On this day in 1778, France recognized U.S. independence.
On this day in 1920, the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution went into effect, banning the consumption of alcohol in the United States.
On this day in 1937, the Du Pont Company patented a new fiber called Nylon, a revolutionary yarn made entirely from chemicals.
On this day in 1990, a new ROC law allowed low-ranking government employees to visit relatives across the Taiwan Strait, and native Taiwanese who moved to the mainland before 1949 were allowed to visit relatives in Taiwan.