FDR Wins Fourth Term On November 7, 1944, Franklin D. Roosevelt won an unprecedented fourth term as President of the United States, solidifying his role as a defining leader during one of the nation's most challenging periods. First elected in 1932, Roosevelt took office at the height of the Great Depression and implement…

This Day in Legal History: New York Grants Women Right to Vote On November 6, 1917, New York became one of the first eastern states to grant women the right to vote, a pivotal victory for the suffrage movement in the United States. The state’s voters approved a constitutional amendment that extended suffrage to women, marking a significant shift in…

This Day in Legal History: Saddam Hussein Sentenced to Death On November 5, 2006, Saddam Hussein, former President of Iraq, was sentenced to death by hanging by the Iraqi High Tribunal. This judgment followed a lengthy trial process in which Hussein was found guilty of crimes against humanity, including the 1982 mass killing of 148 Shiite Muslims i…

This Day in Legal History: Massachusetts Institutes Death Penalty for Heresy On November 4, 1646, the Massachusetts General Court enacted a law that imposed the death penalty for heresy, requiring all members of the colony to affirm the Bible as the Word of God. This harsh mandate reflected the deeply religious nature of the Puritan colony, which v…

This Day in Legal History: NYC Rent Control On November 1, 1943, New York City implemented rent control for the first time, under the federal Office of Price Administration (OPA), in response to housing scarcity and skyrocketing rents caused by World War II. As millions flocked to urban centers for war-related jobs, New York’s housing demand surged…

This Day in Legal History: Nevada Joins the Union by Telegraph On October 31, 1864, Nevada was admitted as the 36th state of the United States, a remarkable feat as the entire Nevada state constitution was sent to Washington, D.C. by telegraph. This move, a workaround to secure swift approval, resulted in the longest and most costly telegram of its…

This Day in Legal History: Lend-Lease Act On October 30, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt approved an unprecedented $1 billion in aid to support Allied forces fighting in World War II, marking a critical milestone under the Lend-Lease Act. This act, passed earlier in March 1941, allowed the United States to provide essential military supplies …

This Day in Legal History: Black Tuesday On October 29, 1929, the United States experienced a significant legal and economic turning point with the stock market crash known as "Black Tuesday." This day marked the beginning of the Great Depression, a period of profound economic hardship that spurred vast changes in U.S. financial laws and regulation…

This Day in Legal History: Volstead Act Signed On October 28, 1919, the United States Congress passed the Volstead Act, formally known as the National Prohibition Act, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. Named after Congressman Andrew Volstead, who championed it, the Act provided the legal framework to enforce the 18th Amendment, which had been r…

This Day in Legal History: First Televised Trial On October 25, 1988, New York marked a significant moment in legal and media history by televising its first-ever courtroom trial—the highly publicized murder case of Joel Steinberg. Steinberg, a disbarred attorney, was accused of the brutal abuse and subsequent death of six-year-old Lisa Steinberg, …

This Day in Legal History: United Nations Charter Comes into Force On October 24, 1945, United Nations Day marked the formal establishment of the United Nations (UN) as the UN Charter officially came into force. The Charter had been signed a few months earlier on June 26, 1945, in San Francisco by 50 countries, laying the foundation for an internat…

This Day in Legal History: UK Parliament First Convenes On October 23, 1707, the Parliament of the United Kingdom convened for the first time in London, marking a historic moment in British governance. This event followed the formal unification of England and Scotland earlier that year under the Acts of Union 1707, which created the Kingdom of Grea…

This Day in Legal History: Robert Bork Nomination Rejected On October 23, 1987, the U.S. Senate rejected President Ronald Reagan’s nomination of Robert H. Bork to the Supreme Court by a vote of 42-58. This rejection was a pivotal moment in U.S. legal and political history, marking one of the most contentious Supreme Court nomination battles. Bork, …

This Day in Legal History: West Law Reports Published On October 21, 1876, the West Publishing Company, founded by John B. West, published its first legal reporter, The Syllabi. This marked the beginning of a transformation in how American legal professionals accessed and utilized case law. The Syllabi aimed to provide Minnesota lawyers with timely…

This Day in Legal History: BBC Founded On October 18, 1922, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) was founded, a significant development in media law and broadcasting regulation. The BBC was established as a private corporation, but it was under significant government oversight from the start. The British government, through the Post Office, issue…

This Day in Legal History: President Carter Restores Jefferson Davis’ Citizenship On October 17, 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed legislation restoring the U.S. citizenship of Jefferson Davis, the former president of the Confederate States of America. Davis had been stripped of his citizenship after the Civil War due to his leadership role in th…

This Day in Legal History: Nazi War Criminals Hanged On October 16, 1946, ten high-ranking Nazi war criminals were executed by hanging after being convicted by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. This landmark trial held key figures of Adolf Hitler’s regime accountable for crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide committed du…

This Day in Legal History: Black Panther Party for Self-Defense Founded On October 15, 1966, the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense was founded in Oakland, California, by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale. Although primarily thought of as a political and social movement, its founding also had significant legal implications. The Black Panther Party w…

This Day in Legal History: Anita Hill Testifies in Clarence Thomas Confirmation Hearing On October 11, 1991, law professor Anita Hill testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee during the confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. Hill, who had worked under Thomas at the Department of Education and the Equal Employme…

This Day in Legal History: Outer Space Treaty Enters Into Force On October 10, 1967, the Outer Space Treaty, formally known as the "Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies," entered into force. This landmark agreement established a framework for…

This Day in Legal History: Che Guevara Executed On October 9, 1967, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, a prominent figure in revolutionary movements across Latin America, was executed by Bolivian forces after being captured during a failed guerrilla campaign. Guevara was a key leader in the Cuban Revolution and sought to spread Marxist insurgencies throughout …

This Day in Legal History: Great Chicago Fire On October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire ignited, marking one of the most devastating urban disasters in U.S. history. The fire burned for two days, fueled by dry conditions and wooden structures that dominated the cityscape. It destroyed over three square miles of Chicago, killing around 300 people a…

This Day in Legal History: GDR Established On October 7, 1949, the German Democratic Republic (GDR), commonly known as East Germany, was officially established. This marked the formal division of Germany into two separate states after World War II. The creation of East Germany came in response to the formation of the Federal Republic of Germany (We…

This Day in Legal History: Watergate Trial Begins On October 4, 1974, the trial of key Watergate conspirators began, marking a significant moment in American legal and political history. The defendants included top Nixon administration officials H.R. Haldeman, John Ehrlichman, John Mitchell, Robert Mardian, and Kenneth Parkinson. These men were acc…

This Day in Legal History: Formal Immigration Quotas End On October 3, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Immigration and Nationality Act into law, marking a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy. This legislation, also known as the Hart-Celler Act, abolished the national origins quota system that had been in place since 1924, whic…

This Day in Legal History: The Amsterdam Treaty Broadens the EU On October 2, 1997, the Amsterdam Treaty was signed by European Union (EU) delegates, marking a significant step in the evolution of the EU's institutional framework and policy ambitions. The treaty aimed to enhance the efficiency, transparency, and democratic legitimacy of the Union, …

This Day in Legal History: William Rehnquist Born On October 1, 1924, William Hubbs Rehnquist, the 16th Chief Justice of the United States, was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Appointed to the Supreme Court in 1972 by President Nixon, Rehnquist became a polarizing figure, known for his staunch conservatism and originalist approach to the Constitution…

This Day in Legal History: Nazi Leaders Convicted at Nuremberg On September 30, 1946, the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg delivered its final verdicts, marking a pivotal moment in legal history. The tribunal, established by the Allied powers after World War II, tried 24 high-ranking Nazi officials for crimes against peace, war crimes, …

This Day in Legal History: John Jay Commissioned as first Chief Justice On September 26, 1789, John Jay was commissioned as the first Chief Justice of the United States, marking a pivotal moment in American legal history. Nominated by President George Washington and confirmed by the Senate, Jay’s appointment came just months after the Judiciary Act…

This Day in Legal History: Bill of Rights Sent to US States for Ratification On September 25, 1789, the United States Congress sent twelve proposed constitutional amendments to the state legislatures for ratification. These amendments were designed to safeguard individual liberties and limit the power of the federal government, addressing concerns …

This Day in Legal History: Judiciary Act of 1789 On September 24, 1789, Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1789, laying the foundation for the federal judiciary as we know it today. This landmark legislation established a three-tiered court system, consisting of district courts, circuit courts, and the U.S. Supreme Court at its pinnacle. The Act …

This Day in Legal History: McKinley Assassin Stands Trial On September 23, 1901, the trial of Leon Czolgosz began for the assassination of President William McKinley. Czolgosz, an anarchist, had shot McKinley on September 6 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, New York. Despite efforts to save him, McKinley died eight days later from gangrene…

This Day in Legal History: Equal Rights Party Formed On September 20, 1884, a group of American suffragists formed the Equal Rights Party in San Francisco, marking a significant moment in the fight for gender equality in the United States. The party was established with the goal of securing "equal and exact justice" for all citizens, regardless of …

This Day in Legal History: Lord Haw-Haw Sentenced to Hang On September 19, 1945, William Joyce, infamously known as "Lord Haw-Haw," was sentenced to death by a British court for treason. Joyce, an American-born British subject, became notorious for his English-language radio broadcasts during World War II, where he spread Nazi propaganda designed t…

This Day in Legal History: Fugitive Slave Act Signed On September 18, 1850, U.S. President Millard Fillmore signed the Fugitive Slave Act into law, a key and highly controversial component of the Compromise of 1850 and a dark moment in American history – unfortunately, one among many in the 19th century. The Act required that escaped slaves, even i…

This Day in Legal History: Treaty of Fort Pitt On September 17, 1778, the newly independent United States and the Lenape (Delaware) Nation signed the Treaty of Fort Pitt, marking the first formal treaty between the U.S. and a Native American tribe. The treaty established a military alliance during the American Revolutionary War, with the Lenape agr…