Today in History

Today in History

Today is Friday, July 28, the 209th day of 2017. There are 156 days left in the year.

Today's Highlights in History:

On July 28, 1945, a U.S. Army B-25 bomber flying in heavy fog crashed into the 79th floor of New York's Empire State Building, killing all three people in the plane and 11 people in the building. The U.S. Senate ratified the United Nations Charter by a vote of 89-2.

On this date:

In 1540, King Henry VIII's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, was executed, the same day Henry married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard.

In 1794, Maximilien Robespierre, a leading figure of the French Revolution, was sent to the guillotine.

In 1821, Peru declared its independence from Spain.

In 1914, World War I began as Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia.

In 1932, federal troops forcibly dispersed the so-called "Bonus Army" of World War I veterans who had gathered in Washington to demand payments they weren't scheduled to receive until 1945.

In 1959, in preparation for statehood, Hawaiians voted to send the first Chinese-American, Republican Hiram L. Fong, to the U.S. Senate and the first Japanese-American, Democrat Daniel K. Inouye, to the U.S. House of Representatives.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he was increasing the number of American troops in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000 "almost immediately."

In 1976, an earthquake devastated northern China, killing at least 242,000 people, according to an official estimate.

In 1977, Roy Wilkins turned over leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to Benjamin L. Hooks.

In 1984, the Los Angeles Summer Olympics opened.

In 1995, a jury in Union, South Carolina, rejected the death penalty for Susan Smith, sentencing her to life in prison for drowning her two young sons (Smith will be eligible for parole in 2024).

In 2002, nine coal miners trapped in the flooded Quecreek Mine in Somerset, Pennsylvania, were rescued after 77 hours underground.

Ten years ago: Vice President Dick Cheney, with a history of heart problems, had surgery to replace an implanted device that was monitoring his heartbeat.

Five years ago: Syria's government launched an offensive to retake rebel-held neighborhoods in the nation's commercial hub of Aleppo. At the London Olympics, Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen set the first world record, winning the women's 400-meter individual medley in 4:28.43. Ryan Lochte of the U.S. won the men's 400-meter individual medley in 4:05.18.

One year ago: Hillary Clinton accepted the Democratic presidential nomination at the party's convention in Philadelphia, where she cast herself as a unifier for divided times as well as an experienced leader steeled for a volatile world while aggressively challenging Republican Donald Trump's ability to do the same.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Darryl Hickman is 86. Ballet dancer-choreographer Jacques d'Amboise is 83. Musical conductor Riccardo Muti is 76. Former Senator and NBA Hall of Famer Bill Bradley is 74. "Garfield" creator Jim Davis is 72. Singer Jonathan Edwards is 71. Actress Linda Kelsey is 71. TV producer Dick Ebersol is 70. Actress Sally Struthers is 70. Actress Georgia Engel is 69. Rock musician Simon Kirke (Bad Company) is 68. Rock musician Steve Morse (Deep Purple) is 63. Former CBS anchorman Scott Pelley is 60. Alt-country-rock musician Marc Perlman is 56. Actor Michael Hayden is 54. Actress Lori Loughlin is 53. Jazz musician-producer Delfeayo Marsalis is 52. Former hockey player turned general manager Garth Snow is 48. Actress Elizabeth Berkley is 45. Singer Afroman is 43. Country musician Todd Anderson (Heartland) is 42. Rock singer Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach) is 41. Country singer Carly Goodwin is 36. Actor Jon Michael Hill is 32. Actor Dustin Milligan is 32. Actor Nolan Gerard Funk is 31. Rapper Soulja Boy is 27. Pop/rock singer Cher Lloyd (TV: "The X Factor") is 24.

Thought for Today: "All youth is bound to be 'misspent'; there is something in its very nature that makes it so, and that is why all men regret it." -- Thomas Wolfe, American author (1900-1938).