On This Day - February 25, 2026

William Austin Burt received patent no. 9,428 for the invention of the solar compass. While surveying iron-rich land that would soon become the Wisconsin Territory, the American innovator and surveyor continually had troubles with his magnetic compass. His invention of the solar compass solved the problem. Also known as an astronomical compass would become the standard of the surveying trade.

Among the rules and regulations adopted by the Convention of Base Ball Clubs, it is agreed that a game consists of nine innings to each team. A tie score continues the game, granting an equal number of innings to each team until one earns a majority of runs, thus concluding the game. Before the 1857 rules, play continued until 21 "aces" or runs were attained.

Hiram Rhodes Revels is sworn into the United States Senate representing Mississippi. He is the first African American to serve in the U.S. Congress.

Do you have that on file? Thanks to George Lewis McCarthy's invention the Checkograph, patent no. 1,748,489, banks made photographic records of checks before returning them to their customers. Kodak would later purchase McCarthy's patent and apply the product to other archival systems such as libraries and newspapers, beginning with the New York Times. And so began the era of microfilm.

The New York Rangers toppled the Montreal Canadiens at home in Madison Square Gardens during the first televised hockey game. NBC won the honors to air the 6-2 win on the ice.

Buenos Aires hosted the opening ceremonies of the first Pan American Games.

In a technical knockout, Cassius Clay claims the world heavyweight boxing title from Sonny Liston in the seventh round.