Historical clue formulations

• Nice thing to hit — 2017-07-16
• Nice thing to hit — 2013-05-03
• Good thing to hit — 2012-09-13
• The mother lode — 2009-02-22
• Something to hit — 2007-01-17
• Lucky strike — 1999-01-01
• Forty-niner's quest — 1998-07-31