Today in History

Today in History

Today is Monday, Aug. 8, the 221st day of 2016. There are 145 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Aug. 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, effective the next day, following damaging new revelations in the Watergate scandal.

On this date:

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena to spend the remainder of his days in exile.

In 1911, President William Howard Taft signed a measure raising the number of U.S. representatives from 391 to 433, effective with the next Congress, with a proviso to add two more when New Mexico and Arizona became states.

In 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan completed its occupation of Beijing.

In 1942, during World War II, six Nazi saboteurs who were captured after landing in the U.S. were executed in Washington, D.C.; two others who'd cooperated with authorities were spared.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed the U.S. instrument of ratification for the United Nations Charter. The Soviet Union declared war against Japan during World War II.

In 1953, the United States and South Korea initialed a mutual security pact.

In 1963, Britain's "Great Train Robbery" took place as thieves made off with 2.6 million pounds in banknotes.

In 1968, the Republican national convention in Miami Beach nominated Richard Nixon for president on the first ballot.

In 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew branded as "damned lies" reports he had taken kickbacks from government contracts in Maryland, and vowed not to resign -- which he ended up doing.

In 1994, Israel and Jordan opened the first road link between the two once-warring countries.

In 2007, space shuttle Endeavour roared into orbit with teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan on board.

In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as the U.S. Supreme Court's first Hispanic and third female justice.

Ten years ago: Sen. Joe Lieberman lost the Connecticut Democratic primary to political newcomer Ned Lamont (however, Lieberman ended up winning re-election to the Senate by running as an independent). The Federal Reserve left a benchmark interest rate unchanged after 17 consecutive rate hikes over more than two years. Roger Goodell was chosen as the NFL's next commissioner.

Five years ago: Eager to calm a nervous nation, President Barack Obama dismissed an unprecedented downgrade by Standard & Poor's of the U.S. credit rating from AAA to AA-plus, declaring: "No matter what some agency may say, we've always been and always will be a triple-A country."

One year ago: Several rivals of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump criticized his treatment of a debate moderator; the real estate mogul and reality television star remained unbowed, refusing to apologize for saying on CNN that Megyn Kelly, who had aggressively questioned him during the primary debate on Fox News, had "blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever" when she asked him about his incendiary comments toward women. A family of six children and two parents were handcuffed and fatally shot in the head at a Houston home; David Conley, who authorities said had previously been in a relationship with the mother and had a dispute with her, was charged with capital murder.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Richard Anderson is 90. Actress Nita Talbot is 86. Singer Mel Tillis is 84. Actor Dustin Hoffman is 79. Actress Connie Stevens is 78. Country singer Phil Balsley (The Statler Brothers) is 77. Actor Larry Wilcox is 69. Actor Keith Carradine is 67. Movie director Martin Brest is 65. Radio-TV personality Robin Quivers is 64. Percussionist Anton Fig is 63. Actor Donny Most is 63. Rock musician Dennis Drew (10,000 Maniacs) is 59. TV personality Deborah Norville is 58. Actor-singer Harry Crosby is 58. Rock musician The Edge (U2) is 55. Rock musician Rikki Rockett (Poison) is 55. Rapper Kool Moe Dee is 54. Rock musician Ralph Rieckermann is 54. Middle distance runner Suzy Favor Hamilton is 48. Rock singer Scott Stapp is 43. Country singer Mark Wills is 43. Actor Kohl Sudduth is 42. Rock musician Tom Linton (Jimmy Eat World) is 41. Singer JC Chasez ('N Sync) is 40. Actress Tawny Cypress is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Drew Lachey (98 Degrees) is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Marsha Ambrosius is 39. Actress Lindsay Sloane is 39. Actress Countess Vaughn is 38. Actor Michael Urie is 36. Tennis player Roger Federer is 35. Actress Meagan Good is 35. Britain's Princess Beatrice of York is 28. Actor Ken Baumann is 27. Pop singer Shawn Mendes is 18.

Thought for Today: "We probably wouldn't worry about what people think of us if we could know how seldom they do." -- Olin Miller, American humorist and poet (1918-2002).