Today In History
Today is Saturday, Aug. 25, the 237th day of 2018. There are 128 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
› 1944: During World War II, Paris was liberated by Allied forces after four years of Nazi occupation.
ON THIS DATE
› 1718: Hundreds of French colonists arrived in Louisiana, with some settling in present-day New Orleans.
› 1875: Capt. Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, getting from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in 22 hours.
› 1916: President Woodrow Wilson signed an act establishing the National Park Service within the Department of the Interior.
› 1928: An expedition led by Richard E. Byrd set sail from Hoboken, N.J., on its journey to Antarctica.
› 1981: The U.S. spacecraft Voyager 2 came within 63,000 miles of Saturn’s cloud cover, sending back pictures of and data about the ringed planet.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS
Actor Sean Connery is 88. Actor Page Johnson is 88. TV personality Regis Philbin is 87. Actor Tom Skerritt is 85. Jazz musician Wayne Shorter is 85. Filmmaker Marshall Brickman is 79. Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is 76. Rhythm and blues singer Walter Williams (The O’Jays) is 75. Actor Anthony Heald is 74. Rock singer-actor Gene Simmons is 69. Actor John Savage is 69. Author Martin Amis is 69. Country singer-musician Henry Paul (Outlaws; Blackhawk) is 69. Rock singer Rob Halford is 67. Rock musician Geoff Downes (Asia) is 66. Rock singer Elvis Costello is 64. Actress Ally Walker is 57. Country singer Cyrus (AKA Billy Ray Cyrus) is 57. Actress Joanne Whalley is 57. Rock musician Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard) is 56. Actor Blair Underwood is 54. Actor Robert Maschio is 52. Rap DJ Terminator X (Public Enemy) is 52. Alternative country singer Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) is 51. Country singer Jo Dee Messina is 48. Model Claudia Schiffer is 48. Country singer Brice Long is 47. Actor-writer-director Ben Falcone is 45. Actor Eric Millegan is 44. Actor Alexander Skarsgard is 42. Actor Jonathan Togo is 41. Actor Kel Mitchell is 40. Actress Rachel Bilson is 37. Actress Blake Lively is 31. Actor Josh Flitter is 24.