On this date in history:

In 1836, Texas proclaimed independence from Mexico.

In 1925, the first system of interstate highway numbering was introduced in the United States.

In 1933, the movie King Kong premiered in New York.

In 1945, units of the U.S. 9th Army reached the Rhine River opposite Dusseldorf, Germany.

In 1949, a U.S. Air Force plane piloted by Capt. James Gallagher completed the first non-stop around-the-world flight in just over 94 hours.

In 1962, Philadelphia's Wilt Chamberlain set the single-game NBA scoring record with 100 points against the New York Knicks.

In 1974, the cost of a U.S. first class postage stamp was increased to 10 cents, up from 8 cents.

In 2004, at least 125 people died in explosions at two Shiite shrines in Iraq.

In 2007, U.S. Army Secretary Francis J. Harvey announced his resignation amid charges of poor conditions for patients at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.

In 2008, outgoing Russian President Vladimir Putin's choice as his successor, Dmitri Medvedev, was elected president in a landslide. Putin remained in power as prime minister.

In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that an anti-gay Kansas church had a constitutional right to stage a peaceful protest at the funeral of a U.S. Marine killed in Iraq.

In 2013, U.S. Marines Gen. Joseph Dunford, head of NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, apologized for the killing of two young children mistaken for insurgents during an airstrike. I am committed to ensuring we do the right thing for the families of those we harmed, as well as for the community in which they lived, Dunford said. We take full responsibility for this tragedy.

In 2014, 12 Years a Slave won the Oscar for Best Picture at the 86th Academy Awards. Other honors included: Best Actress -- Cate Blanchett; Best Actor -- Matthew McConaughey; Best Supporting Actress -- Lupita Nyong'o; Best Supporting Actor -- Jared Leto.

Copyright 2015 by United Press International