Today in History

Today is Saturday, July 12, the 193rd day of 2014. There are 172 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 12, 1984, Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale announced his choice of U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York to be his running mate; Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major-party ticket.

On this date:

In 1543, England's King Henry VIII married his sixth and last wife, Catherine Parr.

In 1690, forces led by William of Orange defeated the army of James II at the Battle of the Boyne in Ireland.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill authorizing the Medal of Honor.

In 1909, the House of Representatives joined the Senate in passing the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing a federal income tax, and submitted it to the states. (It was declared ratified in February 1913.)

In 1943, the World War II tank battle of Prokhorovka between German invaders and Soviet defenders took place with no clear victor.

In 1948, the Democratic National Convention, which nominated President Harry S. Truman for a second term of office, opened in Philadelphia.

In 1957, President Dwight D. Eisenhower was flown by helicopter from the White House to a secret mountaintop location as part of a drill involving a mock nuclear attack on Washington.

In 1967, six days of race-related rioting erupted in Newark, New Jersey; the violence claimed 26 lives.

In 1974, President Richard Nixon signed a measure creating the Congressional Budget Office. Former White House aide John Ehrlichman and three others were convicted of conspiring to violate the civil rights of Daniel Ellsberg's former psychiatrist.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter defended Supreme Court limits on government payments for poor women's abortions, saying, "There are many things in life that are not fair."

In 1988, Democratic presidential candidate Michael S. Dukakis tapped Sen. Lloyd Bentsen of Texas as his running mate.

In 1994, President Bill Clinton, visiting Germany, went to the eastern sector of Berlin, the first president to do so since Harry Truman.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush defended the Iraq war during a visit to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, saying the invasion had made America safer. Wall Street brokerage Morgan Stanley settled a sex discrimination suit brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, agreeing to pay $54 million.

Five years ago: Rebels in Nigeria set fire to an oil depot and loading tankers in Lagos, killing five people in the group's first attack outside the Delta region. Eun Hee Ji of South Korea made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole, finishing off an even-par 71 to win the U.S. Women's Open.

One year ago: Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced her resignation. A train carrying hundreds of passengers derailed and crashed outside Paris; at least six people were killed and dozens injured. NSA leaker Edward Snowden emerged from weeks of hiding in a Moscow airport, meeting with Russian officials and rights activists. The Texas Senate passed sweeping new abortion restrictions, sending them to Gov. Rick Perry to sign into law after weeks of protests and rallies that drew thousands of people to the Capitol.

Today's Birthdays: Movie director Monte Hellman is 85. Comedian Bill Cosby is 77. Singer-musician Christine McVie is 71. Actress Denise Nicholas is 70. Singer-songwriter Butch Hancock is 69. Fitness guru Richard Simmons is 66. Actor Jay Thomas is 66. Singer Walter Egan is 66. Writer-producer Brian Grazer is 63. Actress Cheryl Ladd is 63. Country singer Julie Miller is 58. Gospel singer Sandi Patty is 58. Actress Mel Harris is 58. Actor Buddy Foster is 57. Rock guitarist Dan Murphy (Soul Asylum) is 52. Actress Judi Evans is 50. Rock singer Robin Wilson (Gin Blossoms) is 49. Actress Lisa Nicole Carson is 45. Olympic gold medal figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi is 43. Country singer Shannon Lawson is 41. Rapper Magoo is 41. Actress Anna Friel is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Tracie Spencer is 38. Actor Steve Howey is 37. Actor Topher Grace is 36. Actress Michelle Rodriguez is 36. Country singer-musician Kimberly Perry (The Band Perry) is 31. Actress Natalie Martinez is 30. Golfer Inbee Park is 26. Actor Erik Per Sullivan is 23. Olympic gold medal gymnast Jordyn Wieber is 19.

Thought for Today: "The tragedy is not that things are broken. The tragedy is that they are not mended again." -- Alan Paton, South African author (1903-1988).

Copyright 2014, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.