Today in History
April 24
2005: Pope Benedict XVI became the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. In February 2013, he resigned as pope, the first pope to resign in almost 600 years. Francis I was elected by the Conclave of Cardinals to succeed him.
1800: Library of Congress: The Library of Congress celebrates its birthday. President John Adams approved the appropriation of $5,000 for the purchase of "such books as may be necessary for the use of congress." The books, the first purchased for the Library of Congress, were ordered from London and arrived in 1801. The collection of 740 volumes and three maps was stored in the U.S. Capitol, the Library's first home. On January 26, 1802, President Thomas Jefferson approved the first legislation that defined the role and functions of the new institution. As of 2008, there were over 135 millions items in the collection.
SCIENCE IN HISTORY
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