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This Day in History, August 14 On August 14th, 1808, the Cologne Cathedral in Germany was completed. Other Notable Events, August 14 In 1784, Grigory Shelikhov, a Russian fur trader, founded the first permanent Russian settlement in Alaska on Kodiak Island. In 1900, some 2,000 U.S. Marines joined with European forces to capture Beijing, ending the Boxer Rebellion against the Western presence in China. In 1935, the U.S. Congress passed the Social Security Act and U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt immediately signed it into law. In 1945, U.S. President Harry Truman announced that Japan had accepted terms for unconditional surrender, ending World War II. In 1966, the unmanned U.S. Orbiter 1 spacecraft began orbiting the moon. In 1991, the Justice Department accused General Electric of fraud for billing the Pentagon $30 million for the non-existent sale of F-16 parts to the Israeli military. In 1994, the notorious international terrorist known as "Carlos the Jackal" was captured in Sudan. He was extradited to France the next day. In 1995, following a long legal battle, Shannon Faulkner was admitted to the cadet corps of the previously all-male Citadel. She resigned from the South Carolina military school four days later. In 1996, the Republican Party nominated Bob Dole for president to face incumbent Bill Clinton in the November election. In 2003, a massive power failure spread through Ohio, Michigan, the Northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada, leaving 50 million people in eight states and the province of Ontario without electricity for as long as two days. Also in 2003, the French Health Ministry said sweltering heat in Europe could be responsible for as many as 3,000 deaths in France. In 2004, Hurricane Charley raked the coast of the Carolinas and moved back ashore at Georgetown, S.C., with 75 mph winds. Meanwhile, Florida, hard hit the day before, searched for more victims and assessed damage. Also in 2004, at least 115 people were reported killed by Typhoon Rananim, the 14th typhoon to hit China that year. And, Hutu gunmen killed at least 130 Congolese Tutsi refugees at a camp in Burundi where they came for safety from just such assaults. In 2005, North Korea's top nuclear envoy said the country would be "fully prepared" to prove it has no uranium-based weapons program. Also in 2005, authorities say the crash of a Helios Airways plane in Greece with 121 people aboard could have been caused by a sudden drop in cabin pressure. A report from the scene said there were no survivors. In 2006, the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon ended in a truce, effective on this date, after 34 days of fighting. In 2007, at least 500 people were reported killed and hundreds more were hurt when two pairs of truck bombs exploded about five miles apart in the remote, northwestern Iraqi towns of Qahtaniya and Jazeera. Also in 2007, Mattel, the world's largest toy company, announced it was recalling nearly 19 million toys made in China, about half of them in the United States. Included were more than 400,000 toy cars said to be coated with lead. And, in 2007 sports, Tim Donaghy, a former National Basketball Association referee, pleaded guilty to charges growing from a U.S. betting scandal. He was accused of selling inside game information to bettors. Notable Birthdays for August 14 Those born on this date include:- Pioneer psychologist Richard von Krafft-Ebing in 1840- Naturalist Ernest Thompson Seton in 1860- Writer Ernest Thayer ( Casey at the Bat ) in 1863- English novelist John Galsworthy in 1867- Writer Russell Baker in 1925 (age 83)- Actor Alice Ghostley in 1926- Singer Buddy Greco, also in 1926 (age 82)- Rock musician David Crosby in 1941 (age 67)- Comedian Steve Martin in 1945 (age 63)- Actress Susan Saint James in 1946 (age 62)- Author Danielle Steele in 1947 (age 61)- The Far Side cartoonist Gary Larson in 1950 (age 58)- Former basketball star Earvin Magic Johnson in 1959 (age 49)- Actress Halle Berry in 1966 (age 42) Copyright 2008 by United Press International
This Day in History, August 13 On August 13th, 1913, Harry Brearly invented stainless steel. Other Notable Events, August 13 In 1889, William Gray patented the coin-operated telephone. In 1930, Capt. Frank Hawkes set an air speed record by flying from Los Angeles to New York in 12 hours, 25 minutes. In 1961, East Germany closed the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to start building the Berlin Wall. In 1980, U.S. President Jimmy Carter was nominated for a second term by the Democratic National Convention in New York but lost in November to Ronald Reagan. In 1990, singer/songwriter Curtis Mayfield was left paralyzed when he was hit by a wind-blown lighting rig on an outdoor stage in New York. He died in 1999. In 1992, a gunman dressed in military fatigues went on a shooting spree in a plant nursery in Watsonville, Calif., killing three and wounding four others before killing himself. In 1993, Israel agreed for the first time to negotiate with a Palestinian delegation whose members belonged officially to the PLO. In 1994, North Korea agreed to allow U.N. monitors to inspect a secret nuclear laboratory. In 2002, U.S. President George Bush told an economic forum that he was concerned but optimistic about the future of the U.S. economy. In 2003, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said the removal of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat from all positions of influence was the key to Middle East peace. In 2004, Hurricane Charley slammed into Florida's West Coast with winds of up to 145 mph, striking Punta Gorda and offshore islands, causing around 30 deaths and destroying or damaging 16,000 homes. The massive storm earlier hit Jamaica and Cuba, killing seven. In 2004 sports, the Summer Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece, with a record 202 countries and 10,500 athletes taking part. In 2005, the largest Lutheran denomination in the United States decided not to allow homosexuals into the clergy. Also in 2005, U.S. troops in Mosul, Iraq, found a suspected chemical-weapons factory containing 1,500 gallons of chemicals. In 2006, Cuban dictator Fidel Castro, who spent his 80th birthday in a Havana hospital after surgery for gastro-intestinal bleeding, urged optimism but warned he might not recover. He promised Cubans he would "fight for it." In 2007, Karl Rove, a controversial figure who had been U.S. President George Bush's chief political strategist for 13 years, announced his retirement. Notable Birthdays for August 13 Those born on this date include:- Social reformer Lucy Stone in 1818- Sharpshooter Annie Oakley in 1860- Scottish inventor John Baird, a pioneer in television technology, in 1888- Comic actor Bert Lahr (Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz ) in 1895- Actor Regis Toomey in 1898- Film director Alfred Hitchcock in 1899- Bandleader Skinnay Ennis in 1909- Golfer Ben Hogan in 1912- Actor Neville Brand in 1920- Cuban leader Fidel Castro in 1926 (age 82)- Actor Pat Harrington Jr. in 1929 (age 79)- Singer Don Ho in 1930- Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders in 1933 (age 75)- Opera singer Kathleen Battle in 1948 (age 60)- Pop singer Dan Fogelberg in 1951 (age 57)- Actor/announcer Danny Bonaduce ( The Partridge Family ) in 1959 (age 49) Copyright 2008 by United Press International
This Day in History, August 12 On August 12th, 1851, Isaac Singer was granted a patent for his sewing machine. Other Notable Events, August 12 In 1851, Isaac Singer was granted a patent for his sewing machine. He set up business in Boston with $40 in capital. In 1898, a peace protocol was signed, ending the Spanish-American War. The United States acquired Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines and annexed Hawaii. In 1966, as the Beatles were beginning their last tour, John Lennon apologized for saying the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ. In 1984, the 23rd Olympic Games ended in Los Angeles with a record attendance of 5.5 million people despite a Soviet-led boycott. In 1985, in aviation's worst single-plane disaster, 520 people died when a Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 slammed into a mountain in central Japan. Four passengers survived. In 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, in his first television address since the Iran-Contra hearings, said he had been "stubborn" in pursuing a policy "that went astray." In 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the Professional Golfers' Association championship for his 14th major title, surpassing Bobby Jones' record of 13 majors. In 1992, U.S. President George H.W. Bush signed a free trade pact with Mexico and Canada, creating the world's largest free trade bloc. In 1997, Hudson Foods, Inc., a meat processor in Rogers, Ark., announced it was recalling 20,000 pounds of beef due to possible contamination by the E.coli bacterium. The recall ultimately was expanded to 25 million pounds of beef. In 1998, the two largest Swiss banks and representatives of Holocaust survivors and their heirs agreed on a settlement of claims against the banks. In 2002, monsoons in Asia claimed more than 1,600 lives while floodwaters tore through central Europe and in southwestern Russia, killing 58. In 2003, a U.N. report said Afghanistan has re-emerged as the world's leading source for opium and heroin. In 2004, New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey announced his resignation after revealing a homosexual affair. Also in 2004, the California Supreme Court invalidated more than 4,000 same-sex marriage licenses issued earlier in San Francisco. In 2005, Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga imposed a state of emergency following the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. In 2006, the Lebanese Cabinet voted unanimously to accept a U.N. resolution aimed at ending the fighting between Hezbollah and Israel.In 2007, a high tension wire brushed a bus in Mumbai igniting a fire that trapped passengers inside. Eleven people were reported killed and 40 others were injured. Also in 2007, papers once belonging to East Germany's Stasi security ministry allegedly offered key evidence the government ordered attempted defectors to be shot, despite earlier denials. Notable Birthdays for August 12 Those born on this date include:- English poet laureate Robert Southey in 1774- American painter Abbott Thayer, credited with noting camouflage in the animal world, in 1849- Educator and poet Katherine Lee Bates, who wrote America the Beautiful, in 1859- Mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart in 1876- Christy Mathewson, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, in 1880- Moviemaker Cecil B. DeMille in 1881- Mexican comic actor Cantinflas, born Mario Moreno Reyes, in 1911- Actress Jane Wyatt in 1911- Actor John Derek in 1926- Country singer Buck Owens in 1929- Country singer Porter Wagoner in 1927- Author William Goldman in 1931 (age 77)- Former national security adviser John Poindexter in 1936 (age 72)- Actor George Hamilton in 1939 (age 69)- Author Ann Martin ( The Babysitter's Club series) in 1955 (age 53)- Tennis star Pete Sampras in 1971 (age 37) Copyright 2008 by United Press International
This Day in History, August 11 On August 11th, 1711, the first race was held at Ascot. Other Notable Events, August 11 In 1877, Thomas Edison described the fundamentals of the phonograph to an assistant and instructed him to build the first one. Also in 1877, American astronomer Asaph Hall discovered the two moons of Mars, which he named Phobos and Deimos. In 1934, the first group of federal prisoners classified as "most dangerous" arrived at Alcatraz Island, a 22-acre rocky outcrop 1.5 miles offshore in San Francisco Bay. In 1954, a formal announcement ended the seven-year war in Indochina between France and forces of the communist Viet Minh. In 1965, riots began in the Watts section of Los Angeles. In six days of violence, 34 people were killed. In 1984, in an off-air radio voice check picked up by TV cameras, U.S. President Ronald Reagan joked, "My fellow Americans, I'm pleased to tell you today that I've signed legislation that will outlaw Russia forever. We begin bombing in five minutes." The Kremlin wasn't amused. In 1991, a Lebanese terrorist group, the Revolutionary Justice Organization, released U.S. hostage Edward Tracy, held captive since October 1986. In 1992, an electrical fire in the 62-story John Hancock office tower forced more than 3,000 workers in Boston's tallest building to flee down smoky, darkened stairwells. In 1993, U.S. President Bill Clinton endorsed the "Brady Bill" handgun control measure and signed an executive order banning the import of semiautomatic assault-style handguns. Also in 1993, U.S. President Bill Clinton named Army Gen. John Shalikashvili to be the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, succeeding the retiring Gen. Colin Powell. In 1994, major league baseball players went on strike following the conclusion of the day's games. In 1995, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a request by The Citadel to overturn a federal appeals court ruling that ordered the all-male South Carolina military college to admit female students. In 1997, U.S. President Bill Clinton became the first president to use the line-item veto, a power granted by Congress the year before. In 1998, two boys were found to be "delinquent," or guilty, of murder in the fatal March shootings of four students and a teacher at their middle school in Jonesboro, Ark. Also in 1998, British Petroleum announced it would merge with Amoco Corp. in what would be the largest takeover of an American company by a foreign company. In 1999, U.S. President Bill Clinton offered to commute the prison sentences of 16 Puerto Rican terrorists if they agreed to renounce violence and comply with other parole requirements. Also in 1999, the Kansas State Board of Education voted to drop the theory of evolution from the public school curriculum. In 2002, US Airways, the nation's sixth-largest airline, filed for bankruptcy. In 2003, as peacekeepers entered Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, to try to stop fighting between government and rebel troops, President Charles Taylor stepped down and flew into exile in Nigeria, ending a bloody chapter of African history. He vowed he would return. In 2004, fighting in the holy Iraqi city of Najaf raged for the sixth straight day between forces loyal to radical Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr and U.S.-backed Iraqi troops. In 2005, right-wing activists staged one of the biggest demonstrations in Israel's history at Tel Aviv. An estimated 350,000 people protested the impending withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and the evacuation of four settlements in the northern West Bank. Also in 2005, Salva Kit Mayandit was sworn in as Sudan vice president succeeding John Garang, whose death in a helicopter crash touched off violent rioting in which 130 people were killed. In 2006, the U.N. Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution calling for "full cessation of hostilities" between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon. In 2007, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America voted to refrain from disciplining members of the clergy involved in same-sex relationships. Also in 2007, the Taliban reportedly promised to release two of the 21 South Korean missionaries held in Afghanistan as a gesture of good faith but later reneged on its offer. Notable Birthdays for August 11 Those born on this day include: - Author Robert Ingersoll in 1833- Songwriter Carrie Jacobs Bond ( I Love You Truly ) in 1862- Art collector Joseph Hirshhorn in 1899- Actor Lloyd Nolan in 1902- Author Alex Haley in 1921- Singer June Hutton in 1920- TV host Mike Douglas in 1925- Actress Arlene Dahl in 1928 (age 80)- Columnist Marilyn vos Savant, listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the world's highest IQ (reported at 228), in 1946 (age 62)- Pop singer Eric Carmen, formerly of the Raspberries, in 1949 (age 59)- Apple computer co-founder Stephen Wozniak in 1950 (age 58)- Professional wrestler/actor Hulk Hogan, born Terry Gene Bollea, in 1953 (age 55) Copyright 2008 by United Press International
This Day in History, August 10 On August 10th, 1954, the groundbreaking ceremony for Saint Lawrence Seaway was held at Massena, New York. Other Notable Events, August 10 In 1776, a committee of Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson suggested the United States adopt "E pluribus unum" -- "Out of many, one" -- as the motto for its Great Seal. In 1821, Missouri entered the United States as the 24th state and the first located entirely west of the Mississippi River. In 1977, the United States and Panama reached agreement in principle to transfer the Panama Canal to Panama by the year 2000. Also in 1977, 24-year-old postal employee David Berkowitz was arrested and charged with being the "Son of Sam," the serial killer who terrorized New York City for more than a year, killing six young people and wounding seven others. In 1984, Nevada's chief U.S. district judge, Harry Claiborne, was convicted on tax evasion charges. It was the first conviction of a sitting federal judge. In 1990, District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry was convicted on one misdemeanor cocaine possession charge and acquitted on another. The jury deadlocked on the 12 other counts and a mistrial was declared. In 1991, China agreed in principle to sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. In 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as the U.S. Supreme Court's 107th justice and second female member. In 1994, lawyers for U.S. President Bill Clinton sought the dismissal, for the duration of his presidency, of a sexual harassment lawsuit brought against him by a former Arkansas state worker. In 1996, Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole selected former congressman, Cabinet secretary and NFL quarterback Jack Kemp as his running mate. In 1999, a white supremacist gunman wounded five people, including three children, when he opened fire in the lobby of a Los Angeles Jewish community center. Police said Buford Furrow Jr. killed a letter carrier as he fled, surrendering the next day in Las Vegas. In 2001, about 250 people were killed in a train wreck in Albania, caused by a mine set on the tracks by rebels. In 2003, more than 80 prisoners tunneled their way out of Brazil's Joao Pessoa prison, one of the nation's top security facilities. In 2004, U.S. Rep. Porter Goss, R-Fla., a former CIA clandestine operative, was nominated by U.S. President George Bush to head the spy agency. In 2005, U.S. President George Bush signed a 6-year, $286.4 billion transportation bill to build highways, bridges and other public works and contains also a reported $24 billion in "pork barrel" projects. Also in 2005, the head of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said he supports pre-screening airline passengers and providing them with special identification cards. In 2006, Britain and the United States strengthened security after foiling an alleged plot to blow up airplanes flying between the two countries with liquid explosives. Police said as many as 10 aircraft had been targeted. U.S. officials banned the transportation of liquids and gel in carry-on luggage. In 2007, the U.S. Federal Reserve put a reported $72 billion into the American financial system over two days to steady the volatile markets that fell in response to losses in the U.S. mortgage market. Also in 2007, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution unanimously expanding the United Nation's role in Iraq, focused on helping promote reconciliation and safety of citizens. Notable Birthdays for August 10 Those born on this day include:- Edmund Jennings Randolph, the first U.S. attorney general, in 1753- Herbert Hoover, 31st president of the United States, in 1874- Actor Jack Haley (the Tin Woodsman in The Wizard of Oz ) in 1898- Actress Norma Shearer in 1902- Actress Rhonda Fleming in 1923 (age 85)- Guitar maker Leo Fender in 1909- Singer Jimmy Dean in 1928 (age 80)- Singer Eddie Fisher in 1928 (age 80)- Rock musician Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull in 1947 (age 61)- Actress Rosanna Arquette in 1959 (age 49)- Actor Antonio Banderas in 1960 (age 48) Copyright 2008 by United Press International
