Today is Wednesday, Aug. 5, the 218th day of 2020. There are 148 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On August 5, 1974, the White House released transcripts of subpoenaed tape recordings showing that President Richard Nixon and his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, had discussed a plan in June 1972 to use the CIA to thwart the FBI’s Watergate investigation; revelation of the tape sparked Nixon’s resignation.
On this date:
In 1864, during the Civil War, Union Adm. David G. Farragut led his fleet to victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay, Alabama.
In 1914, what’s believed to be the first electric traffic light system was installed in Cleveland, Ohio, at the intersection of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue.
In 1936, Jesse Owens of the United States won the 200-meter dash at the Berlin Olympics, collecting the third of his four gold medals.
In 1961, the amusement park Six Flags Over Texas had its official grand opening day in Arlington.
In 1962, movie star Marilyn Monroe, 36, was found dead in her Los Angeles home; her death was ruled a probable suicide from “acute barbiturate poisoning.” South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela was arrested on charges of leaving the country without a passport and inciting workers to strike; it was the beginning of 27 years of imprisonment.
In 1981, the federal government began firing air traffic controllers who had gone out on strike.
In 1984, actor Richard Burton died in Geneva, Switzerland, at age 58.
In 1991, Democratic congressional leaders formally launched an investigation into whether the 1980 Reagan-Bush campaign had secretly conspired with Iran to delay release of American hostages until after the presidential election, thereby preventing an “October surprise” that supposedly would have benefited President Jimmy Carter. (A task force later concluded there was “no credible evidence” of such a deal.)
In 2002, the coral-encrusted gun turret of the Civil War ironclad USS Monitor was raised from the floor of the Atlantic, nearly 140 years after the historic warship sank during a storm.
Today’s Birthdays: College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Roman Gabriel is 80. Country songwriter Bobby Braddock is 80. Actor Loni Anderson is 75. Actor Erika Slezak is 74. Rock singer Rick Derringer is 73. Actor Holly Palance is 70. Pop singer Samantha Sang is 69. Actor-singer Maureen McCormick is 64. Actor Tawney Kitaen is 59. Actor Janet McTeer is 59. Country musician Mark O’Connor is 59. Basketball Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing is 58. Actor Jonathan Silverman is 54. Country singer Terri Clark is 52.
