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The lights almost didn't work. General Electric installed 632 bulbs on eight tow
1935 Event

May 24

Ethiopia Joins League of Nations: Sovereignty Recognized

The lights almost didn't work. General Electric installed 632 bulbs on eight towers at Crosley Field, but nobody knew if they'd be bright enough or if players could actually track a baseball under them. President Roosevelt pressed a button from the White House to flip the switch—twenty-five thousand fans held their breath. The Reds won 2-1, and within fifteen years every major league park had lights. Baseball became a night sport because one team gambled that factory workers deserved to see games without missing a day's pay.

May 24, 1935

91 years ago

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