This day in history

[August 26, 2009]  (AP)  Today is Wednesday, Aug. 26, the 238th day of 2009. There are 127 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On Aug. 26, 1920, the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing American women the right to vote, was certified in effect by Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby.

On this date:

In 55 B.C., Roman forces under Julius Caesar invaded Britain, but achieved limited success.

In 1883, the island volcano Krakatoa began cataclysmic eruptions, leading to a massive explosion the following day.

In 1939, the first televised major league baseball games were shown on experimental station W2XBS: a double-header between the Cincinnati Reds and the Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field. (The Reds won the first game, 5-2, the Dodgers the second, 6-1.)

In 1958, Alaskans went to the polls to overwhelmingly vote in favor of statehood.

In 1961, the original Hockey Hall of Fame was opened in Toronto.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson was nominated for a term of office in his own right at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, N.J.

In 1968, the Democratic National Convention opened in Chicago.

In 1972, the summer Olympics games opened in Munich, West Germany.

In 1978, Cardinal Albino Luciani 1of Venice was elected the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church following the death of Paul VI. The new pontiff took the name Pope John Paul I.

In 1986, in the so-called "preppie murder case," 18-year-old Jennifer Levin was found strangled in New York's Central Park; Robert Chambers later pleaded guilty to manslaughter and served 15 years in prison.

Ten years ago: Attorney General Janet Reno pledged that a new investigation of the 1993 Waco, Texas, siege would "get to the bottom" of how the FBI used potentially flammable tear gas grenades against her wishes and then took six years to admit it. (Special Counsel John Danforth later concluded a junior FBI lawyer had failed to tell superiors about the use of pyrotechnic tear gas canisters, and said he was certain federal agents did not start the fire that destroyed the Branch Davidian compound.)

Five years ago: The nation's supply of vaccine for the impending flu season took a big hit when Chiron Corp. announced it had found tainted doses in its factory, and would hold up shipment of about 50 million shots. At the Athens Olympics, the U.S. women's soccer team won the gold medal by beating Brazil, 2-1, in overtime; Shawn Crawford led a U.S. sweep of the 200 meters. Pop singer Laura Branigan died in East Quogue, N.Y., at age 47.

One year ago: Former First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton closed the book on her 2008 presidential bid by telling the Democratic National Convention in Denver the election wasn't about her and declaring herself a "proud supporter of Barack Obama." Russia recognized the independence claims of two Georgian breakaway regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Hurricane Gustav struck Haiti, causing widespread flooding and landslides. The storm goes on to kill at least 78 people in the Caribbean. Major League Baseball announced umpires would be allowed to check video on home run "boundary calls" starting Aug. 27.

Today's birthdays: Former Washington Post Executive Editor Benjamin C. Bradlee is 88. Former Democratic vice-presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro is 74. Actress Francine York is 73. Singer Vic Dana is 67. R&B singer Valerie Simpson is 63. Pop singer Bob Cowsill is 60. Actor Brett Cullen is 53. Basketball coach Stan Van Gundy is 50. Jazz musician Branford Marsalis is 49. Country musician Jimmy Olander (Diamond Rio) is 48. Actor Chris Burke is 44. Actress-singer Shirley Manson (Garbage) is 43. Rock musician Dan Vickrey (Counting Crowes) is 43. TV writer-actress Riley Weston is 43. Rock musician Adrian Young (No Doubt) is 40. Actress Melissa McCarthy is 39. Latin pop singer Thalia is 38. Rock singer-musician Tyler Connolly (Theory of a Deadman) is 34. MLB player Morgan Ensberg is 34. NFL player Jamal Lewis is 30. Actor Macaulay Culkin is 29. Actor Chris Pine is 29. MLB player David Price is 24. R&B singer Cassie Ventura is 23. Actress Keke Palmer is 16.

Thought for today: "Suffering belongs to no language." -- Adelia Prado, Brazilian poet

[Associated Press]

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