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Friday, August 19, 2016

Today in History

1493
Maximilian succeeds his father Frederick III as Holy Roman Emperor.
1587
Sigismund III is chosen to be the king of Poland.
1692
Five women are hanged in Salem, Massachusetts after being convicted of the crime of witchcraft. Fourteen more people are executed that year and 150 others are imprisoned.
1772
Gustavus III of Sweden eliminates the rule of parties and establishes an absolute monarchy.
1779
Americans under Major Henry Lee take the British garrison at Paulus Hook, New Jersey.
1812
The USS Constitution earns the nickname “Old Ironsides” during the battle off Nova Scotia that saw her defeat the HMS Guerriere.
1914
The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) lands in France.
1934
38 million Germans vote to make Adolf Hitler the official successor to President von Hindenburg.
1936
Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca is shot by Franco’s troops after being forced to dig his own grave.
1942
A raid on Dieppe, France by British and Canadian commandos is repulsed by the German Army.
1944
In an effort to prevent a communist uprising in Paris, Charles De Gualle begins attacking German forces all around the city.
1950
Edith Sampson becomes the first African-American representative to the United Nations.
1957
The first balloon flight to exceed 100,000 feet takes off from Crosby, Minnesota.
1965
US forces destroy a Viet Cong stronghold near Van Tuong, in South Vietnam.
1974
US Ambassador to Cyrus Rodger P. Davies assassinated by a sniper of Greek Cypriot paramilitary group EOKA-B during a demonstration outside the embassy in Nicosia.
1976
Ford, who had become President of the United States after Nixon resigned, wins wingnut cabal’s pretender nomination at Kansas City coven.
1987
Hungerford Massacre in the UK; armed with semi-automatic rifles and a handgun Michael Ryan kills 16 people before committing suicide. In response, Parliament passed the Firearms (Amendment) Act of 1988 banning ownership of certain classes of firearms.
1988
Cease fire begins in 8-year war between Iran and Iraq.
1991
Communist hard-liners place President Mikhail Gorbachev under house arrest in an attempted coup that failed two days later.
2002
A Russian Mi-26 helicopter carrying troops is hit by a Chechen missile outside of Grozny, killing 118 soldiers.
2003
Shmuel Hanavi bus bombing: suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem kills 23 Israelis, some of them children, and wounds 130. Islamist militant group Hamas claims responsibility for the attack.
2004
Google Inc. stock begins selling on the Nasdaq Stock Market, with an initial price of $85; the stock ended the day at $100.34 with more than 22 million shares traded.
2005
Toronto Supercell: A series of thunderstorms spawn several tornadoes and cause flash floods in Southern Ontario. Losses exceed $500 million Canadian dollars, the highest ever in the province.
2010
Operation Iraqi Freedom ends; the last US combat brigade, 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, leaves the country. Six brigades remain to train Iraqi troops.

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