Today In History

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 22, the 234th day of 2018. There are 131 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1787: Inventor John Fitch demonstrated his steamboat on the Delaware River to delegates from the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.

ON THIS DATE

› 1851: The schooner America outraced more than a dozen British vessels off the English coast to win a trophy that came to be known as the America’s Cup.

› 1862: President Abraham Lincoln responded to Horace Greeley’s call for more drastic steps to abolish slavery; Lincoln replied that his priority was saving the Union, but he also repeated his personal wish “that all men everywhere could be free.”

› 1910: Japan annexed Korea, which remained under Japanese control until the end of World War II.

› 1932: The British Broadcasting Corp. conducted its first experimental television broadcast, using a 30-line mechanical system.

› 1986: The Rob Reiner coming-of-age film “Stand By Me” was put into wide release by Columbia Pictures.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Broadcast journalist Morton Dean is 83. Author Annie Proulx (proo) is 83. Baseball Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski is 79. Actress Valerie Harper is 79. Actress Cindy Williams is 71. Pop musician David Marks is

70. International Swimming Hall of Famer Diana Nyad is 69. Baseball Hall of Famer Paul Molitor is

62. Rock musician Vernon Reid is 60. Country singer Ricky Lynn Gregg is 59. Country singer Collin Raye is 58. Actress Regina Taylor is 58. Singer Tori Amos is 55. Country singer Mila Mason is 55. Rhythm and blues musician James DeBarge is 55. International Tennis Hall of Famer Mats Wilander is 54. Actress Brooke Dillman is 52. Rapper GZA/The Genius is 52. Actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje is 51. Actor Ty Burrell is 51. Celebrity chef Giada DeLaurentiis is 48. Rap-reggae singer Beenie Man is 45. Singer Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys) is 45. Comedian-actress Kristen Wiig is 45. Actress Jenna Leigh Green is 44. Rock musician Bo Koster is 44. Rock musician Dean Back (Theory of a Deadman) is 43. Rock musician Jeff Stinco (Simple Plan) is

40. Actor Ari Stidham is 26.