1838: Edward Morley, of Michelson-Morley speed of light measurement fame, was born. 1859: Clock maker Seth Thomas died. 1886: Karl Benz received a patent for the first successful, gasoline-powered car. 1901: American engineer Allen Du Mont, who invented the first commercial cathode ray tube, was born. 1959: London's famous fog was so dense that brought public transportation to a standstill. 1996: France ended it nuclear bomb testing program. This was one boring day in history!