Today in History

Today in History

Today is Friday, July 15, the 197th day of 2016. There are 169 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On July 15, 1976, a 36-hour kidnap ordeal began for 26 schoolchildren and their bus driver as they were abducted near Chowchilla, California, by three gunmen and imprisoned in an underground cell. (The captives escaped unharmed; the kidnappers were caught.)

On this date:

In 1799, French soldiers in Egypt discovered the Rosetta Stone, which proved instrumental in deciphering ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.

In 1870, Georgia became the last Confederate state to be readmitted to the Union. Manitoba entered confederation as the fifth Canadian province.

In 1916, Boeing Co., originally known as Pacific Aero Products Co., was founded in Seattle.

In 1932, President Herbert Hoover announced he was slashing his own salary by 20 percent, from $75,000 to $60,000 a year; he also cut Cabinet members' salaries by 15 percent, from $15,000 to $12,750 a year.

In 1948, President Harry S. Truman was nominated for another term of office by the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia.

In 1954, a prototype of the Boeing 707, the model 367-80, made its maiden flight from Renton Field south of Seattle.

In 1964, Sen. Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona was nominated for president by the Republican national convention in San Francisco.

In 1971, President Richard Nixon delivered a televised address in which he announced that he had accepted an invitation to visit the People's Republic of China.

In 1979, President Jimmy Carter delivered his "malaise" speech in which he lamented what he called a "crisis of confidence" in America.

In 1985, a visibly gaunt Rock Hudson appeared at a news conference with actress Doris Day (it was later revealed Hudson was suffering from AIDS).

In 1992, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton was nominated for president at the Democratic national convention in New York.

In 1996, MSNBC, a 24-hour all-news network, made its debut on cable and the Internet.

Ten years ago: The U.N. Security Council condemned North Korea's missile tests and imposed limited sanctions; a defiant North said it would launch more missiles. In a chilly prelude to a Group of Eight summit in St. Petersburg, President George W. Bush blocked Russia's entry into the World Trade Organization. Gunmen in Baghdad kidnapped the chairman of Iraq's Olympic committee, Ahmed al-Hijiya, and at least 30 others. (While some abductees were later released, al-Hijiya's and the others' whereabouts remain a mystery.) The space shuttle Discovery undocked from the international space station.

Five years ago: Rupert Murdoch accepted the resignation of The Wall Street Journal's publisher, Les Hinton, and the chief of his British operations, Rebekah Brooks, as the once-defiant media mogul struggled to control an escalating phone hacking scandal. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony announced they were breaking up after seven years of marriage. The Atlanta Braves earned their 10,000th win in franchise history with an 11-1 rout of the Washington Nationals.

One year ago: Vigorously challenging his critics, President Barack Obama launched an aggressive and detailed defense of a landmark Iranian nuclear accord during a White House press conference, rejecting the idea that the agreement left Tehran on the brink of a bomb and arguing the only alternative to the diplomatic deal was war.

Today's Birthdays: Author Clive Cussler is 85. Actor Ken Kercheval is 81. Actor Patrick Wayne is 77. Actor Jan-Michael Vincent is 72. Rhythm-and-blues singer Millie Jackson is 72. Rock singer-musician Peter Lewis (Moby Grape) is 71. Singer Linda Ronstadt is 70. Rock musician Artimus Pyle is 68. Arianna Huffington, co-founder of The Huffington Post news website, is 66. Actress Celia Imrie is 64. Actor Terry O'Quinn is 64. Rock singer-musician David Pack is 64. Rock musician Marky Ramone is 60. Rock musician Joe Satriani is 60. Country singer-songwriter Mac McAnally is 59. Model Kim Alexis is 56. Actor Willie Aames is 56. Actor-director Forest Whitaker is 55. Actress Lolita Davidovich is 55. Actress Shari Headley is 53. Actress Brigitte Nielsen is 53. Rock musician Jason Bonham is 50. Actress Amanda Foreman is 50. Actor Kristoff St. John is 50. Rock musician Phillip Fisher is 49. Rhythm-and-blues singer Stokley (Mint Condition) is 49. Actor-comedian Eddie Griffin is 48. Actor Stan Kirsch is 48. Actor Reggie Hayes is 47. Actor-screenwriter Jim Rash is 45. Rock musician John Dolmayan is 44. Actor Scott Foley is 44. Actor Brian Austin Green is 43. Rapper Jim Jones is 40. Actress Diane Kruger is 40. Actress Lana Parrilla is 39. Rock musician Ray Toro (My Chemical Romance) is 39. Actress Laura Benanti is 37. Actor Travis Fimmel is 37. Actor Taylor Kinney is 35. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kia Thornton (Divine) is 35. Actor-singer Tristan "Mack" Wilds is 27.

Thought for Today: "If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it." -- Margaret Fuller, American journalist and social critic (1810-1850).