Today in History (1862) - The U.S. government forbids all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation. On the same day in 1865, the Confederate Congress voted to enlist 300,000 black troops, granting them freedom with the consent of their owners. Lee surrendered a few weeks later.
Today in History (1969) - Seymour Hersh breaks the My Lai story to the civilian public (the abuses already were being investigated by the military). Today is the 70th birthday of Charles Manson, who has been imprisoned since 1971.