On this day in 1929, Babe Ruth became the first baseball player to hit 500 home runs in his career with a home run at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio.
On this day in 1930, Britain went broke. The United States and France each lent it US$46 million, while American bankers extended another US$111 million.
On this day in 1932, Herbert Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, said it was time to scrap Prohibition.
On this day in 1968, the last steam hauled train ran on British Rail.
And on this day in 2003, NATO took over command of the peacekeeping force in Afghanistan, marking its first major operation outside Europe in its 54-year-history.