This day in history - January 7

[seamusTX]

1608 - The Jamestown, Virginia, colony was devastated by fire. This crisis nearly added Jamestown to the list of failed early colonies. Pocahontas came to the aid of the colonists.

1789 - The first U.S. presidential election was held under the newly ratified Constitution. January 7 was the official voting date, but voting actually took place over the course of a month in the various states.

At that time, voters did not indicate a choice among presidential candidates. It was universally understood that George Washington would be the first President. Only the choice of Vice President was subject to politics.

Only 1.3 % of the population actually voted. Many electors were chosen by state legislatures. The Federalist Party carried the majority by a huge margin.

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This was the only presidential election to take place outside the 4-year time frame set out in the Constitution.

1942 - The Siege of Bataan began, leading to some of the most horrific atrocities of WW II.

1949 - George Marshall resigned as Secretary of State due to poor health. He had successfully engineered the peaceful reconstruction of Western Europe in a remarkably short time.

1979 - Vietnamese forces overthrew the murderous, psychotic Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

- Jim