This Day in Queer History

On this day in 1886, Nikola Tesla was issued nearly 300 U.S. patents. Likely asexual, the inventor of AC electricity never married, saying his chastity fueled his scientific genius.

On this day in 1958, Ellen DeGeneres was born. The first star of a TV sitcom to come out publicly, she risked her career for authenticity and became one of the most beloved figures in entertainment.

On this day in 1971, Look Magazine featured Jack Baker and Mike McConnell, the first same-sex couple in the U.S. to receive a marriage license, in its cover story on "The American Family."

On this day, Rent opened Off-Broadway at the New York Theater Workshop. Creator Jonathan Larson had died just the day before. His rock musical about artists, love, and loss in the shadow of HIV became a cultural landmark.