Today in History
Today is Wednesday, Aug. 26, the 239th day of 2020. There are 127 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On August 26, 1968, the Democratic National Convention opened in Chicago; the four-day event that resulted in the nomination of Hubert H. Humphrey for president was marked by a bloody police crackdown on antiwar protesters in the streets.
On this date:
In 55 B.C., Roman forces under Julius Caesar invaded Britain, with only limited success.
In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing American women’s right to vote, was certified in effect by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby.
In 1944, French Gen. Charles de Gaulle braved the threat of German snipers as he led a victory march in Paris, which had just been liberated by the Allies from Nazi occupation.
In 1957, the Soviet Union announced it had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.
In 1958, Alaskans went to the polls to overwhelmingly vote in favor of statehood.
In 1961, the original Hockey Hall of Fame was opened in Toronto.
In 1972, the summer Olympics games opened in Munich, West Germany.
In 1974, Charles Lindbergh — the first man to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic — died at his home in Hawaii at age 72.
In 1985, 13-year-old AIDS patient Ryan White began “attending” classes at Western Middle School in Kokomo, Indiana, via a telephone hook-up at his home -- school officials had barred Ryan from attending classes in person.
In 2004, the nation’s supply of vaccine for the impending flu season took a big hit when Chiron Corp. announced it had found tainted doses in its factory, and would hold up shipment of about 50 million shots.
In 2017, Hurricane Harvey spun into Texas, unloading extraordinary amounts of rain. (The hurricane killed nearly 70 people, damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage.) Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. beat UFC fighter Conor McGregor in a boxing match in Las Vegas that was stopped by the referee in the 10th round; it was the last fight of Mayweather’s career and earned him an estimated $200 million.
In 2018, a gunman opened fire on fellow gamers at a video game tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., killing two men and wounding 10 others before taking his own life. Playwright Neil Simon, whose comedies included “The Odd Couple” and “Barefoot in the Park,” died at the age of 91.
Ten years ago: The government of Chile released a video of the 33 miners trapped deep in a copper mine; the men appeared slim but healthy as they sang the national anthem and yelled, “Long live Chile, and long live the miners!”
Five years ago: Alison Parker, a reporter for WDBJTV in Roanoke, Virginia, and her cameraman, Adam Ward, were shot to death during a live broadcast by a disgruntled former station employee who fatally shot himself while being pursued by police.