Today in History

Today is Monday, Aug. 19, the 231st day of 2019. There are 134 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On August 19, 1934, a plebiscite in Germany approved the vesting of sole executive power in Adolf Hitler.

On this date:

In 1812, the USS Constitution defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere off Nova Scotia during the War of 1812, earning the nickname "Old Ironsides."

In 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces landed at Benedict, Maryland, with the objective of capturing Washington, D.C.

In 1848, the New York Herald reported the discovery of gold in California.

In 1909, the first automobile races were run at the just-opened Indianapolis Motor Speedway; the winner of the first event was auto engineer Louis Schwitzer, who drove a Stoddard-Dayton touring car twice around the 2.5-mile track at an average speed of 57.4 mph.

In 1942, during World War II, about 6,000 Canadian and British soldiers launched a disastrous raid against the Germans at Dieppe, France, suffering more than 50-percent casualties.

In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford won the Republican presidential nomination at the party's convention in Kansas City.

In 1980, 301 people aboard a Saudi Arabian L-1011 died as the jetliner made a fiery emergency return to the Riyadh airport.

In 1982, Soviet cosmonaut Svetlana Savitskaya became the second woman to be launched into space.

In 1987, a gun collector ran through Hungerford, England, 60 miles west of London, killing 16 people, including his mother, before turning his gun on himself.

In 1990, Leonard Bernstein conducted what turned out to be the last concert of his career at Tanglewood in Lenox, Massachusetts, with the Boston Symphony Orchestra; the program ended with Beethoven's Symphony No. 7.

In 2003, a suicide truck bomb struck U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, killing 22, including the top U.N. envoy, Sergio Vieira de Mello. A suicide bombing of a bus in Jerusalem killed 22 people.

In 2004, Google began trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market, ending the day up $15.34 at $100.34.

Ten years ago: Suicide bombers struck Iraq's finance and foreign ministries, killing more than 100 people. Four members of an elite Army special operations unit were killed when their helicopter crashed on a Colorado mountain during a training mission. Don Hewitt, the TV news pioneer who'd created CBS' "60 Minutes," died at his Long Island, New York, home at age 86.

Five years ago: A video released by Islamic State militants purported to show the beheading of American journalist James Foley as retribution for U.S. airstrikes in Iraq. The New York Islanders announced the team had been sold to a former Washington Capitals co-owner Jon Ledecky and London-based investor Scott Malkin.

One year ago: Former CIA Director John Brennan, whose security clearance had been revoked by President Donald Trump, told NBC's "Meet the Press" that he was considering taking legal action to try to prevent Trump from removing clearances from other current and former officials. "Crazy Rich Asians," in its opening weekend in American theaters, was the top money-making film.

Today's Birthdays: Actor L.Q. Jones is 92. Actress Debra Paget is 86. USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Famer Renee Richards is 85. Former MLB All-Star Bobby Richardson is 84. Actress Diana Muldaur is 81. Rock musician Ginger Baker (Cream, Blind Faith) is 80. Singer Johnny Nash is 79. Actress Jill St. John is 79. Singer Billy J. Kramer is 76. Country singer-songwriter Eddy Raven is 75. Rock singer Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) is 74. Former President Bill Clinton is 73. Actor Gerald McRaney is 72. Tipper Gore, wife of former Vice President Al Gore, is 71. Actor Jim Carter is 71. Pop singer-musician Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass) is 71. Rock musician John Deacon (Queen) is 68. Bluegrass musician Marc Pruett (Balsam Range) is 68. Actor-director Jonathan Frakes is 67. Political consultant Mary Matalin is 66. Actor Peter Gallagher is 64. Actor Adam Arkin is 63. Singer-songwriter Gary Chapman is 62. Actor Martin Donovan is 62. Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Anthony Munoz is 61. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ivan Neville is 60. Actor Eric Lutes is 57. Actor John Stamos is 56. Actress Kyra Sedgwick is 54. Actor Kevin Dillon is 54. Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 53. TV reporter Tabitha Soren is 52. Country singer-songwriter Mark McGuinn is 51. Actor Matthew Perry is 50. Country singer Clay Walker is 50. Rapper Fat Joe is 49. Olympic gold medal tennis player Mary Joe Fernandez is 48. Actress Tracie Thoms is 44. Actor Callum Blue is 42. Country singer Rissi Palmer is 38. Actress Erika Christensen is 37. Actress Melissa Fumero is 37. Pop singer Missy Higgins is 36. Actor Peter Mooney is 36. Actress Tammin Sursok is 36. Country singer Karli Osborn is 35. Olympic silver medal snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis is 34. Actor J. Evan Bonifant is 34. Rapper Romeo is 30. Actor Ethan Cutkosky is 20.

Thought for Today: "Cheer up! The worst is yet to come!" -- Philander Chase Johnson, American author (1866-1939).