Today in History

Today in History

Today is Thursday, Aug. 10, the 222nd day of 2017. There are 143 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On August 10, 1977, postal employee David Berkowitz was arrested in Yonkers, New York, accused of being "Son of Sam," the gunman who killed six people and wounded seven others in the New York City area. (Berkowitz is serving six consecutive 25-years-to-life sentences.)

On this date:

In 1680, Pueblo Indians launched a successful revolt against Spanish colonists in present-day New Mexico.

In 1792, during the French Revolution, mobs in Paris attacked the Tuileries Palace, where King Louis XVI resided. (The king was later arrested, put on trial for treason, and executed.)

In 1821, Missouri became the 24th state.

In 1846, President James K. Polk signed a measure establishing the Smithsonian Institution.

In 1874, Herbert Clark Hoover, the 31st president of the United States, was born in West Branch, Iowa.

In 1921, Franklin D. Roosevelt was stricken with polio at his summer home on the Canadian island of Campobello.

In 1949, the National Military Establishment was renamed the Department of Defense.

In 1962, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum was dedicated in West Branch, Iowa, on the 88th birthday of the former president, who attended the ceremony along with former President Harry S. Truman. Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man made his debut in issue 15 of "Amazing Fantasy" (cover price: 12 cents).

In 1969, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca were murdered in their Los Angeles home by members of Charles Manson's cult, one day after actress Sharon Tate and four other people were slain.

In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a measure providing $20,000 payments to still-living Japanese-Americans who were interned by their government during World War II.

In 1991, nine Buddhists were found slain at their temple outside Phoenix, Arizona. (Two teen-agers were later arrested; one was sentenced to life in prison, while the other received 281 years.)

In 1993, Ruth Bader Ginsburg was sworn in as the second female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ten years ago: Three men being lowered into a southern Indiana coal mine were killed when a nylon sling attached to the bucket the men were riding in got caught, causing the bucket to tip and sending them plummeting more than 500 feet to their deaths.

Five years ago: A man in an Afghan army uniform shot and killed three American service members in southern Afghanistan; the Taliban claimed the shooter joined the insurgency after the attack. At the London Olympics, the United States won the women's 4x100-meter track relay in a world-record time of 40.82 seconds to give the Americans their first victory in the event since 1996.

One year ago: During a raucous campaign rally outside Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Republican Donald Trump accused President Barack Obama of being the "founder" of the Islamic State group. (Trump later said he was "being sarcastic" before adding, "but not that sarcastic, to be honest with you.") Lonnie Franklin Jr., the Los Angeles serial killer known as the "Grim Sleeper," was sentenced to death for the murders of nine women and a teenage girl. At the Rio Olympics, Katie Ledecky turned in another overpowering performance to carry the United States to victory in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. John Saunders, the versatile sportscaster who hosted ESPN's "The Sports Reporters" for 15 years, died in Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, at age 61.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Rhonda Fleming is 94. Singer Ronnie Spector is 74. Actor James Reynolds is 71. Rock singer-musician Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) is 70. Country musician Gene Johnson (Diamond Rio) is 68. Singer Patti Austin is 67. Actor Daniel Hugh Kelly is 65. Folk singer-songwriter Sam Baker is 63. Actress Rosanna Arquette is 58. Actor Antonio Banderas is 57. Rock musician Jon Farriss (INXS) is 56. Singer Julia Fordham is 55. Journalist-blogger Andrew Sullivan is 54. Actor Chris Caldovino is 54. Singer Neneh Cherry is 53. Singer Aaron Hall is 53. Boxer Riddick Bowe is 50. Actor Sean Blakemore is 50. Rhythm-and-blues singer Lorraine Pearson (Five Star) is 50. Singer-producer Michael Bivins is 49. Actor-writer Justin Theroux is 46. Actress Angie Harmon is 45. Country singer Jennifer Hanson is 44. Actor-turned-lawyer Craig Kirkwood is 43. Actress JoAnna Garcia Swisher is 38. Singer Cary Ann Hearst (Shovels & Rope) is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Nikki Bratcher (Divine) is 37. Actor Aaron Staton is 37. Actor Ryan Eggold is 33. Actor Charley Koontz is 30. Actor Lucas Till is 27. Reality TV star Kylie Jenner is 20.

Thought for Today: "There is no adequate defense, except stupidity, against the impact of a new idea." -- Percy Williams Bridgeman, American scientist (1882-1961).