This Day in History for August 24 – Mount Vesuvius Erupts and More

Here’s a look at some interesting events that took place on this day in history:

79 – Mount Vesuvius erupts, burying the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae in volcanic ash (More info)

1912 – Alaska becomes a United States territory (More info)

1949 – The treaty creating NATO goes into effect (More info)

1967 – Led by Abbie Hoffman, a group of hippies disrupt trading at the New York Stock Exchange by throwing dollar bills from the viewing gallery, causing trading to cease as brokers scramble to grab them (More info)

1981 – Mark David Chapman is sentenced to 20 years to life in prison for the murder of John Lennon (More info)