On this day 100 years ago, the War Department accepted John Moses Browning's design for the Caliber .45, Colt Model 1911 automatic pistol.
From Only Guns and Money:
Thank You, John Moses Browning
Today is the centennial of the War Department's adoption of the Caliber .45, Colt Model 1911 automatic pistol. It replaced the Colt, Model 1901, Caliber .38 Revolver and the Colt, Model 1909, Caliber .45 Revolver shown below.
The semi-automatic pistol submitted by Colt and designed by John M. Browning bested the design submitted by Savage Arms and was adopted on March 29, 1911. The rest, as they say, is history.
Many now-a-days prefer the Glock (more rounds per clip), but I stick with the old 1911.
Besides, there is something about the feng shui balance of wearing one on each side....