Today is Tuesday, Aug. 9, the 221st day of 2005. There are 144 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Aug. 9, 1945, three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, the United States exploded a nuclear device over Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people.
On this date:
In 1790, the Columbia returned to Boston Harbor after a three-year voyage, becoming the first ship to carry the American flag around the world.
In 1842, the United States and Canada resolved a border dispute by signing the Webster-Ashburton Treaty.
In 1848, the Free-Soil Party nominated Martin Van Buren for president at its convention in Buffalo, N.Y.
In 1854, Henry David Thoreau published “Walden,” which described his experiences while living near Walden Pond in Massachusetts.
In 1902, Edward VII was crowned king of England following the death of his mother, Queen Victoria.
In 1930, a forerunner of the cartoon character Betty Boop made her debut in Max Fleischer’s animated short “Dizzy Dishes.”
In 1965, Singapore proclaimed its independence from the Malaysian Federation.
In 1969, actress Sharon Tate and four other people were found brutally murdered in Tate’s Los Angeles home; cult leader Charles Manson and a group of his disciples were later convicted of the crime.
In 1974, President Nixon’s resignation took effect. Vice President Gerald R. Ford became the nation’s 38th chief executive.
In 1988, President Reagan nominated Lauro Cavazos to be secretary of education; Cavazos became the first Hispanic to serve in the Cabinet.
Ten years ago: Jerry Garcia, lead singer of the Grateful Dead, died in San Francisco of a heart attack at age 53.
Five years ago: Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announced it was recalling 6½ million tires that had been implicated in hundreds of accidents and at least 46 deaths.
One year ago: Oklahoma City bombing conspirator Terry Nichols, addressing a court for the first time, asked victims of the blast for forgiveness as a judge sentenced him to 161 consecutive life sentences. In the worst-ever accident at a Japanese nuclear power plant, a corroded cooling pipe burst, killing five workers. Oscar-nominated movie and TV composer David Raksin died in Van Nuys, Calif., at age 92.
Today’s Birthdays: Former baseball manager Ralph Houk is 86. Rhythm-and-blues singer Billy Henderson (The Spinners) is 66. Jazz musician Jack DeJohnette is 63. Comedian-director David Steinberg is 63. Actor Sam Elliott is 61. Boxing Hall-of-Famer Ken Norton is 60. Singer Barbara Mason is 58. Actress Melanie Griffith is 48. Actress Amanda Bearse is 47. Rapper Kurtis Blow is 46. Singer Aimee Mann is 45. Singer Whitney Houston is 42. Actor Pat Petersen is 39. Football player Deion Sanders is 38. Actress Gillian Anderson is 37. Actor Eric Bana is 37. Rock musician Arion Salazar (Third Eye Blind) is 35. Rapper Mack 10 is 34. Latin rock singer Juanes is 33. Actress Liz Vassey is 33. Actress Jessica Capshaw is 29.
Thought for Today: “The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.” — Edward John Phelps, American lawyer and diplomat (1822-1900).