August 181227 - The Mongol conqueror Ghengis Khan died. 1587 - Virginia Dare became the first child to be born on American soil of English parents. The colony that is now Roanoke Island, NC, mysteriously vanished. 1735 - The "Evening Post" of Boston, MA, was published for the first time. 1840 - The American Society of Dental Surgeons was founded in New York City, NY. 1846 - Gen. Stephen W. Kearney and his U.S. forces captured Santa Fe, NM. 1894 - The Bureau of Immigration was established by the U.S. Congress. 1914 - The "Proclamation of Neutrality" was issued by U.S. President Woodrow Wilson. It was aimed at keeping the U.S. out of World War I. 1916 - Abraham Lincoln's birthplace was made into a national shrine. 1919 - The "Anti-Cigarette League of America" was formed in Chicago IL. 1920 - Tennessee ratified the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The Amendment guaranteed the right of all American women to vote. 1937 - The first FM radio construction permit was issued in Boston, MA. The station went on the air two years later. 1938 - The Thousand Islands Bridge was dedicated by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The bridge connects the U.S. and Canada. 1940 - Canada and the U.S. established a joint defense plan against the possible enemy attacks during World War II. 1958 - Vladimir Nabokov's novel "Lolita" was published. 1963 - James Meredith graduated from the University of Mississippi. He was the first black man to accomplish this feat. 1966 - The first pictures of earth taken from moon orbit were sent back to the U.S. 1980 - George Brett (Kansas City Royal) had his batting average reach the .400 mark. 1981 - Herschel Walker of the University of Georgia took out an insurance policy with Lloyd’s of London. The all-American was insured for one million dollars. 1982 - The volume on the New York Stock Exchange topped the 100-million level for the first time at 132.69 million shares traded. 1982 - The longest baseball game played at Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL, went 21 innings before the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Cubs 2-1. 1987 - Earl Campbell announced his retirement from the National Football League (NFL). 1990 - The first shots were fired by the U.S. in the Persian Gulf Crisis when a U.S. frigate fired rounds across the bow of an Iraqi oil tanker. 1991 - An unsuccessful coup was attempted in against President Mikhail S. Gorbachev. The Soviet hard-liners were responsible. Gorbechev and his family were effectively imprisoned for three days while vacationing in Crimea. 1992 - Larry Bird, after 13 years with the Boston Celtics, announced his retirement. 1997 - Beth Ann Hogan became the first coed in the Virginia Military Institute's 158-year history. 1997 - Patrick Swayze received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 1998 - Mrs. Field's Original Cookies announced that they would acquire the Great American Cookie Co. 2004 - Donald Trump unveiled his board game (TRUMP the Game) where players bid on real estate, buy big ticket items and make billion-dollar business deals. |