Today In History

Today is Friday, July 20, the 201st day of 2018. There are 164 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1944: An attempt by a group of German officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler with a bomb failed.

ON THIS DATE

› 1861: The Congress of the Confederate States convened in Richmond, Virginia.

› 1942: The first detachment of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps — later known as WACs — began basic training at Fort Des Moines, Iowa. The Legion of Merit was established by an Act of Congress.

› 1954: The Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into northern and southern entities.

› 1968: The first International Special Olympics Summer Games, organized by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, were held at Soldier Field in Chicago.

› 1969: Astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon after reaching the surface in their Apollo 11 lunar module.

› 1976: America’s Viking 1 robot spacecraft made a successful, first-ever landing on Mars.

› 1990: Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan, one of the court’s most liberal voices, announced he was stepping down.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actress-singer Sally Ann Howes is 88. Author Cormac McCarthy is 85. Rockabilly singer Sleepy LaBeef is 83. Former Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski, D-Md., is 82. Actress Diana Rigg is 80. Artist Judy Chicago is 79. Rock musician Carlos Santana is 71. Rock musician Jay Jay French (Twisted Sister) is 66. Rock musician Paul Cook (The Sex Pistols, Man Raze) is 62. Actress Donna Dixon is

61. Rock musician Mick McNeil (Simple Minds) is 60. Country singer Radney Foster is 59. Actor Frank Whaley is 55. Actor Dean Winters is 54. Rock musician Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam) is 52. Actor Reed Diamond is 51. Actress Judy Greer is 43. Actor Charlie Korsmo is

40. Singer Elliott Yamin (American Idol) is 40. Supermodel Gisele Bundchen is 38. Rock musician Mike Kennerty (The All-American Rejects) is 38. Actor Percy Daggs III is 36. Actor John Francis Daley is 33. Country singer Hannah Blaylock (Edens Edge) is 32. Dancer-singer-actress Julianne Hough is 30. Actress Billi Bruno is 22.