Today In History

Today is Thursday, Aug. 23, the 235th day of 2018. There are 130 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1775: Britain’s King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in a state of “open and avowed rebellion.”

ON THIS DATE

› 1754: France’s King Louis XVI was born at Versailles.

› 1785: U.S. naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry was born in South Kingstown, R.I.

› 1912: Actor, dancer, director and choreographer Gene Kelly was born Eugene Curran Kelly in Pittsburgh.

› 1913: Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid statue, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story, was unveiled in the harbor of the Danish capital.

› 1914: Japan declared war against Germany in World War I.

› 2000: An estimated 51 million viewers tuned in for the finale of the first season of the CBS reality show “Survivor,” in which contestant Richard Hatch won the $1 million prize.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actress Vera Miles is 88. Actress Barbara Eden is 87. Political satirist Mark Russell is 86. Pro Football Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen is 84. Actor Richard Sanders is 78. Ballet dancer Patricia McBride is 76. Former Surgeon General Antonia Novello is

74. Pro Football Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright is 73. Country singer Rex Allen Jr. is 71. Actor David Robb is 71. Singer Linda Thompson is 71. Actress Shelley Long is 69. Actor-singer Rick Springfield is 69. Country singer-musician Woody Paul (Riders in the Sky) is 69. Queen Noor of Jordan is 67. Actor-producer Mark Hudson is 67. Actor Skipp Sudduth is

62. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Mike Boddicker is 61. Rock musician Dean DeLeo (Army of Anyone; Stone Temple Pilots) is 57. Country musician Ira Dean (Trick Pony) is 49. Actor Jay Mohr is 48. Actor Ray Park is 44. Actor Scott Caan is 42. Country singer Shelly Fairchild is

41. Figure skater Nicole Bobek is 41. Rock singer Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) is 40. Retired NBA player Kobe Bryant is 40. Actress Jaime Lee Kirchner is 37. Neo-soul musician Andy Wild (Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats) is 37. Actress Annie Ilonzeh is

35. Dance musician Sky Blu is 32. Actress Kimberly Matula is 30. NBA player Jeremy Lin is 30.