English chemist John Walker invented and sold the first operable wooden matches on this day in 1877.

Did you know that:

• Francis Cabot Lowell, the founder of the first raw cotton-to-cloth textile mill, was born on this day in 1775
• The founder of the Kellogg Company, Will Keith Kellogg, was born on this day in 1860
• Best known for his acrobatic fighting style, Jackie Chan is a Hong Kong-born Chinese martial artist born on this day in 1954