On this date in...

1842...Samuel Morse lays New York City's first telegraph cable between the Battery and Governor's Island – but the cable is soon snapped by a ship's anchor.

1892...The first long-distance phone line between New York and Chicago begins operation.

2007...It's the end of an era as manager Joe Torre rejects the New York Yankees' offer for a new one-year contract, after winning four world championships in his 11 years at the helm.