On July 11, 1972, the World Chess Championship opened as grandmasters Bobby Fischer of the U.S. and Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union began play in Reykjavik, Iceland. (Fischer won after 21 games.)
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In 1804, Vice President Aaron Burr mortally wounded former Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton during a pistol duel in Weehawken, N.J. (Hamilton died the next day.)
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In 1937, American composer and pianist George Gershwin died at a Los Angeles hospital of a brain tumor; he was 38.
Thought for Today: Life is a lot like jazz its best when you improvise. George Gershwin (1898-1937).
