TODAY IN HISTORY
Today is Thursday, Aug. 11, the 223rd day of 2022. There are 142 days left in the year.
Today’s highlight in history
On Aug. 11, 1997, President Bill Clinton made the first use of the historic line-item veto, rejecting three items in spending and tax bills. (However, the U.S. Supreme Court later struck down the veto as unconstitutional.)
On this date
In 1860, the nation’s first successful silver mill began operation near Virginia City, Nev.
In 1919, Germany’s Weimar Constitution was signed by President Friedrich Ebert.
In 1934, the first federal prisoners arrived at Alcatraz Island (a former military prison) in San Francisco Bay.
In 1949, President Harry S. Truman nominated General Omar N. Bradley to become the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
In 1952, Hussein bin Talal was proclaimed King of Jordan, beginning a reign lasting nearly 47 years.
In 1956, abstract painter Jackson Pollock, 44, died in a car crash on Long Island, N.Y.
In 1965, rioting and looting that claimed 34 lives broke out in the predominantly Black Watts section of Los Angeles.
In 1992, the Mall of America, the nation’s largest shopping-entertainment center, opened in Bloomington, Minn.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton named Army Gen. John Shalikashvili to be the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, succeeding the retiring Gen. Colin Powell.
In 2014, Academy Award-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams, 63, died in Tiburon. His death was ruled a suicide.
In 2016, the Obama administration said it had decided marijuana would remain on the list of most dangerous drugs, rebuffing growing support across the country for broad legalization, but said it would allow more research into its medical uses.
In 2020, Democrat Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate; Harris was the first Black woman on a major party’s presidential ticket. The newly elected district attorney in Portland, Ore., said he would not prosecute people arrested on non-violent misdemeanor charges during protests.
Ten years ago: Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney announced his choice of Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin to be his running mate. Usain Bolt capped his perfect London Olympics by leading Jamaica to victory in a world-record 36.84 seconds in the men’s 4x100 meters. Allyson Felix won her third gold medal as the Americans rolled to an easy victory in the women’s 4x400 relay.
Today’s birthdays
Musician Jim Kale (Guess Who) is 79. Magazine columnist Marilyn Vos Savant is 76. Singer Eric Carmen is 73. Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak is 72. Wrestleractor Hulk Hogan is 69. Singer Joe Jackson is 68. Playwright David Henry Hwang is 65. Actor Miguel A. Nunez Jr. is 63. Actor Viola Davis is 57. Actor Embeth Davidtz is 57. Actor-podcaster Joe Rogan is 55. Actor Anna Gunn is 54. Actor Sophie Okonedo is 54. Musician Charlie Sexton is 54. DJ-rapper Ali Shaheed Muhammad (A Tribe Called Quest) is 52. Actor Will Friedle is 46. Actor Chris Hemsworth is 39.