Today in History
Today is Saturday, Aug. 19, the 231st day of 2023. There are 134 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Aug. 19, 1960, a tribunal in Moscow convicted American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers of espionage. (Although sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, Powers was returned to the United States in 1962 as part of a prisoner exchange.)
On this date:
In A.D. 14, Caesar Augustus, Rome’s first emperor, died at age 76 after a reign lasting four decades; he was succeeded by his stepson Tiberius.
In 1807, Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat arrived in Albany, two days after leaving New York.
In 1812, the USS Constitution defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere off Nova Scotia during the War of 1812, earning the nickname “Old Ironsides.”
In 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces landed at Benedict, Maryland, with the objective of capturing Washington D.C.
In 1848, the New York Herald reported the discovery of gold in California.
In 1934, a plebiscite in Germany approved the vesting of sole executive power in Adolf Hitler.
In 1942, during World War II, about 6,000 Canadian and British soldiers launched a disastrous raid against the Germans at Dieppe, France, suffering more than 50-percent casualties.
In 1955, torrential rains caused by Hurricane Diane resulted in severe flooding in the northeastern U.S., claiming some 200 lives.
In 1980, 301 people aboard a Saudi Arabian L-1011 died as the jetliner made a fiery emergency return to the Riyadh airport.
In 1987, a gun collector ran through Hungerford, England, 60 miles west of London, killing 16 people, including his mother, before turning his gun on himself.
In 2010, the last American combat brigade exited Iraq, seven years and five months after the U.S.-led invasion began.
In 2020, Kamala Harris accepted the Democratic nomination for vice president in a speech to the party’s virtual convention, cementing her place in history as the first Black and South Asian woman on a major party ticket.
Ten years ago: Olympian runner Oscar Pistorius was indicted in Pretoria, South Africa, on charges of murder and illegal possession of ammunition for the shooting death of his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, at his home on Valentine’s Day 2013; Pistorius maintained he’d mistaken her for an intruder. (He was initially convicted of manslaughter, but that was overturned and replaced with a murder conviction by South Africa’s Supreme Court. Pistorius is serving a 13-year prison sentence.) A train ran over a group of Hindu pilgrims at a crowded station in eastern India, killing at least 37 people.
Five years ago: Former CIA Director John Brennan, whose security clearance had been revoked by President Donald Trump, told NBC’s “Meet the Press” that he was considering taking legal action to try to prevent Trump from removing clearances from other current and former officials. “Crazy Rich Asians,” in its opening weekend in American theaters, was the top money-making film.
One year ago: A British man nicknamed one of the Beatles by his captives because of his English accent was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the deaths of four U.S. hostages captured by the Islamic State. Prosecutors said El Shafee Elsheikh is the most notorious member of the Islamic State ever to be convicted at trial in a U.S. court. A federal appeals panel ruled that the Justice Department under Attorney General William Barr improperly withheld portions of an internal memorandum Barr cited in publicly announcing that then-President Donald Trump had not committed obstruction of justice in the Russia investigation.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor Debra Paget is 90. USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Famer Renee Richards is 89. Former MLB All-Star Bobby Richardson is 88. Actor Diana Muldaur is 85. Actor Jill St. John is 83. Singer Billy J. Kramer is 80. Country singer-songwriter Eddy Raven is 79. Rock singer Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) is 78. Former President Bill Clinton is 77. Actor Gerald McRaney is 76. Actor Jim Carter is 75. Pop singer-musician Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass) is 75. Rock musician John Deacon (Queen) is 72. Bluegrass musician Marc Pruett (Balsam Range) is 72. Actor-director Jonathan Frakes is 71. Political consultant Mary Matalin is 70. Actor Peter Gallagher is 68. Actor Adam Arkin is 67. Singer-songwriter Gary Chapman is 66. Actor Martin Donovan is 66. Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Anthony Munoz is 65. R&B singer Ivan Neville is 64. Actor Eric Lutes is 61. Actor John Stamos is 60. Actor Kyra Sedgwick is 58. Actor Kevin Dillon is 58. Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 57. TV reporter Tabitha Soren is 56. Country singer-songwriter Mark McGuinn is 55. Actor Matthew Perry is 54. Country singer Clay Walker is 54. Rapper Fat Joe is 53. Olympic gold medal tennis player Mary Joe Fernandez is 52. Actor Tracie Thoms is 48. Actor Callum Blue is 46. Country singer Rissi (REE’-see) Palmer is 42. Actor Erika Christensen is 41. Actor Melissa Fumero is 41. Pop singer Missy Higgins is 40. Actor Peter Mooney is 40. Actor Tammin Sursok is 40. Olympic silver medal snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis (jay-kuh-BEHL’-ihs) is 38. Actor J. Evan Bonifant is 38. Rapper Romeo is 34. Actor Ethan Cutkosky is 24.
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