Today In History

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 29, the 241st day of 2018. There are 124 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 2005: Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast near Buras, Louisiana, bringing floods that devastated New Orleans. More than 1,800 people in the region died.

ON THIS DATE

› 1862: The Bureau of Engraving and Printing began operations at the United States Treasury.

› 1864: The Democratic National Convention, which nominated Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan for president, opened in Chicago.

› 1944: Fifteen thousand American troops of the 28th Infantry Division marched down the Champs Elysees in Paris as the French capital continued to celebrate its liberation from the Nazis.

› 1957: The Senate gave final congressional approval to a Civil Rights Act after South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond (then a Democrat) ended a filibuster that had lasted 24 hours.

› 1962: Malvin R. Goode began covering the United Nations for ABC-TV, becoming network television’s first black reporter.

› 1964: Roy Orbison’s single “Oh, Pretty Woman” was released on the Monument label.

› 1972: Swimmer Mark Spitz of the United States won the third of his seven gold medals at the Munich Olympics, finishing first in the 200-meter freestyle.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actress Betty Lynn (TV: “The Andy Griffith Show”) is 92. Movie director William Friedkin is 83. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is 82. Actor Elliott Gould is 80. Movie director Joel Schumacher is

79. TV personality Robin Leach is 77. Actress Deborah Van Valkenburgh is 66. Former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is

63. Dancer-choreographer Mark Morris is 62. Country musician Dan Truman (Diamond Rio) is 62. Actress Rebecca DeMornay is 59. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is 51. Singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello is 50. Rhythm-and-blues singer Carl Martin (Shai) is 48. Actress Kate Simses is

39. Rock musician David Desrosiers (Simple Plan) is 38. Rapper A+ is 36. Actress Jennifer Landon is 35. Actor Jeffrey Licon is 33. Actress-singer Lea Michele is 32. Actress Charlotte Ritchie is 29. Actress Nicole Gale Anderson is 28. Rock singer Liam Payne (One Direction) is 25.