This day in history

[August 04, 2011]  (AP)  Today is Thursday, Aug. 4, the 216th day of 2011. There are 149 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On Aug. 4, 1735, a jury found John Peter Zenger of the New York Weekly Journal not guilty of committing seditious libel against the colonial governor of New York, William Cosby.

On this date:

In 1790, the Coast Guard had its beginnings as the Revenue Cutter Service.

In 1830, plans for the city of Chicago were laid out.

In 1892, Andrew and Abby Borden were axed to death in their home in Fall River, Mass. Lizzie Borden, Andrew's daughter from a previous marriage, was accused of the killings, but acquitted at trial.

In 1916, the United States reached agreement with Denmark to purchase the Danish Virgin Islands for $25 million.

In 1936, Jesse Owens of the U.S. won the second of his four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics as he prevailed in the long jump over German Luz Long, who was the first to congratulate him.

In 1944, 15-year-old diarist Anne Frank was arrested with her sister, parents and four others by the Gestapo after hiding for two years inside a building in Amsterdam. (Anne died the following year at Bergen-Belsen.)

In 1964, the bodies of missing civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney were found buried in an earthen dam in Mississippi.

In 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed a measure establishing the Department of Energy.

In 1987, the Federal Communications Commission voted to abolish the Fairness Doctrine, which required radio and television stations to present balanced coverage of controversial issues.

In 1991, the Greek luxury liner Oceanos sank in heavy seas off South Africa's southeast coast; all 402 passengers and 179 crew members survived.

Ten years ago: Thousands of admirers turned out in London to celebrate the 101st birthday of Britain's Queen Mother Elizabeth in what would be the last such celebration. (The Queen Mother died in March 2002.) North Korean leader Kim Jong Il and Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks in Moscow.

Five years ago: Israeli warplanes destroyed four key bridges on Lebanon's last untouched highway, severing the country's final major connection to Syria. Authorities in Phoenix announced the arrests of two suspects in a string of apparently random late-night killings that had terrorized residents for months. (Dale Hausner was convicted in March 2009 of killing six people and attacking 19 others and was given six death sentences; Samuel Dieteman testified against Hausner and was sentenced to life in prison.)

One year ago: BP PLC reported the broken well head at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico was plugged up with mud; President Barack Obama said the battle to contain one of the world's worst oil spills was "finally close to coming to an end." Eight days after turning 35, Alex Rodriguez hit his 600th home run, becoming the youngest player to attain the milestone. (A-Rod's two-run, first-inning drive off Toronto's Shaun Marcum put New York ahead, and the Yankees coasted to a 5-1 victory over the Blue Jays.)

Today's birthdays: Journalist Helen Thomas is 91. Singer Frankie Ford is 72. Actress-singer Tina Cole is 68. Actor-comedian Richard Belzer is 67. Football Hall-of-Famer John Riggins is 62. Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is 56. Actor-screenwriter Billy Bob Thornton is 56. Actress Kym Karath ("The Sound of Music") is 53. Track star Mary Decker Slaney is 53. Actress Lauren Tom is 52. President Barack Obama is 50. TV producer Michael Gelman ("Live with Regis and Kelly") is 50. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Roger Clemens is 49. Actress Crystal Chappell is 46. Author Dennis Lehane is 46. Rock musician Rob Cieka (Boo Radleys) is 43. Actor Daniel Dae Kim is 43. Actor Michael DeLuise is 42. Actor Ron Lester is 41. Race car driver Jeff Gordon is 40. Rapper-actress Yo-Yo is 40. Country singer Jon Nicholson is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer-actor Marques (MAR'-kus) Houston is 30. Actors Dylan and Cole Sprouse are 19.

Thought for today: "A man does not know what he is saying until he knows what he is not saying." -- G.K. Chesterton, English poet-essayist (1874-1936)

[Associated Press]

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