TODAY IN HISTORY

1924: Thousands of people greet two U.S. Army planes landing in Seattle—the first airplanes to fly around the world. The trip took 175 days.

1941: Boston Red Sox slugger Ted Williams becomes the last player in the 20th century to hit over .400, finishing the season with a .406 average.

1974: First lady Betty Ford undergoes a mastectomy for breast cancer. She will receive more than 50,000 get-well letters.