Today In History

Today is Thursday, July 26, the 207th day of 2018. There are 158 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 2002: The Republican-led House voted, 295-132, to create an enormous Homeland Security Department.

ON THIS DATE

› 1775: The Continental Congress established a Post Office and appointed Benjamin Franklin its Postmaster-General.

› 1847: The western African country of Liberia, founded by freed American slaves, declared its independence.

› 1908: U.S. Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte ordered creation of a force of special agents that was a forerunner of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

› 1945: The Potsdam Declaration warned Imperial Japan to unconditionally surrender, or face “prompt and utter destruction.” Winston Churchill resigned as Britain’s prime minister after his Conservatives were soundly defeated by the Labour Party.

› 1947: President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act, which reorganized America’s armed forces as the National Military Establishment and created the Central Intelligence Agency.

› 1990: President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act.

› 2016: Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president by a major political party at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actor Robert Colbert is 87. Songwriter-music producer-label executive Fred Foster (co-writer of “Me and Bobby McGee”) is 87. Actress Helen Mirren is 73. Rock musician Roger Taylor (Queen) is

69. Actress Susan George is 68. Olympic gold medal figure skater Dorothy Hamill is 62. Actor Kevin Spacey is 59. Rock singer Gary Cherone is 57. Actress Sandra Bullock is

54. Rapper-reggae singer Wayne Wonder is 52. Actor Jason Statham is 51. Actor Cress Williams is

48. TV host Chris Harrison is 47. Actress Kate Beckinsale is 45. Actor Gary Owen is 45. Rock musician Dan Konopka (OK Go) is 44. Gospel/ Contemporary Christian singer Rebecca St. James is 41. Christian rock musician Jamie Sharpe (Rush of Fools) is 29. Actress Bianca Santos is

28. Actress-singer Taylor Momsen is 25. Actress Elizabeth Gillies is 25.