Today In History

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 13, the 225th day of 2019. There are 140 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1961: East Germany sealed off the border between Berlin’s eastern and western sectors before building a wall that would divide the city for the next 28 years.

ON THIS DATE

› 1846: The American flag was raised in Los Angeles for the first time.

› 1860: Legendary sharpshooter Annie Oakley was born in Darke County, Ohio.

› 1889: William Gray of Hartford, Conn., received a patent for a coin-operated telephone.

› 1910: Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, died in London at age 90.

› 1932: Adolf Hitler rejected the post of vice chancellor of Germany, saying he was prepared to hold out “for all or nothing.”

› 1960: The first two-way telephone conversation by satellite took place with the help of Echo 1. The Central African Republic became totally independent of French rule.

› 1967: The crime caper biopic “Bonnie and Clyde,” starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway, had its U.S. premiere; the movie, directed by Arthur Penn, was considered shocking as well as innovative for its graphic portrayal of violence.

› 2008: Michael Phelps swam into history as the winningest Olympic athlete ever with his 10th and 11th career gold medals.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders is 86. Actor Kevin Tighe is 75. Former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is 73. Opera singer Kathleen Battle is

71. High wire aerialist Philippe Petit is 70. Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Clarke is 70. Golf Hall of Famer Betsy King is

64. Movie director Paul Greengrass is 64. Actor Danny Bonaduce is 60. TV weatherman Sam Champion is 58. Actor John Slattery is 57. Actress Debi Mazar is 55. Actress Quinn Cummings is 52. Actress Seana Kofoed is

49. Country singer Andy Griggs is 46. Actor Gregory Fitoussi is 43. Country musician Mike Melancon (Emerson Drive) is 41. Actress Kathryn Fiore is

40. Former White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is 37. Actor Sebastian Stan is 37. Actor Eme Ikwuakor is

35. Pop-rock singer James Morrison is 35. Actress Lennon Stella is 20.