The way it was: Today in history

Throwback Thursday: A look back in history on July 7, including the Hoover Dam construction, Lt. Col.Oliver North testifying in the Iran Contra scandal and Alaska on its way to statehood.

Dudley Field Malone, left, Dr. John K. Neal, center, and Clarence Darrow, attorneys for the defense in the John Scopes evolution trial, confer in Chicago on July 7, 1925.

Scopes, a high school science teacher in Tennessee, went on trial for violating state law by teaching evolution. The law, passed in March of that year, made it a misdemeanor to teach any theory that denied the story of Divine Creation as taught in the Bible. It was billed as one of the most famous trials in U.S. history with the well known Darrow working with the ACLU while three-time Democratic presidential candidate, William Jennings Bryan, took up the cause for the prosecution. The Trial began on July 10. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100.

By CBSNews.com Senior Photo Editor Radhika Chalasani

Hoover Dam construction begins

Secretary of the Interior Ray Lyman Wilbur drives the last spike, made of silver, into the railroad leading from Las Vegas to the site of the Hoover Dam - also known as the Boulder Dam, September 19, 1930. Construction on the $165,000,000 dam project began July 7, 1930. Left to right: Congressman William Eaton, of Colorado; Senator Key Pittman, Nevada; Secretary Wilbur, and left Senator Samuel Shortridge.

The dam took five years and more than 20,000 workers to build. It was named after Herbert Hoover, the 31st American president, because of his crucial role in bringing the project to fruition.

Howard Hughes

Millionaire sportsman Howard Hughes climbs into his XF-11 reconnaissance plane just before taking off from the airfield beside his Culver City, California aircraft factory July 7, 1946, on the plane's maiden test flight.

The test hop ended 45 minutes later in a crash. Hughes, who had designed the plane for the U.S. Air Force, was critically injured, clipped three houses, completely destroying the third by fire. Only two prototypes of the plane were ever built.

Satchel Paige birthday

Leroy "Satchel" Paige (R), signed by the Cleveland Indians, talks with Bob Feller in the dugout before the game with Chicago in Cleveland on July 7, 1948. Paige, the first player from the Negro American League to pitch in the Major League Baseball World Series, was born on July 7.

Cleveland President Bill Veeck, who purchased Paige's contract from the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro American League, helped confirm Paige's birthdate in 1948 when he personally went to Alabama's County Health Department in Mobile along with Paige's family to acquire a copy of the birth certificate.

Adolf Hitler's car

A Mercedes-Benz automobile, formerly owned by Adolf Hitler, is raised by crane and placed in the window of the Museum of Science and Industry in the RCA Building at Rockefeller Center in New York City, July 7, 1948.

The car went on display in the museum for the benefit of Greek war orphans at Athens College in Athens, Greece. At left, behind the crane, is the International Building, and behind that is the spire of St. Patrick's Cathedral. The car was purchased in Sweden by Christopher Janus of Chicago.

Douglas MacArthur

Gen. Douglas MacArthur gives the keynote address for the Republican Party at the National Amphitheater in Chicago on July 7, 1952.

Author Dale Carnegie

Author Dale Carnegie reads his book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" in Chicago on July 7, 1955.

Carnegie was at the National Convention of the Sale Carnegie Institute of Effective Speaking and Human Relations which was attended by 150 representatives who operate Carnegie public speaking classes throughout the world. It was one of his few public appearances.

Prince Rainier, Princess Grace

Prince Rainier and Princess Grace of Monaco descend the steps of Monaco Cathedral on July 7, 1956, after a service in their first public appearance since their wedding three months before. Behind them, center, is Princess Antoinette and other unidentified personalities.

Alaska statehood bill

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower takes a close look in his White House office in Washington, D.C. at the 49-star flag which will be raised over Philadelphia's Independence Hall on July 4, 1958 and then taken to the state capitol in Alaska. The group, from left to right: Maj. Gen. A.T. McNamara, quartermaster general; the president; Secretary of Interior Fred Seaton; and Sen. Hugh Scott (R-Pa.). The chief executive presented the flag to Scott for the Philadelphia ceremony.

On July 7, Eisenhower signed the Alaska statehood bill, paving the way for the territory's admission to the Union.

Hemingway's funeral

Close friends of famed author Ernest Hemingway carry the author's casket to his final resting place in the Ketchum cemetery in Idaho, July 7, 1961.

Most of the friends are little known men and residents of Ketchum, where the author made his home. Preceding the dark, grey metal casket are three acolytes and Father Robert J. Waldman, who conducted the Catholic rites. At the rear of the casket is Ray McGoldrick, Hailey Mortician and Blaine County. Acolyte at the left, Clifford Goicoechea, fainted during the Service.

Adolf Eichmann pleads

German Gestapo officer Adolf Eichmann pleads for mercy July 7, 1961, during his trial in Jerusalem for war crimes against Jews. Under cross-examination, he tells the court he is guilty as an accomplice in the Nazi slaughter of six million Jews during World War II. He was sentenced to death and hanged at Ramleh Prison, May 31, 1962.

Billie Jean King's 20th Wimbledon title

Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King, right, celebrate after receiving the chamionship trophy from the Duchess of Kent, left, for their victory in the women's doubles final on center court at Wimbledon, England, July 7, 1979. Navratilova and King of the U.S., defeated Betty Stove of Holland and Wendy Turnbull of Australia.

The victory is a record 20th Wimbledon title for King.

Oliver North - Iran Contra

Lt. Col. Oliver North is sworn in before the Iran Contra Committee prior to his testimony in Washington, D.C., July 7, 1987.

North testified that he "never personally discussed" the diversion of Iranian arms sales profits to Contra rebels with President Reagan and he "never carried out a single act, not one" without authorization from his superiors.

Zapruder film

Alan Lewis, a National Archives preservation specialist, holds what is believed to be Abraham Zapruder's original movie of President Kennedy's assassination July 7, 1998 at the Archives storage facility in College Park, Maryland.

The film is kept at the National Archives in a 25-degree room alongside color footage of man landing on the moon and home movies taken by Adolf Hitler's mistress.

London bombing

The wreck of the Number 30 double-decker bus is pictured in Tavistock Square in central London, July 8, 2005.

On July 7, 2005, four suicide bombers, with backpacks of explosives, carried out coordinated attacks on the bus and the London underground, killing 52 people and injuring hundreds. The day is often referred to as 7/7.

Abu Ghraib

U.S. Army Pfc. Lynndie England, front, walks out of the judicial complex with her defense team Capt. Katherine Krul, back, and Xavier Amador, right, after a pretrial hearing in her court martial at Fort Hood, Texas, July 7, 2005. The military judge ruled on several motions brought up by her defense council.

England was seen in widely published photos, which included one with a prisoner on a leash, from Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison. She was convicted on September 26, 2005 on one count of conspiracy, four counts of maltreating detainees and another count of committing an indecent act. England was sentenced to three years and given a dishonorable discharge. She was paroled after 521 days.

Seven other members of the same company were also charged with offenses in the prisoner abuse scandal.