Today in History

Today in History

Today is Monday, Aug. 15, the 228th day of 2016. There are 138 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Aug. 15, 1945, in a pre-recorded radio address, Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced that his country had accepted terms of surrender for ending World War II.

On this date:

In 1057, Macbeth, King of Scots, was killed in battle by Malcolm, the eldest son of King Duncan, whom Macbeth had slain.

In 1483, the Sistine Chapel was consecrated by Pope Sixtus IV.

In 1812, the Battle of Fort Dearborn took place as Potawatomi warriors attacked a U.S. military garrison of about 100 people. (Most of the garrison was killed, while the remainder was taken prisoner.)

In 1914, the Panama Canal officially opened as the SS Ancon crossed the just-completed waterway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

In 1935, humorist Will Rogers and aviator Wiley Post were killed when their airplane crashed near Point Barrow in the Alaska Territory.

In 1939, the MGM musical "The Wizard of Oz" opened at the Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

In 1946, the DuMont television network made its debut over two stations, WABD in New York and WTTG in Washington, D.C. (The network lasted a decade, folding in 1956.)

In 1947, India became independent after some 200 years of British rule.

In 1965, The Beatles played to a crowd of more than 55,000 at New York's Shea Stadium.

In 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened in upstate New York.

In 1974, a gunman attempted to shoot South Korean President Park Chung-hee during a speech; although Park was unhurt, his wife, Yuk Young-soo, was struck and killed, along with a teenage girl. (The gunman was later executed.)

In 1989, F.W. de Klerk was sworn in as acting president of South Africa, one day after P.W. Botha resigned as the result of a power struggle within the National Party.

Ten years ago: Israel began withdrawing its forces from southern Lebanon. Te Arikinui Dame Te Atairangikaahu, the queen of New Zealand's indigenous Maori population, died on North Island, New Zealand, at age 75.

Five years ago: Hitting back against an emboldened GOP, President Barack Obama launched a rare direct attack on the Republican presidential field, criticizing his potential 2012 rivals for their blanket opposition to any deficit-cutting compromise involving new taxes during a town hall-style meeting in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. Jim Thome hit his 600th home run an inning after he hit No. 599 to help the Minnesota Twins outslug the Detroit Tigers 9-6. (Thome became the eighth major league player to reach 600.)

One year ago: Japanese Emperor Akihito expressed rare "deep remorse" over his country's wartime actions in an address marking the 70th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II, a day after the prime minister fell short of apologizing to victims of Japanese aggression. Civil rights leader Julian Bond, 75, died in Fort Walton Beach, Florida.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Rose Marie is 93. Political activist Phyllis Schlafly is 92. Actor Mike Connors is 91. Actress Abby Dalton is 84. Actress Lori Nelson is 83. Civil rights activist Vernon Jordan is 81. Actor Jim Dale is 81. Actress Pat Priest is 80. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer is 78. U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., is 78. Musician Pete York (Spencer Davis Group) is 74. Author-journalist Linda Ellerbee is 72. Songwriter Jimmy Webb is 70. Rock singer-musician Tom Johnston (The Doobie Brothers) is 68. Actress Phyllis Smith is 67. Britain's Princess Anne is 66. Actress Tess Harper is 66. Actor Larry Mathews is 61. Actor Zeljko Ivanek is 59. Actor-comedian Rondell Sheridan is 58. Rock singer-musician Matt Johnson (The The) is 55. Movie director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (ihn-YAH'-ee-tu) is 53. Philanthropist Melinda Gates is 52. Country singer Angela Rae (Wild Horses) is 50. Actor Peter Hermann is 49. Actress Debra Messing is 48. Actor Anthony Anderson is 46. Actor Ben Affleck is 44. Singer Mikey Graham (Boyzone) is 44. Actress Natasha Henstridge is 42. Actress Nicole Paggi is 39. Christian rock musician Tim Foreman (Switchfoot) is 38. Figure skater Jennifer Kirk is 32. Latin pop singer Belinda (cq) is 27. Rock singer Joe Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) is 27. Actor-singer Carlos PenaVega is 27. Actress Jennifer Lawrence is 26. Rap DJ Smoove da General (Cali Swag District) is 26.

Thought for Today: "Men are from Earth, women are from Earth. Deal with it." -- George Carlin, American comedian (1937-2008).