Today in History

Today is Thursday, Aug. 16, the 229th day of 2012. There are 137 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Aug. 16, 1962, The Beatles fired their original drummer, Pete Best, replacing him with Ringo Starr.

On this date:

In 1777, American forces won the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington.

In 1812, Detroit fell to British and Indian forces in the War of 1812.

In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln issued Proclamation 86, which prohibited the states of the Union from engaging in commercial trade with states in rebellion -- i.e., the Confederacy.

In 1858, a telegraphed message from Britain's Queen Victoria to President James Buchanan was transmitted over the recently laid trans-Atlantic cable.

In 1920, Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians was struck in the head by a pitch thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees; Chapman died the following morning.

In 1937, the American Federation of Radio Artists was chartered.

In 1948, baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York at age 53.

In 1954, Sports Illustrated was first published by Time Inc.

In 1956, Adlai E. Stevenson was nominated for president at the Democratic national convention in Chicago.

In 1977, Elvis Presley died at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tenn., at age 42.

In 1987, 156 people were killed when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed while trying to take off from Detroit; the sole survivor was 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan. People worldwide began a two-day celebration of the "harmonic convergence," which heralded what believers called the start of a new, purer age of humankind.

In 1991, Pope John Paul II began the first-ever papal visit to Hungary.

Ten years ago: Major League Baseball players set a strike deadline of Aug. 30. (Both sides finally reached an agreement with just six hours to spare.) Terrorist mastermind Abu Nidal reportedly was found shot to death in Baghdad, Iraq; he was 65. Former United Auto Workers president Stephen P. Yokich died in Detroit at age 66.

Five years ago: Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held for 31/2 years as an enemy combatant, was convicted in Miami of helping Islamic extremists and plotting overseas attacks. (Padilla, once accused of plotting with al-Qaida to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb," was later sentenced to 17 years and four months in prison on the unrelated terror support charges.) A cave-in killed three rescuers in the Crandall Canyon Mine in Utah; the search for six trapped miners was later abandoned.

One year ago: Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, meeting in Paris, called for greater economic discipline and unity among European nations but declined to take immediate financial measures.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Ann Blyth is 84. Sportscaster Frank Gifford is 82. Singer Eydie Gorme is 81. Actor Gary Clarke is 79. Actress Julie Newmar is 79. Actor John Standing is 78. College Football Hall of Famer and NFL player Bill Glass is 77. Actress Anita Gillette is 76. Actress Carole Shelley is 73. Country singer Billy Joe Shaver is 73. Movie director Bruce Beresford is 72. Actor Bob Balaban is 67. Ballerina Suzanne Farrell is 67. Actress Lesley Ann Warren is 66. Rock singer-musician Joey Spampinato is 62. Actor Reginald VelJohnson is 60. TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford is 59. Rhythm-and-blues singer J.T. Taylor is 59. Movie director James Cameron is 58. Actor Jeff Perry is 57. Rock musician Tim Farriss (INXS) is 55. Actress Laura Innes is 55. Singer Madonna is 54. Actress Angela Bassett is 54. Actor Timothy Hutton is 52. Actor Steve Carell is 50. Former tennis player Jimmy Arias is 48. Actor-singer Donovan Leitch is 45. Actor Andy Milder (TV: "Weeds") is 44. Actor Seth Peterson is 42. Country singer Emily Robison (The Dixie Chicks) is 40. Actor George Stults is 37. Singer Vanessa Carlton is 32. Actor Cam Gigandet is 30. Actress Agnes Bruckner is 27. Actor Shawn Pyfrom is 26. Country singer Ashton Shepherd is 26. Actor Kevin G. Schmidt is 24. Actress Rumer Willis is 24. Singer-pianist Greyson Chance is 15.

Thought for Today: "Action may not always bring happiness; but there is no happiness without action." -- Benjamin Disraeli, British statesman (1804-1881).

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.