Today in History

Today in History

Today is Sunday, Aug. 29, the 241st day of 2021. There are 124 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast near Buras, Louisiana, bringing floods that devastated New Orleans. More than 1,800 people in the region died.

On this date:

In 1862, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began operations at the United States Treasury.

In 1864, the Democratic National Convention, which nominated Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan for president, opened in Chicago.

In 1943, responding to a clampdown by Nazi occupiers during World War II, Denmark managed to scuttle most of its naval ships.

In 1944, 15,000 American troops of the 28th Infantry Division marched down the Champs Elysees (shahms ay-lee-ZAY’) in Paris as the French capital continued to celebrate its liberation from the Nazis.

In 1957, the Senate gave final congressional approval to a Civil Rights Act after South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond (then a Democrat) ended a filibuster that had lasted 24 hours.

In 1962, Malvin R. Goode began covering the United Nations for ABC-TV, becoming network television’s first Black reporter.

In 1966, the Beatles concluded their fourth American tour with their last public concert, held at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

In 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain picked Sarah Palin, a maverick conservative who had been governor of Alaska for less than two years, to be his running mate.

In 2009, funeral services were held in Boston for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who was eulogized by President Barack Obama; hours later, Kennedy’s remains were buried at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington.

In 2013, in a sweeping new policy statement, the Justice Department said it would not stand in the way of states that wanted to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana as long as there were effective controls to keep marijuana away from kids, the black market and federal property.

In 2018, Sen. John McCain was remembered as a “true American hero” at a crowded service at the North Phoenix Baptist Church after a motorcade carried McCain’s body from the state Capitol. Kanye West apologized on a Chicago radio station (WGCI) for calling slavery a “choice.”

In 2019, President Donald Trump said the United States planned to withdraw more than 5,000 troops from Afghanistan, and would then determine future drawdowns.

Ten years ago: In a sign Moammar Gadhafi had lost grip on his country, his wife and three of his children fled Libya to neighboring Algeria. Grammy-winning blues musician David “Honey Boy” Edwards, believed to be the oldest surviving Delta bluesman, died in his Chicago home at age 96.

Five years ago: Huma Abedin (HOO’-muh AB’-uh-deen), a top aide to Hillary Clinton, announced she was separating from her husband, Anthony Weiner, after the former congressman was accused in yet another sexting scandal. Gene Wilder, the frizzy-haired actor who brought his deft comedic touch to such unforgettable roles as the neurotic accountant in “The Producers” and the deranged animator of “Young Frankenstein,” died in Stamford, Connecticut, at age 83.

One year ago: Clashes broke out as a caravan of hundreds of vehicles packed with supporters of President Donald Trump drove through Portland, Oregon, and was met with counterprotesters; about 15 minutes after the caravan left the city, a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer was fatally shot. (The suspect in the shooting, a self-described anti-fascist, was killed the following week by law enforcement as they tried to arrest him in Washington state.)

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Betty Lynn (TV: “The Andy Griffith Show”) is 95. Movie director William Friedkin is 86. Actor Elliott Gould is 83. Actor Deborah Van Valkenburgh is 69. Former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is 66. Dancer-choreographer Mark Morris is 65. Country musician Dan Truman (Diamond Rio) is 65. Actor Rebecca DeMornay is 62. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch (GOR’-suhch) is 54. Singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello (n-DAY’-gay-OH’-chehl-oh) is 53. Actor Carla Gugino is 50. Rock musician Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty) is 46. Actor John Hensley is 44. Actor Kate Simses is 42. Rapper A+ is 39. Actor Jennifer Landon is 38. Actor Jeffrey Licon is 36. Actor-singer Lea Michele is 35. Actor Charlotte Ritchie is 32. Actor Nicole Gale Anderson is 31. MLB pitcher Noah Syndergaard (SIHN’-dur-gahrd) is 29. Rock singer Liam Payne (One Direction) is 28.

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