Today is Wednesday, Aug. 19, the 232nd day of 2020. There are 134 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On August 19, 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces landed at Benedict, Maryland, with the objective of capturing Washington D.C.
On this date:
In 1807, Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat arrived in Albany, two days after leaving New York.
In 1812, the USS Constitution defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere off Nova Scotia during the War of 1812, earning the nickname “Old Ironsides.”
In 1848, the New York Herald reported the discovery of gold in California.
In 1909, the first automobile races were run at the just-opened Indianapolis Motor Speedway; the winner of the first event was auto engineer Louis Schwitzer, who drove a Stoddard-Dayton touring car twice around the 2.5-mile track at an average speed of 57.4 mph.
In 1960, a tribunal in Moscow convicted American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers of espionage. (Although sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment, Powers was returned to the United States in 1962 as part of a prisoner exchange.)
In 1964, The Beatles opened their first full-fledged U.S. tour as they performed at San Francisco’s Cow Palace.
In 1980, 301 people aboard a Saudi Arabian L-1011 died as the jetliner made a fiery emergency return to the Riyadh airport.
In 2004, Google began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, ending the day up $15.34 at $100.34.
Today’s Birthdays: Actor L.Q. Jones is 93. Actor Debra Paget is 87. USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Famer Renee Richards is 86. Former MLB All-Star Bobby Richardson is 85. Actor Diana Muldaur is 82. Singer Johnny Nash is 80. Actor Jill St. John is 80. Singer Billy J. Kramer is 77. Country singer-songwriter Eddy Raven is 76. Rock singer Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) is 75. Former President Bill Clinton is 74. Actor Gerald McRaney is 73. Rock musician John Deacon (Queen) is 69. Political consultant Mary Matalin is 67. Actor Peter Gallagher is 65. Actor Adam Arkin is 64. Singer-songwriter Gary Chapman is 63. Actor Martin Donovan is 63. Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Anthony Munoz is 62. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ivan Neville is 61. Actor Eric Lutes is 58. Actor John Stamos is 57. Actor Kyra Sedgwick is 55. Actor Kevin Dillon is 55. Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 54. Actor Matthew Perry is 51. Country singer Clay Walker is 51.
