Today In History

Today is Wednesday, July 18, the 199th day of 2018. There are 166 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› A.D. 64: The Great Fire of Rome began, consuming most of the city for about a week. (Some blamed the fire on Emperor Nero, who in turn blamed Christians.)

ON THIS DATE

› 1536: The English Parliament passed an act declaring the authority of the pope void in England.

› 1863: During the Civil War, black Union troops made charged Confederate-held Fort Wagner on Morris Island, S.C. The Confederates were able to repel the Northerners.

› 1932: The United States and Canada signed a treaty to develop the St. Lawrence Seaway.

› 1944: Hideki Tojo was removed as Japanese premier and war minister because of setbacks suffered by his country in World War II. American forces in France captured the Normandy town of St. Lo.

› 1947: President Harry S. Truman signed a Presidential Succession Act which placed the speaker of the House and the Senate president pro tempore next in the line of succession after the vice president.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Skating champion and commentator Dick Button is 89. Olympic gold medal figure skater Tenley Albright is 83. Movie director Paul Verhoeven is 80. Singer Martha Reeves is 77. Pop-rock musician Wally Bryson (The Raspberries) is

69. Country-rock singer Craig Fuller (Pure Prairie League) is 69. Business mogul Richard Branson is

68. Rock musician Nigel Twist (The Alarm) is

60. Actress Anne-Marie Johnson is 58. Actress Elizabeth McGovern is

57. Rock musician John Hermann (Widespread Panic) is 56. Rock musician Jack Irons is 56. Talk show host-actress Wendy Williams is 54. Actor Vin Diesel is 51. Alt-country singer Elizabeth Cook is

46. MLB All-Star Torii Hunter is 43. Dance music singer-songwriter M.I.A. is 43. Rock musician Daron Malakian (System of a Down; Scars on Broadway) is 43. Actress Priyanka Chopra is 36. Christian-rock musician Aaron Gillespie (Underoath) is 35. Actor Chace Crawford is 33. Actor James Norton is

33. Musician Paul Kowert (Punch Brothers) is 32. Actor Travis Milne is 32. Bluegrass musician Joe Dean Jr. (Dailey & Vincent) is 29.