DAY IN HISTORY

Saturday, August 29, 2020

Today is the 242nd day of 2020 and the 71st day of summer.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1949, the Soviet Union conducted its first atomic bomb test.

In 1957, Democratic Sen. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina concluded his 24-hour-long filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

In 1991, the parliament of the Soviet Union suspended all Communist Party activities indefinitely.

In 2005, Category 3 storm Hurricane Katrina made landfall near New Orleans.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS:

John Locke (1632-1704), philosopher; Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. (18091894), author; Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982), actress; Charlie Parker (1920-1955), musician; Richard Attenborough (1923-2014), filmmaker; William Friedkin (1935- ), film director; John Mccain (1936-2018), U.S. senator; Elliott Gould (1938- ), actor; Joel Schumacher

(1939-2020), film director; GG Allin (1956-1993), singer-songwriter; Michael Jackson (1958-2009), singer-songwriter; Lea Michele (1986- ), actress; Liam Payne (1993- ), singer-songwriter.

TODAY’S FACT: Strom Thurmond’s 1957 civil rights filibuster remains the longest one-man filibuster in history. It lasted 24 hours, 18 minutes and opened with Thurmond reading the voting laws of all 48 states.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1977, St. Louis Cardinal Lou Brock stole two bases to match, then break, Ty Cobb’s record for career stolen bases, which had stood at 892 bases for 49 years.

TODAY’S QUOTE:

“The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom.” — John Locke, “Second Treatise of Government”

TODAY’S NUMBER: 175 — top sustained wind speed (in mph) during Hurricane Katrina.

TODAY’S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Aug. 25) and full moon (Sept. 1).