Saturday, August 8, 2020 DAY IN HISTORY

Today is the 221st day of 2020 and the 50th day of summer.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed the United Nations charter, making the United States the first nation to join the organization.

In 1963, 15 thieves stole close to 2.6 million pounds from a mail train in Britain’s “Great Train Robbery.”

In 1974, President Richard Nixon announced on national television that he would resign the presidency at noon the following day.

In 1990, Iraq announced its “unification” with Kuwait, days after its military forces had invaded and taken over the country.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Sara Teasdale (1884-1933), poet; Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (1896-1953), novelist/pulitzer Prize winner; Benny Carter (19072003), jazz musician; Esther Williams (1921-2013), actress; Mel Tillis (19322017), singer-songwriter; Dustin Hoffman (1937- ), actor; Keith Carradine (1949- ), actor; Robin Quivers (1952- ), radio personality; Deborah Norville (1958- ), journalist; The Edge (1961- ), guitarist; Roger Federer (1981), tennis player; Meagan Good (1981- ), actress; Shawn Mendes (1998- ), singer-songwriter.

TODAY’S FACT: Thomas Edison received a patent for the mimeograph on this day in 1876.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1988, the Chicago Cubs hosted the first-ever night game under the newly installed lights at Wrigley Field. Rain caused the game to be called in the fourth inning with the Cubs leading the Mets 3-1.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “We cannot live without the Earth or apart from it, and something is shriveled in a man’s heart when he turns away from it and concerns himself only with the affairs of men.” — Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, “Cross Creek”

TODAY’S NUMBER: 2,121 — height (in feet) of the Warsaw radio mast in Poland, which held the title of the world’s tallest structure until it collapsed on this day in 1991.

TODAY’S MOON: Between full moon (Aug. 3) and last quarter moon (Aug. 11).