Today’s History:
- 43 BC – Octavian (later Augustus) gains consulship of Rome, marking his rise to power.
- 1612 – The Samlesbury witches trial begins in England; all accused are acquitted.
- 1692 – In the Salem Witch Trials, five people are executed in Massachusetts, including the Rev. George Burroughs.
- 1812 – The USS Constitution defeats the HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812, earning the nickname “Old Ironsides.”
- 1934 – Adolf Hitler wins 89.9% of the vote in a German referendum, consolidating power as Führer.
- 1942 – World War II: The Dieppe Raid is launched by Allied forces on the French coast; it fails with heavy Canadian casualties.
- 1953 – The CIA and British intelligence orchestrate a coup in Iran, overthrowing Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh.
- 1960 – The Soviet Union launches Korabl-Sputnik 2, carrying two dogs, Belka and Strelka, who return safely.
- 1991 – A hardline Communist coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev begins; it collapses two days later.
- 2002 – A Russian Mi-26 helicopter is shot down in Chechnya, killing 127 soldiers—the worst helicopter disaster in Russian military history.
- 2009 – Scotland releases Lockerbie bomber Abdelbaset al-Megrahi on compassionate grounds.
- 2021 – Taliban declares full control over Afghanistan after U.S. and allies withdraw from Kabul.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1940 – Jill St. John, actress (Diamonds Are Forever) (85)
- 1946 – Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States (79)
- 1963 – John Stamos, actor (Full House, ER) and musician (62)
- 1969 – Nate Dogg, American rapper and singer (would be 56 – died 2011)
- 1973 – Marco Materazzi, Italian footballer, World Cup winner (52)
- 1983 – Missy Higgins, Australian singer-songwriter (Scar, Where I Stood) (42)
Today’s Deaths:
- 14 AD – Augustus, first Roman emperor, dies in Nola (75)
- 1662 – Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, physicist, and philosopher (39)
- 1819 – James Watt, Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer (83)
- 1936 – Federico García Lorca, Spanish poet and playwright, executed by Francoists (38)
- 1977 – Groucho Marx, comedian and film star (Marx Brothers) (86)
- 2023 – Ron Cephas Jones, Emmy-winning actor (This Is Us) (66)
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