The first sale was made of anti-knock gasoline containing a tetra-ethyl lead compound. First sold at Willard Talbott's service station on S. Main Street in Dayton, Ohio, the fuel was called Ethyl (after its new additive, tetraethyl lead) and colored a distinctive red. This new formulation of ethyl gasoline was the the result of seven years of testing at least 33,000 compounds as additives to influence the combustion rate of the fuel. Previously, on hard acceleration, an engine sometimes made knocking, popping or crackling sounds. Knocking sapped power and could damage the engine. The suitability of tetra-ethyl lead, made from alcohol and lead, was the discovery of Thomas Midgely, Jr., of the General Motors Research Laboratories, located in Dayton. Decades later, the toxicity of the lead present in automobile emissions was recognized, and leaded gasoline is no longer sold.

Babe Ruth was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame on this day. He was a famous major league baseball player for the Boston Red Sox (1914-1919) and then the New York Yankees (1920-1934). He also played for the Boston Braves (now Atlanta Braves) during his last year as a player in 1935. During Ruth's career, he had achieved much, for instance, he ranked 3rd on the all-time home run list. Part of the reason why is because he achieved a record of 60 home runs in the year 1927. Babe Ruth was also the only player to hit three home runs in two World Series appearances (1926 and 1928).