In 1790, John Barry's The Philadelphia Spelling Book became the first book to register for a U.S. copyright. In 1934, the Disney character Donald Duck debuted in "The Wise Little Hen," an animated short film. In 1954, Army counsel Joseph Welch confronted Senator Joseph McCarthy during the Army-McCarthy hearings. In 1999, Yugoslavia signed a peace treaty pledging that all forces would withdraw from Kosovo in 11 days.

Cole Porter (1891-1964), composer; Robert Cummings (1910-90), actor; Les Paul (1915-2009), guitarist/luthier; Robert S. McNamara (1916-2009), World Bank head/U.S. defense secretary; Dick Vitale (1939- ), sportscaster; Patricia Cornwell (1956- ), writer; Michael J. Fox (1961- ), actor; Aaron Sorkin (1961- ), screenwriter/producer; Johnny Depp (1963- ), actor; Natalie Portman (1981- ), actress; Mae Whitman (1988- ), actress

In 1973, Secretariat won the Belmont Stakes and with it, horse racing's Triple Crown.

Secretariat, who claimed the Triple Crown on this day in 1973, was one of three non-human athletes included in ESPN's list of the 100 greatest 20th-century athletes.

"I would rather have a wrong decision made than no decision at all." – Robert S. McNamara