Friday, August 24, 2012

August 24 - At the Helm





At the Helm




This Day In History
79
Mount Vesuvius erupts. The cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae are buried in volcanic ash (note: this traditional date has been challenged, and many scholars believe that the event occurred on October 24).
410
The Visigoths under king Alaric I begin to pillage Rome.
455
The Vandals, led by king Genseric, begin to plunder Rome. 
1456
The printing of the Gutenberg Bible is completed.
1682
William Penn receives the area that is now the state of Delaware, and adds it to his colony of Pennsylvania.
1831
Charles Darwin is asked to travel on HMS Beagle.
1875
Captain Matthew Webb becomes the first person to swim the English Channel.
1891
Thomas Edison patents the motion picture camera.
1912
New York City ticker tape parade for Jim Thorpe & victorious US olympians.
1932
Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly across the United States non-stop (from Los Angeles to Newark, New Jersey).
1989
Cincinnati Reds manager Pete Rose is banned from baseball for gambling by Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti.
2006
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) redefines the term "planet" such that Pluto is now considered a Dwarf Planet.


Famous Birthdays
1198
King Alexander II of Scotland (d. 1249)
1552
Lavinia Fontana, Italian painter (d. 1614)
1578
John Taylor, English poet (d. 1653)
1787
James Weddell, English explorer of Antarctica (d. 1834)
1824
Antonio Stoppani, Italian geologist and scholar (d. 1891)
1880
Joshua Lionel Cowen, American entrepreneur, creator of Lionel Trains (d. 1965)
1899
Jorge Luis Borges, Argentine writer (d. 1986)
1915
James Tiptree, Jr., American writer (d. 1987)
1920
Alex Colville, Canadian painter
1932
W. Morgan Sheppard, English actor
1934
Kenny Baker, English actor and musician
1938
Mason Williams, American guitarist and composer
1947
Anne Archer, American actress
1951
Orson Scott Card, American writer
1957
Stephen Fry, English comedian and actor
1965
Marlee Matlin, American actress
1973
Carmine Giovinazzo, American actor
1976
Alex O'Loughlin, Australian actor
1978
Beth Riesgraf, American actress
1984
Kyle Schmid, Canadian actor
1988
Rupert Grint, English actor

No comments:

Post a Comment