Today in History

Today is Sunday, Aug. 26, the 238th day of 2018. There are 127 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On August 26, 1957, the Soviet Union announced it had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile.

On this date:

In 55 B.C., Roman forces under Julius Caesar invaded Britain, with only limited success.

In 1883, the island volcano Krakatoa began cataclysmic eruptions, leading to a massive explosion the following day.

In 1910, Thomas Edison demonstrated for reporters an improved version of his Kinetophone, a device for showing a movie with synchronized sound.

In 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing American women's right to vote, was certified in effect by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby.

In 1944, French Gen. Charles de Gaulle braved the threat of German snipers as he led a victory march in Paris, which had just been liberated by the Allies from Nazi occupation.

In 1958, Alaskans went to the polls to overwhelmingly vote in favor of statehood.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson was nominated for a term of office in his own right at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

In 1968, the Democratic National Convention opened in Chicago; the four-day event that resulted in the nomination of Hubert H. Humphrey for president was marked by a bloody police crackdown on antiwar protesters in the streets.

In 1972, the summer Olympics games opened in Munich, West Germany.

In 1974, Charles Lindbergh -- the first man to fly solo, non-stop across the Atlantic -- died at his home in Hawaii at age 72.

In 1978, Cardinal Albino Luciani of Venice was elected pope following the death of Paul VI; the new pontiff took the name Pope John Paul I. (However, he died just over a month later.)

In 2015, Alison Parker, a reporter for WDBJ-TV in Roanoke, Virginia, and her cameraman, Adam Ward, were shot to death during a live broadcast by a disgruntled former station employee who fatally shot himself while being pursued by police.

Ten years ago: Hillary Rodham Clinton closed the book on her 2008 presidential bid by telling the Democratic National Convention in Denver the election wasn't about her and declaring herself a "proud supporter of Barack Obama." Russia recognized the independence claims of two Georgian breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Hurricane Gustav struck Haiti, causing widespread flooding and landslides; the storm went on to kill at least 78 people in the Caribbean. Major League Baseball announced umpires would be allowed to check video on home run "boundary calls" starting August 27.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama bestowed the Medal of Honor on Army Staff Sgt. Ty Carter, who'd risked his life to save an injured soldier, resupply ammunition to his comrades and render first aid during intense fighting in a remote mountain outpost in Afghanistan.

One year ago: Hurricane Harvey spun into Texas, unloading extraordinary amounts of rain. (The hurricane killed nearly 70 people, damaged more than 300,000 structures and caused an estimated $125 billion in damage.) Iraq's military said it had driven Islamic State militants out of 90 percent of the northern town of Tal Afar. Boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. beat UFC fighter Conor McGregor in a boxing match in Las Vegas that was stopped by the referee in the 10th round; it was the last fight of Mayweather's career and earned him an estimated $200 million. Spotify said Taylor Swift had set a new global first-day streaming record with more than 8 million same-day streams for Swift's new single, "Look What You Made Me Do."

Today's Birthdays: Pop singer Vic Dana is 78. Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is 73. Rhythm-and-blues singer Valerie Simpson is 73. Pop singer Bob Cowsill is 69. Broadcast journalist Bill Whitaker is 67. Actor Brett Cullen is 62. NBA coach Stan Van Gundy is 59. Jazz musician Branford Marsalis is 58. Country musician Jimmy Olander (Diamond Rio) is 57. Actor Chris Burke is 53. Actress-singer Shirley Manson (Garbage) is 52. Rock musician Dan Vickrey (Counting Crowes) is 52. TV writer-actress Riley Weston is 52. Rock musician Adrian Young (No Doubt) is 49. Actress Melissa McCarthy is 48. Latin pop singer Thalia is 47. Actress Meredith Eaton is 44. Rock singer-musician Tyler Connolly (Theory of a Deadman) is 43. Actor Mike Colter is 42. Actor Macaulay Culkin is 38. Actor Chris Pine is 38. Actor Johnny Ray Gill is 34. Country singer Brian Kelley (Florida Georgia Line) is 33. Rhythm-and-blues singer Cassie (AKA Cassie Ventura) is 32. Actor Evan Ross is 30. Actress Danielle Savre is 30. Actor Dylan O'Brien is 27. Actress Keke Palmer is 25.

Thought for Today: "Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person." -- Mother Teresa (born this date in 1910, died 1997).