Today in History

Today in History

Today is Sunday, Aug. 14, the 227th day of 2016. There are 139 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Aug. 14, 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill issued the Atlantic Charter, a joint declaration that expressed hopes for "a better future for the world."

On this date:

In 1848, the Oregon Territory was created.

In 1900, international forces, including U.S. Marines, entered Beijing to put down the Boxer Rebellion, which was aimed at purging China of foreign influence.

In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law.

In 1936, Rainey Bethea became the last man to be publicly executed in the United States as he was hanged in Owensboro, Kentucky, for raping 70-year-old Lischia Edwards.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced that Imperial Japan had surrendered unconditionally, ending World War II.

In 1947, Pakistan became independent of British rule.

In 1951, newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, 88, died in Beverly Hills, California.

In 1956, German dramatist Bertolt Brecht died in East Berlin at age 58.

In 1969, British troops went to Northern Ireland to intervene in sectarian violence between Protestants and Roman Catholics.

In 1973, U.S. bombing of Cambodia came to a halt.

In 1980, workers went on strike at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, Poland, in a job action that resulted in creation of the Solidarity labor movement. Actress-model Dorothy Stratten, 20, was shot to death by her estranged husband and manager, Paul Snider, who then killed himself.

In 1996, the Republican national convention in San Diego nominated Bob Dole for president and Jack Kemp for vice president.

Ten years ago: Israel halted its offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas as a U.N.-imposed cease-fire went into effect after a month of warfare that had killed more than 900 people. Cuban state television aired the first photos of Fidel Castro since he stepped down as president to recover from surgery, showing the bedridden Cuban leader talking with his brother Raul as well as Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. Actor Bruno Kirby died in Los Angeles at age 57.

Five years ago: Syria used gunboats for the first time to crush the uprising against Bashar Assad's regime, hammering parts of the Mediterranean coastal city of Latakia after thousands marched there to demand the president's ouster. Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship after staging an amazing comeback to force a three-hole playoff and beat Jason Dufner at Atlanta Athletic Club.

One year ago: The Stars and Stripes rose over the newly reopened U.S. Embassy in Cuba after a half century of often-hostile relations; U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry celebrated the day, but also made an extraordinary, nationally broadcast call for democratic change on the island.

Today's Birthdays: Broadway lyricist Lee Adams ("Bye Bye Birdie") is 92. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Russell Baker is 91. Singer Buddy Greco is 90. College Football Hall of Famer John Brodie is 81. Singer Dash Crofts is 78. Rock singer David Crosby is 75. Country singer Connie Smith is 75. Comedian-actor Steve Martin is 71. Actor Antonio Fargas is 70. Singer-musician Larry Graham is 70. Actress Susan Saint James is 70. Actor David Schramm is 70. Author Danielle Steel is 69. Rock singer-musician Terry Adams (NRBQ) is 66. "Far Side" cartoonist Gary Larson is 66. Actor Carl Lumbly is 65. Olympic gold medal swimmer Debbie Meyer is 64. Actress Jackee Harry is 60. Actress Marcia Gay Harden is 57. Basketball Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic" Johnson is 57. Singer Sarah Brightman is 56. Actress Susan Olsen is 55. Actress-turned-fashion/interior designer Cristi Conaway is 52. Rock musician Keith Howland (Chicago) is 52. Actress Halle Berry is 50. Actor Ben Bass is 48. Actress Catherine Bell is 48. Country musician Cody McCarver (Confederate Railroad) is 48. Rock musician Kevin Cadogan is 46. Actor Scott Michael Campbell is 45. Actress Lalanya Masters is 44. Actor Christopher Gorham is 42. Actress Mila Kunis is 33. Actor Lamorne Morris is 33. TV personality Spencer Pratt is 33. NFL quarterback Tim Tebow is 29.

Thought for Today: "The aims of life are the best defense against death." -- Primo Levi, Italian chemist and writer (1919-1987).