1895 – Belmont Stakes: Fred Taral aboard Preakness winner Belmar wins in 2:11½; race run in November as NY Jockey Club closed out its affairs
1916 – Battle of Verdun: Fort Vaux reconquered from Germans by French troops without firing a shot
1954 – Charles Diggs Jr is elected Michigan’s 1st black congressman to the House of Representatives
1964 – Columbia Broadcasting System buys 80% share in the New York Yankees Baseball Club for $11.2 million; later purchases club outright
1969 – Quarterbacks Billy Kilmer of New Orleans and St Louis’ Charlie Johnson each pass for 6 touchdowns for combined NFL record of 12 passing TDs in a game; Saints beat Cardinals, 51-42 at Busch Memorial Stadium
1983 – “Thriller” single released worldwide by Michael Jackson
1993 – Dow Jones hits record 3697.64
1994 – NFL announces the expansion Carolina Panthers would play in the NFC West, while the Jacksonville Jaguars is assigned to the AFC Central
2004 – George W. Bush is re-elected as President of the United States, defeating Democrat candidate John Kerry
2012 – Breeders’ Cup Horse Racing, Santa Anita Racetrack; Day 1 winners: Hightail, Calidoscopio, Flotilla, Beholder, Zagora, Royal Delta