On this date in history: In 1790, President George Washington signed a bill creating the first U.S. copyright law. In 1859, construction concluded and bells rang out for the first time from London's Big Ben clock tower. In 1889, a flood in Johnstown, Pa., left more than 2,200 people dead. In 1902, Britain and South Africa signed a peace treaty ending the Boer War. In 1916, the Battle of Verdun passed the 100-day mark . It would continue for another 200 days, amassing a casualty list of an