August 281609 - Delaware Bay was discovered by Henry Hudson. 1619 - Ferdinand II was elected Holy Roman Emperor. His policy of "One church, one king" was his way of trying to outlaw Protestantism. 1774 - The first American-born saint was born in New York City. Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton was canonized in 1975. 1811 - Percy Bysshe Shelley and Harriet Westbrook eloped. 1830 - "The Tom Thumb" was demonstrated in Baltimore, MD. It was the first passenger-carrying train of its kind to be built in America. 1833 - Slavery was banned by the British Parliament throughout the British Empire. 1907 - "American Messenger Company" was started by two teenagers, Jim Casey and Claude Ryan. The company's name was later changedto "United Parcel Service." 1916 - Italy's declaration of war against Germany took effect duringWorld War I. 1917 - Ten suffragists were arrested as they picketed the White House. 1922 - The first radio commercial aired on WEAF in New York City. The Queensboro Realty Company bought 10 minutes of time for$100. 1922 - The Walker Cup was held for the first time at Southampton, NY. It is the oldest international team golf match in America. 1939 - The first successful flight of a jet-propelled airplane took place. The plane was a German Heinkel He 178. 1941 - The Football Writers Association of America was organized. 1963 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his "I Have a Dream" speech at a civil rights rally in Washington, DC. More than 200,000 people attended. 1972 - Mark Spitz captured the first of his seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He set a world record when he completed the 200-meter butterfly in 2 minutes and 7/10ths of a second. 1981 - "The New York Daily News" published its final afternoon edition. 1990 - Iraq declared Kuwait to be its 19th province and renamed Kuwait City al-Kadhima. 1995 - The biggest bank in the U.S. was created when Chase Manhattan and Chemical Bank announced their $10 billion deal. 1996 - A divorce decree was issued for Britain's Charles and Princess Diana. This was the official end to the 15-year marriage. 1998 - The Pakistani prime minister created new Islamic order and legal system based on the Koran. 2004 - George Brunstad, at age 70, became the oldest person to swim the English Channel. The swim from Dover, England, to Sangatte, France, took 15 hours and 59 minutes. 2008 - In China, the Shanghai World Financial Center officially opened. The observation decks opened on August 30. 2014 - Google announced its Project Wing. The project was aimed at delivering products across a city using unmanned flying vehicles. |