Sunday, August 19, 2012

August—This Month In History

Here are a few random August dates and a significant event that happened on that date.  Needless to say, this is a very small sampling.  :)

August 1, 1790    The first Census was completed. The population of the United States was 4 million people.

August 2, 1876    Wild Bill Hickock was killed during a poker game. He was holding what has become known as a Dead Man's Hand, 2 pair aces and 8's.

August 4, 1693    Champagne was invented by Dom Perignon.

August 6, 1890    Murderer John Hart was the first person to be executed in an electric chair.

August 9, 1974    President Richard Nixon became the first and only president to resign while in office.

August 13, 1521  Spanish defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico City.

August 15, 1914  The Panama Canal was opened.

August 17, 1961  Construction was started on the Berlin Wall

August 22, 1911  The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre.

August 23, 1966  First picture of Earth from the moon was taken by Lunar Orbiter I.

August 26, 1920  U.S. Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women the right to vote.

As I said, a very small sampling.

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