First US trade union formed

First US trade union formed

May 1, 2010 04:00:00 am

On May 1, 1794, the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) was organized in Philadelphia to negotiate wages for its members, becoming the first trade union in the United States.

Learn more about the history of the labor movement in the United States, and visit the website of the AFL-CIO, the federation of America’s labor unions, representing more than 13 million workers.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated in Memphis

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis on April 4, 1968.

Pay a virtual visit to The King Center in Atlanta.

NATO created

On April 4, 1949, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created when twelve countries signed the North Atlantic Treaty. The organization was created as a common alliance against communist encroachment into Europe. Today, NATO has 28 member nations, including former European communist states.