The Alamo falls, the Supreme Court rules in the Dred Scott case, the Oreo cookie and Silly Putty are introduced, Mike Tyson wins in his pro debut, and Eric Clapton enters the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a third time, all on this day.
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Public domain
1820: The Missouri Compromise is signed into law by President James Monroe. The compromise allows Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, while prohibiting slavery in the rest of the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase territory.