Sunday · September 27, 2026
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American history, reported as it happened
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18771776 Club

Hunters and breeders open a dog show at Gilmore's Gardens; 1,200 animals fill the floor

The Westminster Kennel Club stages its first competition in New York City, with breeds of every kind on display.

In 1877, a group of passionate hunters and breeders gathered at Gilmore's Gardens in New York City to launch the first Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show. With over 1,200 dogs competing, the event quickly became a beloved tradition, showcasing the finest breeds and setting the stage for future canine competitions…

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More from May 8
1639

Coddington founds Newport; a new settlement opens on Aquidneck Island for those driven out by the Antinomian Controversy

The colony takes shape as Coddington plants a settlement built around the promise of religious freedom in Rhode Island.
1846

Taylor's army beats a Mexican force north of the Rio Grande; a war is now underway

American troops hold their ground in the first major engagement of the border dispute, with the armies still in the field and the outcome of the wider conflict far from settled.
1976

Six Flags opens the world's first modern looping coaster; the Great American Revolution launches at Magic Mountain

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19421776 Club
Carrier aircraft do all the fighting as Allied forces move to block a Japanese thrust into the South Pacific.
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More from Civil War & Reconstruction
1876

Grant signs Colorado into the Union, four weeks late for the centennial

Voters ratified the constitution on July 1; the proclamation waited until August 1, 1876.
1864

"Damn the torpedoes": Farragut runs the Mobile Bay minefield

The Tecumseh sinks in three minutes; the fleet presses on anyway.
1863

Lee asks Davis to let him go; Davis refuses

Days after retreating from Gettysburg, the general tells his president he has lost confidence in himself.
1863

Fort Sumter takes another day of shelling; the fort answers with rubble, not guns

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