John Fitch is granted a United States patent for the steamboat.

John Fitch, an American inventor, was granted a United States patent for the steamboat on August 26, 1791. Fitch is one of the pioneers in the development of the steamboat, which would later revolutionize transportation in the United States and around the world.

Early Development:
John Fitch first conceived the idea of a steamboat in the early 1780s. He faced many challenges in bringing his idea to fruition, including lack of funds and skepticism from potential investors.
Despite these obstacles, Fitch successfully built and tested several prototypes of his steamboat.

Patent:
Fitch’s patent was officially granted on August 26, 1791. This patent was one of the first in the United States for a steamboat, marking a significant milestone in the history of transportation.
The patent was for a design of a boat powered by steam, which propelled the boat using a series of oars or paddles.

Steamboat Design:
Fitch’s steamboats were powered by a steam engine that drove a series of paddles or oars, which were placed on the sides of the boat. These paddles moved back and forth, propelling the boat forward.
He made several successful demonstrations of his steamboat, including on the Delaware River.

Challenges and Competition:
Despite his pioneering efforts, Fitch struggled to gain widespread commercial success with his steamboats. He faced competition from Robert Fulton, who is often more widely credited with the commercialization of the steamboat.
Fulton later developed a more efficient steamboat design and secured better financial backing, leading to greater success in the steamboat industry.

Legacy:
Although Fitch did not achieve the same level of recognition as Fulton, his work laid the groundwork for future developments in steam-powered transportation.
Fitch’s invention demonstrated the feasibility of steam propulsion for boats, which eventually became a key factor in the economic expansion of the United States, particularly in the transportation of goods and people along rivers and canals.

The Jay Report into the Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal is published

The Rotherham child sexual exploitation scandal was a highly disturbing and significant case of organized child sexual abuse that occurred in the town of Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England. The scandal came to light in the late 2000s and early 2010s. It involved the widespread abuse and exploitation of young girls, primarily from disadvantaged backgrounds, by groups of men, mostly of Pakistani heritage.

The abuse in Rotherham is believed to have been occurring over a long period, with reports suggesting that authorities were aware of the issue as far back as the 1990s. However, it wasn’t until the early 2010s that the extent of the abuse and the failures of local authorities to address it became widely known.

Several factors contributed to the scandal’s magnitude and the lack of effective action:

Failure of Authorities: There were allegations that local authorities, including the police and social services, failed to adequately respond to reports of abuse. This was attributed to various reasons, including a lack of understanding about the nature of the abuse, concerns about being labeled as racist, and a failure to properly investigate and protect the victims.

Systemic Issues: The abuse was carried out by organized groups of men who groomed, manipulated, and sexually exploited vulnerable girls. The systemic nature of the abuse and the widespread involvement of various perpetrators made it challenging to address effectively.

Victim Vulnerability: The victims were often from vulnerable backgrounds, including those in care or with troubled family situations. This made them more susceptible to manipulation and coercion by the perpetrators.

Community Tensions: There were concerns about potential community tensions and fears of being labeled as racist, which may have influenced the willingness of authorities to take action against the perpetrators.

The scandal led to public outrage, investigations, and legal proceedings. In 2014, a report known as the “Jay Report” was published, which detailed the extent of the abuse and the shortcomings of the local authorities in addressing it. It revealed that an estimated 1,400 children had been subjected to exploitation between 1997 and 2013.

Papal conclave: Albino Luciani is elected as Pope John Paul I.

The 1883 eruption of Krakatoa begins its final, paroxysmal, stage.

The South African Border War starts with the battle at Omugulugwombashe.

John Fitch is granted a United States patent for the steamboat.

[rdp-wiki-embed url=’https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steamboat’]

The 19th amendment to United States Constitution takes effect, giving women the right to vote.

The 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution by proclamation of Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby. The amendment was the culmination of more than 70 years of struggle by woman suffragists. Its two sections read simply: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex” and “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

America’s woman suffrage movement was founded in the mid 19th century by women who had become politically active through their work in the abolitionist and temperance movements. In July 1848, 200 woman suffragists, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, met in Seneca Falls, New York, to discuss women’s rights. After approving measures asserting the right of women to educational and employment opportunities, they passed a resolution that declared “it is the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the elective franchise.” For proclaiming a women’s right to vote, the Seneca Falls Convention was subjected to public ridicule, and some backers of women’s rights withdrew their support. However, the resolution marked the beginning of the woman suffrage movement in America.

The first national woman’s rights convention was held in 1850 and then repeated annually, providing an important focus for the growing woman suffrage movement. In the Reconstruction era, the 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted, granting African American men the right to vote, but Congress declined to expand enfranchisement into the sphere of gender. In 1869, the National Woman Suffrage Association was founded by Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton to push for a woman suffrage amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Another organization, the American Woman Suffrage Association, led by Lucy Stone, was formed in the same year to work through the state legislatures. In 1890, these two groups were united as the National American Woman Suffrage Association. That year, Wyoming became the first state to grant women the right to vote.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the role of women in American society was changing drastically: Women were working more, receiving a better education, bearing fewer children, and three more states Colorado, Utah, and Idaho had yielded to the demand for female enfranchisement. In 1916, the National Woman’s Party formed in 1913 at the Congressional Union for Woman Suffrage decided to adopt a more radical approach to woman suffrage. Instead of questionnaires and lobbying, its members picketed the White House, marched, and staged acts of civil disobedience.

In 1917, America entered World War I, and women aided the war effort in various capacities that helped break down most of the remaining opposition to woman suffrage. By 1918, women had acquired equal suffrage with men in 15 states, and both the Democratic and Republican parties openly endorsed female enfranchisement.

In January 1918, the woman suffrage amendment passed the House of Representatives with the necessary two-thirds majority vote. In June 1919, it was approved by the Senate and sent to the states for ratification. Campaigns were waged by suffragists around the country to secure ratification, and on August 18, 1920, Tennessee became the 36th state to ratify the amendment, giving it the two-thirds majority of state ratification necessary to make it the law of the land.

The package containing the certified record of the action of the Tennessee legislature was sent by train to the nation’s capital, arriving in the early hours of August 26. At 8 a.m. that morning, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby signed it without ceremony at his residence in Washington. None of the leaders of the woman suffrage movement were present when the proclamation was signed, and no photographers or film cameras recorded the event. That afternoon, Carrie Chapman Catt, head of the National American Suffrage Association, was received at the White House by President Woodrow Wilson and Edith Wilson, the first lady.

The final, paroxysmal stage of the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa begins its .

Albino Luciani is elected as Pope John Paul I.