Today in History
Today is Saturday, Aug. 5, the 217th day of 2023. There are 148 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Aug. 5, 1981, the federal government began firing air traffic controllers who had gone out on strike.
On this date:
In 1864, during the Civil War, Union Adm. David G. Farragut led his fleet to victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama.
In 1884, the cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal was laid on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor.
In 1914, what’s believed to be the first electric traffic light system was installed in Cleveland, Ohio, at the intersection of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue.
In 1936, Jesse Owens of the United States won the 200-meter dash at the Berlin Olympics, collecting the third of his four gold medals.
In 1953, Operation Big Switch began as remaining prisoners taken during the Korean War were exchanged at Panmunjom.
In 1957, the teenage dance show “American Bandstand,” hosted by Dick Clark, made its network debut on ABC-TV.
In 1962, South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested on charges of leaving the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike; it was the beginning of 27 years of imprisonment. Marilyn Monroe, 36, was found dead in her Los Angeles home; her death was ruled a probable suicide from “acute barbiturate poisoning.”
In 1964, U.S. Navy pilot Everett Alvarez Jr. became the first American flier to be shot down and captured by North Vietnam; he was held prisoner until February 1973.
In 1974, the White House released transcripts of subpoenaed tape recordings showing that President Richard Nixon and his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, had discussed a plan in June 1972 to use the CIA to thwart the FBI’s Watergate investigation; revelation of the tape sparked Nixon’s resignation.
In 2010, the Senate confirmed Elena Kagan, 63-37, as the Supreme Court’s 112th justice and the fourth woman in its history. Thirty-three workers were trapped in a copper mine in northern Chile after a tunnel caved in (all were rescued after being entombed for 69 days).
In 2011, the sun-powered robotic explorer Juno rocketed toward Jupiter on a five-year quest to discover the secret recipe for making planets. (Juno reached Jupiter on July 4, 2016.)
Ten years ago: A gunman opened fire at a municipal meeting in Ross Township, Pennsylvania, killing three people before he was tackled and shot with his own gun; authorities say the shooting stemmed from a dispute over living conditions at his ramshackle, trash-filled property. (Rockne Newell pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in prison.) Alex Rodriguez was suspended through 2014 and All-Stars Nelson Cruz, Jhonny Peralta and Everth Cabrera were banned 50 games apiece as Major League Baseball disciplined 13 players in a drug case.
Five years ago: President Donald Trump tweeted that a 2016 meeting at Trump Tower involving his son and a lawyer with Kremlin connections had been aimed at collecting information about his opponent, an apparent change from an earlier assertion that the meeting “primarily” dealt with adoption of Russian children. Authorities in Venezuela detained six people suspected of using drones packed with explosives in a failed bid to assassinate President Nicolas Maduro. Actress Charlotte Rae, best known as the housemother on the long-running sitcom “The Facts of Life,” died at her Los Angeles home at the age of 92.
One year ago: China said it was canceling or suspending dialogue with the U.S. on a range of issues from climate change to military relations and anti-narcotics efforts in retaliation for a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. A report showed that U.S. employers had added an astonishing 528,000 jobs last in the previous month despite warning signs of an economic downturn, easing fears of a recession. Sam Gooden, one of the original members of the Chicago soul group The Impressions and a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, died at age 87.
Today’s Birthdays: College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Roman Gabriel is 83. Country songwriter Bobby Braddock is 83. Actor Loni Anderson is 78. Actor Erika Slezak is 77. Rock singer Rick Derringer is 76. Actor Holly Palance is 73. Pop singer Samantha Sang is 72. Rock musician Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister) is 68. Actor-singer Maureen McCormick is 67. Rock musician Pat Smear is 64. Author David Baldacci is 63. Actor Janet McTeer is 62. Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing is 61. Actor Mark Strong is 60. Director-screenwriter James Gunn is 57. Actor Jonathan Silverman is 57. Actor Jesse Williams is 43. Actor Brendon Ryan Barrett is 37. Actor Meegan Warner is 32. Actor/singer Olivia Holt is 26. Actor Albert Tsai is 19. Actor Devin Trey Campbell is 15.
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