Today in History: May 9

1502: Christopher Columbus leaves Spain on his final trip to New World.

1754: The first newspaper cartoon in America appears.

1813: U.S. troops under William Henry Harrison take Fort Meigs from British and Canadian troops.

1864: Union General John Sedgwick is shot and killed by a Confederate sharpshooter during fighting at Spotsylvania. His last words are: "They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist–"

1859: Threatened by the advancing French army, the Austrian army retreats across the River Sesia in Italy.

1915: German and French forces fight the Battle of Artois.

1926: Explorer Richard Byrd and Floyd Bennett make the first flight over the North Pole.

1936: Fascist Italy captures the city of Addis Abba, Ethiopia and annexes the country.

1941: The German submarine U-110 is captured at sea along with its Enigma machine by the Royal Navy.

1946: King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy abdicates his throne and is replaced by Umberto.

1962: A laser beam is successfully bounced off the moon for the first time.

1974: The House Judiciary Committee begins formal hearings on Nixon impeachment.