Today In History

Today is Saturday, Aug. 5, the 217th day of 2017. There are 148 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1957: The teenage dance show “American Bandstand,” hosted by Dick Clark, made its network debut on ABC-TV. The British cartoon character Andy Capp, created by Reginald Smythe, first appeared in the Daily Mirror.

ON THIS DATE

› 1864: During the Civil War, Union Adm. David G. Farragut led his fleet to victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama.

› 1884: The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal was laid on Bedloe’s Island in New York Harbor.

› 1924: The comic strip “Little Orphan Annie” by Harold Gray made its debut.

› 1936: Jesse Owens of the United States won the 200-meter dash at the Berlin Olympics, collecting the third of his four gold medals.

› 1962: South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested; it was the beginning of 27 years of imprisonment.

› 1969: The U.S. space probe Mariner 7 flew by Mars, sending back photographs and scientific data.

› 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.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actor John Saxon is 81. College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Roman Gabriel is

77. Country songwriter Bobby Braddock is 77. Actress Loni Anderson is

72. Actress Erika Slezak is 71. Rock singer Rick Derringer is 70. Actress Holly Palance is 67. Singer Samantha Sang is 64. Rock musician Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister) is

62. Author David Baldacci is 57. Actress Tawney Kitaen is 56. Actress Janet McTeer is 56. Country musician Mark O’Connor is 56. Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing is 55. Actor Mark Strong is 54. Retired MLB All-Star John Olerud is

49. Rock musician Eicca Toppinen (Apocalyptica) is 42. Actor Brendon Ryan Barrett is 31. Actress Meegan Warner (TV: “TURN: Washington’s Spies”) is 26. Actor Albert Tsai is 13.