Today in History
Today is Friday, Aug. 5, the 218th day of 2016. There are 148 days left
in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Aug. 5, 1966, the
Beatles' "Revolver" album was released in the United Kingdom on the
Parlophone label; it was released in the United States three days later
by Capitol Records. (Songs included "Eleanor Rigby" and "Yellow
Submarine," which were also issued as a double A-side single on Aug. 5
and 8.) On this date: In 1864, during the Civil War, Union Adm. David
G. Farragut led his fleet to victory in the Battle of Mobile Bay,
Alabama. In 1884, the cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty's pedestal
was laid on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor. In 1924, the comic
strip "Little Orphan Annie" by Harold Gray made its debut. In 1933,
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Labor Board,
which was later replaced with the National Labor Relations Board. In
1936, Jesse Owens of the United States won the 200-meter dash at the
Berlin Olympics, collecting the third of his four gold medals. In 1953,
Operation Big Switch began as remaining prisoners taken during the
Korean War were exchanged at Panmunjom. In 1957, the teenage dance show
"American Bandstand," hosted by Dick Clark, made its network debut on
ABC-TV. In 1962, actress Marilyn Monroe, 36, was found dead in her Los
Angeles home; her death was ruled a probable suicide from "acute
barbiturate poisoning. South African anti-apartheid activist Nelson
Mandela was arrested; it was the beginning of 27 years of imprisonment.
In 1969, the U.S. space probe Mariner 7 flew by Mars, sending back
photographs and scientific data. In 1974, the White House released
transcripts of subpoenaed tape recordings showing that President
Richard Nixon and his chief of staff, H.R. Haldeman, had discussed a
plan in June 1972 to use the CIA to thwart the FBI's Watergate
investigation; revelation of the tape sparked Nixon's resignation. In
1986, it was revealed by Arts & Antiques magazine that artist Andrew
Wyeth had, over a 15-year period, secretly created some 240 drawings
and paintings of a woman named Helga Testorf, a neighbor in Chadds
Ford, Pennsylvania. In 1991, Democratic congressional leaders formally
launched an investigation into whether the 1980 Reagan-Bush campaign
had secretly conspired with Iran to delay release of American hostages
until after the presidential election, thereby preventing an "October
surprise" that supposedly would have benefited President Jimmy Carter.
(A task force later concluded there was "no credible evidence" of such
a deal.) Ten years ago: Floyd Landis was fired by his team and the Tour
de France no longer considered him its champion after his second doping
sample tested positive for higher-than-allowable levels of
testosterone. The late Reggie White was inducted into the Pro Football
Hall of Fame along with Troy Aikman, Warren Moon, John Madden, Rayfield
Wright and Harry Carson. Four-time Iditarod champion Susan Butcher died
in Seattle at age 51. Five years ago: Standard & Poor's lowered the
United States' AAA credit rating by one notch to AA-plus. A federal
jury convicted three New Orleans police officers, a former officer and
a retired sergeant of civil rights violations in the 2005 shooting
deaths of a teenager and a mentally disabled man crossing the Danziger
Bridge following Hurricane Katrina. (The convictions were overturned
because of prosecutorial misconduct, and the former officers pleaded
guilty in April 2016 to a reduced number of charges.) The sun-powered
robotic explorer Juno rocketed toward Jupiter on a five-year quest to
discover the secret recipe for making planets. (Juno reached Jupiter on
July 4, 2016.) One year ago: In a speech at American University in
Washington, President Barack Obama assailed critics of his Iran nuclear
deal as "selling a fantasy" to the American people, warning Congress
that blocking the accord would damage the nation's credibility and
increase the likelihood of more war in the Middle East. Actress
Jennifer Aniston secretly married actor-director Justin Theroux at
their home in Bel Air, California. Today's Birthdays: Actor John Saxon
is 80. College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Roman
Gabriel is 76. Country songwriter Bobby Braddock is 76. Actress Loni
Anderson is 71. Actress Erika Slezak is 70. Rock singer Rick Derringer
is 69. Actress Holly Palance is 66. Singer Samantha Sang is 63. Rock
musician Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister) is 61. Actress-singer Maureen
McCormick is 60. Rock musician Pat Smear is 57. Author David Baldacci
is 56. Actress Tawney Kitaen (kih-TAYN') is 55. Actress Janet McTeer is
55. Country musician Mark O'Connor is 55. Basketball Hall-of-Famer
Patrick Ewing is 54. Actor Mark Strong is 53. Actor Jonathan Silverman
is 50. Country singer Terri Clark is 48. Retired MLB All-Star John
Olerud is 48. Rock musician Eicca Toppinen (EYE'-kah TAH'-pihn-nehn)
(Apocalyptica) is 41. Country musician Will Sellers (Old Dominion) is
38. Actor Jesse Williams is 36. Actor Brendon Ryan Barrett is 30. Actor
Albert Tsai is 12. Thought for Today: "For life: It is rather a
determination not to be overwhelmed. For work: The truth can only be
recalled, never invented. Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).
