Good News in History, August 2

150 years ago today, African-Americans in the United States voted for first time in a state election. It was in the southern state in Tennessee. (1867)

MORE Good News on this Day:

• Japan abolished its samurai, farmer, artisan, merchant class system as part of the Meiji Restoration reforms (1869)
• The world’s first underground tube railway, Tower Subway, opened in London (1870)
• 240 years ago, the U.S. Continental Congress began signing the Declaration of Independence (1776)
• The Viking replica ‘Gaia’ reached the first Norse settlement in Newfoundland for the 1,000th anniversary of Leif Eriksson’s landing after having left Norway on May 17 (1991)
• New Orleans re-named their airport the  Louis Armstrong Airport, in honor of the trumpet player, singer and bandleader, one of the city’s favorite sons (2001)
• Liberian President Charles Taylor agreed to cede power (2003)

And on this day in 2004, Eric Clapton bought a 50% share in Cordings to save the historic British gentleman’s outfitters, based in London since 1839, from closure. The guitarist said he had been fond of the West End shop since a window display of a tweed suit caught his eye when he was 16, and he became a regular shopper there. Cordings was the originator of the Covert coat and the Tattersall shirt and made riding boots for the Queen Mother. WATCH Clapton tell the story.