Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:

1804 – The Lewis and Clark Expedition begins its historic journey (More info)

1904 – St. Louis, Mo. hosts the first Olympic Games in the United States (More info)

1948 – Israel is declared to be an independent state, which triggers the 1948 Arab-Israeli War (More info)

1961 – The Freedom Riders’ bus is fire-bombed near Anniston, Ala., and the civil rights protesters are beaten by an angry mob (More info)

1973 – Skylab, the United States’ first space station, is launched (More info)

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