Today is Tuesday, Aug. 22, the 234th day of 2006. There are 131 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Aug. 22, 1485, England’s King Richard III was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the War of the Roses.
On this date:
In 1787, inventor John Fitch demonstrated his steamboat on the Delaware River to delegates of the Continental Congress.
In 1846, the United States annexed the Territory of New Mexico.
In 1851, the schooner America outraced the Aurora off the English coast to win a trophy that came to be known as the America’s Cup.
In 1910, Japan annexed Korea, which remained under Japanese colonial rule until 1945.
In 1956, President Eisenhower and Vice President Nixon were nominated for second terms in office by the Republican national convention in San Francisco.
In 1968, Pope Paul VI arrived in Bogota, Colombia, for the start of the first papal visit to Latin America.
In 1978, President Jomo Kenyatta, a leading figure in Kenya’s struggle for independence, died; Vice President Daniel Arap Moi was sworn in as acting president.
In 1985, 55 people died when fire broke out aboard a British Airtours charter jet on a runway at Manchester Airport in England.
In 1986, Kerr-McGee Corp. agreed to pay the estate of the late Karen Silkwood $1.38 million, settling a 10-year-old nuclear contamination lawsuit.
In 1989, Black Panther co-founder Huey P. Newton was shot to death in Oakland, Calif. (Gunman Tyrone Robinson was later sentenced to 32 years to life in prison.)
Ten years ago: President Clinton signed welfare legislation ending guaranteed cash payments to the poor and demanding work from recipients.
Five years ago: North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms announced he would not seek re-election the following year. Space shuttle Discovery glided to a landing, bringing home three spacefarers who had spent nearly six months aboard the international space station.
One year ago: The last Jewish settlers left Gaza, making way for the Palestinian government. During a speech in Salt Lake City, President Bush compared the fight against terrorism to both world wars and other great conflicts of the 20th century. Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested on-air that American operatives assassinate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, whom he called a “strong-arm dictator” (Robertson later apologized, saying he had spoken out of frustration).
Today’s Birthdays: Author Ray Bradbury is 86. Heart surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley is 86. Retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf is 72. ABC newsman Morton Dean is 71. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Carl Yastrzemski is 67. Actress Valerie Harper is 66. Football coach Bill Parcells is 65. CBS newsman Steve Kroft is 61. Actress Cindy Williams is 59. Musician David Marks is 58. Country singer Holly Dunn is 49. Rock musician Vernon Reid is 48. Country singer Collin Raye is 46. Country singer Ricky Lynn Gregg is 45. Rock singer Roland Orzabal (Tears For Fears) is 45. Rock musician Debbi Peterson (The Bangles) is 45. Rock musician Gary Lee Connor (Screaming Trees) is 44. Singer Tori Amos is 43. Country singer Mila Mason is 43. Rhythm-and-blues musician James DeBarge is 43. Tennis player Mats Wilander is 42. Rapper GZA/The Genius is 40. Actor Rick Yune is 35. Rock musician Paul Doucette (Matchbox Twenty) is 34. Rap-reggae singer Beenie Man is 33. Singer Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys) is 33. Actress Jenna Leigh Green is 32. Rock musician Jeff Stinco (Simple Plan) is 28.
Thought for Today: “Life does not give itself to one who tries to keep all its advantages at once. I have often thought morality may perhaps consist solely in the courage of making a choice.” — Leon Blum, French statesman (1872-1950).