Today in History

Today in History

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 19, the 232nd day of 2020. There are 134 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On August 19, 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces landed at Benedict, Maryland, with the objective of capturing Washington D.C.

On this date:

In 1807, Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat arrived in Albany, two days after leaving New York.

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

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 1960, a tribunal in Moscow convicted American U2 pilot Francis Gary Powers of espionage. (Although sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, Powers was returned to the United States in 1962 as part of a prisoner exchange.)

In 1964, The Beatles opened their first full-fledged U.S. tour as they performed at San Francisco's Cow Palace.

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

In 1990, Leonard Bernstein conducted what turned out to be the last concert of his career at Tanglewood in Lenox, Mass. 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: The last American combat brigade exited Iraq, seven years and five months after the U.S.-led invasion began. A federal grand jury in Washington indicted seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens for allegedly lying to Congress about steroid use. (Clemens' trial in 2011 ended in a mistrial when the jury was shown inadmissible evidence by prosecutors; he was acquitted in a retrial in 2012.)

Five years ago: Longtime Subway pitchman Jared Fogle agreed in federal court in Indianapolis to plead guilty to allegations that he'd paid for sex acts with minors and received child pornography. (Fogle pleaded guilty in Nov. 2015 to one count each of distributing and receiving child porn and traveling to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a child, and was sentenced to more than 15 years in prison.) Islamic State militants beheaded 81-year-old Khaled al-Asaad, a leading Syrian antiquities scholar who'd spent most of his life looking after the ancient ruins of Palmyra.

One year ago: After five years of delays, New York City's police department fired Daniel Pantaleo, the officer involved in the chokehold death of Eric Garner during an arrest over alleged sales of untaxed cigarettes. Planned Parenthood said it was pulling out of the federal family planning program rather than abide by a new Trump administration rule that prohibited clinics from referring women for abortions. Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren offered a public apology to Native Americans over her past claim to tribal heritage.

Today's Birthdays: Actor L.Q. Jones is 93. Actor Debra Paget is 87. USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Famer Renee Richards is 86. Former MLB All-Star Bobby Richardson is 85. Actor Diana Muldaur is 82. Singer Johnny Nash is 80. Actor Jill St. John is 80. Singer Billy J. Kramer is 77. Country singer-songwriter Eddy Raven is 76. Rock singer Ian Gillan (Deep Purple) is 75. Former President Bill Clinton is 74. Actor Gerald McRaney is 73. Actor Jim Carter is 72. Pop singer-musician Elliot Lurie (Looking Glass) is 72. Rock musician John Deacon (Queen) is 69. Bluegrass musician Marc Pruett (Balsam Range) is 69. Actor-director Jonathan Frakes is 68. Political consultant Mary Matalin is 67. Actor Peter Gallagher is 65. Actor Adam Arkin is 64. Singer-songwriter Gary Chapman is 63. Actor Martin Donovan is 63. Pro Football Hall-of-Famer Anthony Munoz is 62. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ivan Neville is 61. Actor Eric Lutes is 58. Actor John Stamos is 57. Actor Kyra Sedgwick is 55. Actor Kevin Dillon is 55. Country singer Lee Ann Womack is 54. TV reporter Tabitha Soren is 53. Country singer-songwriter Mark McGuinn is 52. Actor Matthew Perry is 51. Country singer Clay Walker is 51. Rapper Fat Joe is 50. Olympic gold medal tennis player Mary Joe Fernandez is 49. Actor Tracie Thoms is 45. Actor Callum Blue is 43. Country singer Rissi Palmer is 39. Actor Erika Christensen is 38. Actor Melissa Fumero is 38. Pop singer Missy Higgins is 37. Actor Peter Mooney is 37. Actor Tammin Sursok is 37. Country singer Karli Osborn is 36. Olympic silver medal snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis is 35. Actor J. Evan Bonifant is 35. Rapper Romeo is 31. Actor Ethan Cutkosky is 21.