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Barack Obama signs $38 billion jobs bill

Obama tried to raise focus on public's concerns, namely jobs. On a ceremony held at The White House, Obama signed into law a jobs bill with $18 billion tax breaks and $20 billion of different spending. It was meant to persuade the private sector to start hiring again. It was supposed to particularly benefit small businesses.

The largest art theft in US history

At the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, two men stole 13 works of art. Among the stolen works was The Concert, one of only 34 known works by Vermeer. The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, Rembrandt's only known seascape, was also stolen. Degas, Manet, and Flinck by Rembrandt were stolen too.

South African President F. W. de Klerk is born

F. W. de Klerk served as State President of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as Deputy President from 1994 to 1996. Klerk's government focused on breaking up the apartheid system and introducing universal suffrage. For that, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, together with Nelson Mandela.

The first electric razor goes on sale for $25

Electric shavers, encased in sleek, black Bakelite went on sale in NYC. The person behind them was American Col. Jacob Schick, who set up his factory in Stamford, Connecticut. They sold about 3000 pieces in the first years alone, costing $25 each. Prices went down in following years, due to competition with on the market.

Mahatma Gandhi is sentenced to 6 years imprisonment for disobedience

A British colonial court convicted Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi of civil disobedience after a protest march led to violence. Although he was sentenced to 6 years, he was released after 2 years for an appendicitis operation.

Wells Fargo is founded as a shipping company

Henry Wells and William Fargo joined with a number of other investors, in order to fill the gap in cross-country shipping. The company originally specialized in shipping from the East Coast to mining camps around northern California. In later years, it developed into an international banking and financial services company.

American Express is founded

A multinational financial corporation also known as Amex was founded as a joint stock one. It was a result of several express companies.It formerly started as an express mail business, later expanding in the area of financial services. The original headquarters was located at the Tribeca section of Manhattan, NY.

Anniversaries of the (in)famous