The year is 1916 and General John Pershing led 15,000 U.S. troops across the border into Mexico to pursue revolutionary leader Pancho Villa. This punitive expedition came after Villa’s raid on Columbus, New Mexico, escalating tensions. Pershing’s forces chased Villa deep into Mexican territory, but the elusive bandit evaded capture, testing U.S. military resolve and straining relations with Mexico.

---

In 1934, Henry Ford made waves by restoring the $5 a day wage for his workers, a move that echoed his groundbreaking 1914 decision. Amid the Great Depression, this bold step boosted morale and reaffirmed Ford’s belief in fair pay that helped stabilize his workforce and the broader economy. History remembers it as a testament to his unconventional approach to industry and labor.

---

In 1955, the U.S. Air Force unveiled a game changer: the first self-guided missile. This technological leap marked a new era in military precision and power, showcasing American innovation at its finest. The future of warfare had arrived.

---

In 1968, the U.S. Mint ceased its practice of buying and selling gold which marked a pivotal shift in monetary policy. This decision, driven by economic pressures and the unraveling Bretton Woods system, signaled the beginning of the end for the gold standard in the U.S., fully abandoned by 1971. A historic moment in American finance!

---

In 1991, four Los Angeles police officers were charged in the brutal beating of Rodney King, a Black motorist, captured on video two weeks earlier. The incident sparked outrage, exposing police brutality and racial tensions, and set the stage for a landmark trial that would ignite the 1992 LA riots after the officers’ acquittal.