Sales of new single-family houses in April were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 662,000, according to estimates released jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and

Wednesday, the Dow gained 52.40 points (0.21%) to finish at 24,886.81, the NASDAQ closed 47.50 points (0.64%) higher at 7,425.96, and the S&P 500 increased 8.85 points (0.32%) to 2,733.29. The Russell 2000 was up 2.37 points (0.15%) at 1,627.61, and the Wilshire 5000 climbed 84.13 points (0.30%) to 28,444.17.

ON THIS DATE: In 1738, the Methodist Church was established. In 1764, Boston lawyer James Otis denounced “taxation without representation” and called for the colonies to unite in demonstrating their opposition to Britain’s new tax measures. In 1830, the first passenger railroad service in the U.S. began operations. In 1844, Samuel F.B. Morse formally opened America’s first telegraph line. The first message was sent from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, Maryland. The message was “What hath God wrought?” In 1883, after 14 years of construction the Brooklyn Bridge was opened to traffic. In 1935, the Cincinnati Reds played the Philadelphia Phillies in the first night time major league baseball game. The switch for the floodlights was thrown by President Franklin Roosevelt. In 1954, the first moving sidewalk in a railroad station was opened in Jersey City, New Jersey. In 1958, United Press International (UPI) was formed through a merger of the United Press and the International News Service. In 1961, the Freedom Riders were arrested in Jackson, Mississippi. In 1980, the International Court of Justice issued a final decision calling for the release of the hostages taken at the U.S. embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979. In 1994, the four men convicted of bombing the New York’s World Trade Center were each sentenced to 240 years in prison. In 2001, Temba Tsheri, 15, became the youngest person to reach the summit of Mount Everest.