1978: NOAA announces gender-neutral hurricane naming system
Federal News Network presents a daily update of important moments in the history of the U.S. government.
On Oct. 9, 1936, the Hoover Dam began sending electricity over transmission lines spanning 266 miles of mountains and deserts to Los Angeles. Initially named Boulder Dam, the public works project begun under President Herbert Hoover’s administration and was completed during the Roosevelt administration. At the time of its completion it was the tallest dam in the world. It was made of concrete and steel, and was a large-scale reclamation project designed to support growth and development of the arid West. The electricity generated by the rushing Colorado River was only a secondary benefit. Water was impounded in the 115-mile-long Lake Mead, while massive aqueducts channeled millions of gallons to California both for city dwellers and to irrigate fertile cropland.
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