ON THIS DAY in 1913, the fall of Western civilization officially began when the first drive-up gasoline station in America was opened in the East Liberty neighborhood of Pittsburgh.

On this day in 1955, Rosa Parks just sat there, setting an example of productive inertia that Dr. Boli has tried to emulate ever since with varying degrees of success.

On this day in 1969, the United States held its first draft lottery since the Second World War. The lucky winners received an all-expenses-paid trip to sunny Saigon, the pearl of Indochina.

On this day in 2004, Tom Brokaw reported his own retirement from NBC News, getting several important details wrong. He issued a formal apology to himself the next day.