Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 7, the 220th day of 2012. There are 146 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Aug. 7, 1942, U.S. and other allied forces landed at Guadalcanal, marking the start of the first major allied offensive in the Pacific during World War II. (Japanese forces abandoned the island the following February.)

On this date:

In 1782, Gen. George Washington created the Order of the Purple Heart, a decoration to recognize merit in enlisted men and non-commissioned officers.

In 1882, the famous feud between the Hatfields of West Virginia and the McCoys of Kentucky erupted into full-scale violence.

In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was nominated for president by the Progressive Party (also known as the Bull Moose Party) in Chicago. New Jersey Gov. Woodrow Wilson accepted the Democratic presidential nomination at his summer home in Sea Girt. Sergei Prokofiev premiered his Piano Concerto No. 1 in D-flat major in Moscow.

In 1927, the already opened Peace Bridge connecting Buffalo, N.Y., and Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, was officially dedicated.

In 1947, the balsa wood raft Kon-Tiki, which had carried a six-man crew 4,300 miles across the Pacific Ocean, crashed into a reef in a Polynesian archipelago; all six crew members reached land safely.

In 1959, the United States launched the Explorer 6 satellite, which sent back images of Earth.

In 1961, Yale psychology professor Stanley Milgram began conducting his controversial human behavior experiments concerning obedience toward authority figures.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy awarded FDA official Dr. Frances O. Kelsey the Distinguished Federal Civilian Service Medal for her diligence in blocking approval of thalidomide, a sedative found to cause severe birth defects.

In 1964, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers in dealing with reported North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. forces.

In 1971, the Apollo 15 moon mission ended successfully as its command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean.

In 1989, a plane carrying U.S. Rep. Mickey Leland, D-Texas, and 14 others disappeared over Ethiopia. (The wreckage of the plane was found six days later; there were no survivors.)

In 1998, terrorist bombs at U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania killed 224 people, including 12 Americans.

Ten years ago: Former ImClone Systems chief executive Samuel Waksal was indicted in New York on charges of obstruction of justice and bank fraud in addition to previous securities fraud and perjury charges. (Waksal later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than seven years in prison; he was released in February 2009.) Alvaro Uribe was sworn in as president of Colombia as guerrillas launched a mortar attack in the capital, killing 21 people.

Five years ago: San Francisco's Barry Bonds hit home run No. 756 to break Hank Aaron's storied record with one out in the fifth inning of a game against the Washington Nationals, who ended up winning, 8-6.

One year ago: The Treasury Department announced that Secretary Timothy Geithner had told President Barack Obama that he would remain on the job, ending speculation he would leave the administration. Four adults and three children were killed by a gunman in Copley Township, Ohio; the shooter died in a gunfight with police. Former New York Gov. Hugh Carey, 92, died on Shelter Island, N.Y.

Today's Birthdays: Writer-producer Stan Freberg is 86. Magician, author and lecturer James Randi is 84. Former MLB pitcher Don Larsen is 83. Bluesman Magic Slim is 75. Actress Verna Bloom is 73. Humorist Garrison Keillor is 70. Singer B.J. Thomas is 70. Singer Lana Cantrell is 69. FBI Director Robert Mueller is 68. Actor John Glover is 68. Actor David Rasche is 68. Rhythm-and-blues singer Harold Hudson is 63. Former diplomat, talk show host and activist Alan Keyes is 62. Country singer Rodney Crowell is 62. Actress Caroline Aaron is 60. Comedian Alexei Sayle is 60. Actor Wayne Knight is 57. Rock singer Bruce Dickinson is 54. Marathon runner Alberto Salazar is 54. Actor David Duchovny is 52. Country musician Michael Mahler (Wild Horses) is 51. Actress Delane Matthews is 51. Actor Harold Perrineau is 49. Jazz musician Marcus Roberts is 49. Country singer Raul Malo is 47. Actress Charlotte Lewis is 45. Actress Sydney Penny is 41. Actor Michael Shannon is 38. Actress Charlize Theron is 37. Rock musician Barry Kerch (Shinedown) is 36. Actor Randy Wayne is 31.

Thought for Today: "Civilization is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbor." -- Arnold Toynbee, English historian (1889-1975).

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.