Sam Harless

On This Day In History:

1776 - British forces defeat Patriots in the Battle of Brooklyn

During the American Revolution, British forces under General William Howe defeat Patriot forces under General George Washington at the Battle of Brooklyn (also known as the Battle of Long Island) in New York.

On August 22, Howe’s large army landed on Long Island, hoping to capture New York City and gain control of the Hudson River, a victory that would divide the rebellious colonies in half. On August 27, the Red Coats marched against the Patriot position at Brooklyn Heights, overcoming the Americans at Gowanus Pass and then outflanking the entire Continental Army. Howe failed to follow the advice of his subordinates and storm the redoubts at Brooklyn Heights, and on August 29 General Washington ordered a brilliant retreat to Manhattan by boat, thus saving the Continental Army from capture.

At the Battle of Brooklyn, the Americans suffered 1,000 casualties to the British loss of only 400 men. On September 15, the British captured New York City.

1875 - Tycoon William Ralston drowns
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Hours after being asked to resign as president of the Bank of California, the powerful western capitalist William Ralston is found drowned in San Francisco Bay.

One of the first men to build a major financial empire in the Far West, Ralston was born in Ohio in 1826. In 1854, he immigrated to the booming town of San Francisco, a once sleepy Spanish missionary village that had become the center of the California Gold Rush five years earlier. There he became a partner in a steamship company, and 10 years later he used his profits to organize the Bank of California.

Ralston’s bank quickly became one of the most important financial institutions in the West. Starved for capital, western businessmen were happy to deal with a reliable bank in their own region instead of the New York and Boston banks. Ralston committed his own funds as well as those of the bank to a wide array of western businesses. Many were unexciting but essential enterprises like water companies. Ralston also had an adventurous side, though, and used his money to support lavish hotels and theaters in San Francisco as well as the hugely profitable Comstock Lode silver mine in Nevada.

1883 - Krakatoa explodes with massive force

One of the most powerful volcanic eruptions in recorded history occurs on Krakatoa (also called Krakatau), a small, uninhabited volcanic island east of Sumatra and west of Java, on August 27, 1883. Heard 3,000 miles away—and believed to have produced the loudest sounds in human history—the explosions threw five cubic miles of earth 50 miles into the air, created 120-foot tsunamis and killed 36,000 people.

Krakatoa exhibited its first stirrings in more than 200 years on May 20, 1883. A German warship passing by reported a seven-mile high cloud of ash and dust over Krakatoa. For the next two months, similar explosions would be witnessed by commercial liners and natives on nearby Java and Sumatra. With little to no idea of the impending catastrophe, the local inhabitants greeted the volcanic activity with festive excitement.

1916 - Romania enters World War I

On August 27, 1916, after Romania declares war on Austria-Hungary, formally entering World War I, Romanian troops cross the border of the Austro-Hungarian Empire into the much-contested province of Transylvania.

By the outbreak of war in Europe in 1914, Romania had long been at odds with Austria-Hungary over the issue of territory—specifically Transylvania, which was ethnically Romanian but then part of Hungary. Seeing Russia’s success against Austria on the battlefields of the Eastern Front during the summer of 1916, Romania hoped to make an advantageous entry into the war in order to realize long-held dreams of territorial expansion and national unity. On August 18, 1916, the Romanian government signed a secret treaty with the Allies; by its terms, in the event of an Allied victory Romania would acquire Transylvania, up to the River Theiss, the province of Bukovina to the River Pruth, and the entire Banat region, all territory under Austro-Hungarian control. On August 27, Romania fulfilled its treaty obligation by declaring war against Austria-Hungary.

1908 - Lyndon B. Johnson is born

On August 27, 1908, future President Lyndon Baines Johnson is born on a farm near Stonewall, Texas. The brash, outspoken Johnson grew up in an impoverished rural area and worked his way through a teachers’ training college before entering politics.
In 1937, Johnson won a seat in the House of Representatives. His government service was interrupted by World War II, during which he served in the Navy and won the Silver Star for bravery in combat in the South Pacific. After the war, he served additional terms in the House of Representatives until he was elected to the Senate in 1948. He became the Senate’s minority leader in 1953.

A year later, with the Democrats in control of Congress, Johnson became the Senate’s majority leader and, in 1960, John F. Kennedy chose Johnson as his running mate. In 1963, Johnson was unexpectedly thrust into the role of president when JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. “LBJ,” as he was known, was sworn in on Air Force One, while a stricken Jacqueline Kennedy looked on, on November 22, 1963.

1979 - Lord Mountbatten killed by IRA

On August 27, 1979, Lord Louis Mountbatten is killed when Irish Republican Army (IRA) terrorists detonate a 50-pound bomb hidden on his fishing vessel Shadow V. Mountbatten, a war hero, elder statesman, and second cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, was spending the day with his family in Donegal Bay off Ireland’s northwest coast when the bomb exploded. Three others were killed in the attack, including Mountbatten’s 14-year-old grandson, Nicholas. Later that day, an IRA bombing attack on land killed 18 British paratroopers in County Down, Northern Ireland.

The assassination of Mountbatten was the first blow struck against the British royal family by the IRA during its long terrorist campaign to drive the British out of Northern Ireland and unite it with the Republic of Ireland to the south. The attack hardened the hearts of many Brits against the IRA and convinced Margaret Thatcher’s government to take a hard-line stance against the terrorist organization.

2007 - NFL star Michael Vick pleads guilty in dogfighting case

On August 27, 2007, Michael Vick, a star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, formally pleads guilty before a Richmond, Virginia, judge to a federal felony charge related to running a dogfighting ring. That December, the 27-year-old Vick, once the highest-paid player in the NFL, was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison.

In April 2007, law-enforcement officials raided a 15-acre property owned by Vick in rural Surry County, Virginia, and discovered dozens of pit bulls, some of them neglected, along with evidence of illegal dogfighting activities. That July, Vick and three other men, Purnell Peace, Quanis Phillips and Tony Taylor, were charged with engaging in competitive dogfighting, obtaining and training pit bulls for fighting, and carrying out the enterprise across state lines. All four men pled not guilty to the charges. However, Vick’s three co-defendants later changed their pleas to guilty and agreed to testify that the quarterback had participated in the ex*****on of a number of dogs and had bankrolled the gambling and operating funds for the venture, known as Bad Newz Kennels, which had reportedly been in existence for about five years. Animal-rights organizations as well as the general public expressed outrage against Vick and the barbaric details of the case—dogs that underperformed in fights were put to death by such means as drowning, electrocution and hanging.

(Summarized From History.com)

On The National Day Calendar - What Is Today?

NATIONAL JUST BECAUSE DAY

On August 27, National Just Because Day offers up an opportunity to do stuff...just because. So feel free to celebrate this day any way you choose. Just because!



Every day we all do things that are expected or required of us. Sometimes we even do things because we have to do them; we don't know why. Well, on this occasion, that does not apply. This day is a chance to do something without rhyme or reason.

It could be that there is an outfit at the mall that you are admiring; buy it…just because.

Maybe you want to use a vacation day just to go fishing; do it...just because.

Perhaps you would like to pay the tab for the table next to you at your favorite restaurant; do it…just because.

Possibly you want to sing really loud while you’re in your car, by yourself, with your windows rolled down; do it…just because.

Surprise someone with flowers…just because!

Make something up...just because!

Or maybe, just maybe, do something just because Mom said so.

NATIONAL PEACH DAY

August 27 is National Peach Day on the National Day Calendar to celebrate one of summertime's most scrumptious fruits known as the peach! August is prime peach season in the U.S. and we want everyone to enjoy a few peaches, plus remember the hardworking peach growers who provide us with this delicious fruit.



Summertime brings plenty of opportunity to enjoy fresh fruits, especially a flavorful, juicy peach. Local farmers' markets and orchards are busy picking peaches to deliver to anxious peach lovers. Whether you enjoy a peach by itself or use your peaches for canning and baking, National Peach Day is here to encourage you to celebrate this wonderful food holiday.

Brief History of Peaches in the U.S.

The history of the peach begins in China and Central Asia dating back 4,000 years. However, peaches were not just a delicious food, they were also an expensive and highly traded commodity along the ancient Silk Road in Asia. The Silk Road is one of the most important trade routes in history that allowed for goods to be transported between East and West Asia. Transporting peaches on the Silk Road led to introducing the fruit to other parts of the country, and eventually the world.

Peaches made their way to the U.S. some time during the 17th century. Settlers from Europe and Spain began cultivating peaches upon arrival. However, it's uncertain who receives credit for introducing them first. Spanish explorers and missionaries were known to bring peach pits to Florida and Southwest and planting them. English settlers began cultivating peaches in Virginia around the same time. It's possible both Spanish and English settlers receive equal credit because of the location they landed and began growing peaches.

Production of peaches happens along the south eastern and southern parts of the country. Peach farmers work to provide peach varieties that grow well in different parts of the U.S. Peach farming requires dedication, knowledge, and in-depth management to maintain healthy peach orchards. However, peach farmers are passionate about their work to provide delicious peaches to consumers. They work endless hours growing, managing, and harvesting peaches to transport to markets, grocery stores, and other destinations. Thanks to these hardworking people, we are able to use peaches in dishes, desserts, sauces, and preservatives daily.

Did you know?

In Chinese culture, peaches are a symbol of immortality and longevity.

6 FAVORITE PEACH VARIETIES

Elberta peaches are one of the most popular peaches available. They are juicy and have a sweet, yet tart flavor. Some people say Elberta peaches are the best peaches for canning.

White peaches are pale with creamy skin sweet flesh. They have a strong floral aroma and are often enjoyed in desserts and salads.

Yellow peaches come in shades of orange and yellow and have a classic peach flavor. You can frequently find these peaches grocery stores.

Clingstone peaches come in different sizes and colors. These peaches are a more common peach for making preservatives.

Freestone peaches a popular peach for fresh eating because of their juicy flavor.

Georgia Belle peaches are an early-season peach with a yellowish-red skin and sweet flavor. This peach is normally the first summer peach.

Peaches offer several health benefits. They are low in calories and are a good source of vitamins, including vitamins A and C. They contain beta-carotene and flavonoids, which are beneficial for fighting heart disease and anti-inflammatory disease. Peaches also promote healthy skin and boost the immune system, too. In fact, peaches contain high amounts of antioxidants to help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Best of all, eating peaches is twice as good knowing you are promoting good overall health every time you take a bite!

NATIONAL POTS DE CREME DAY

On August 27, National Pots De Creme Day sets the table with a delicious custard dessert. Collect your ramekins, because this day gives you another excuse to use them!



Recipes for this delightful French dessert date back to the 17th century. Its name means “pot of custard” or “pot of creme” which also refers to the baking dish. While a pots de creme traditionally baked in small pots with lids, they may also be baked in other small porcelain dishes. On the spectrum of custards, pots de creme is a loose custard. It should not be set when baking completes.

Stressed spells desserts backward.

Recipes vary, however, the basic ingredients in pot de creme remains the same. Count on needing eggs, egg yolks, cream or milk, and either chocolate or vanilla for flavor. The mixture is baked in the porcelain cups at a low temperature. A water bath helps the custard bake evenly.

While chocolate and vanilla are common flavors, don't hesitate to explore other flavorings. For example, espresso or zesty orange may be the creamy and decadent touch you're seeking. Fresh berries and whipped cream add a custom touch. Depending on your choice of flavorings, adding chocolate shavings, mint leaves or a dusting of powdered sugar demonstrates a subtle elegance. How about a drizzle of homemade fruit syrup? Do we have you thinking with pots de creme?

On This Day In History:

1346 - Battle of Crecy

During the Hundred Years War, King Edward III’s English army annihilates a French force under King Philip VI at the Battle of Crecy in Normandy. The battle, which saw an early use of the deadly longbow by the English, is regarded as one of the most decisive in history.

On July 12, 1346, Edward landed an invasion force of about 14,000 men on the coast of Normandy. From there, the English army marched northward, plundering the French countryside. Learning of the Englishmen’s arrival, King Philip rallied an army of 12,000 men, made up of approximately 8,000 mounted knights and 4,000 hired Genoese crossbowmen. At Crecy, Edward halted his army and prepared for the French assault. Late in the afternoon of August 26, Philip’s army attacked.

1794 - President George Washington expresses his determination to subdue the Whiskey Rebellion

On August 26, 1794, President George Washington writes to Henry “Light Horse Harry” Lee, Virginia’s governor and a former general, regarding the Whiskey Rebellion, an insurrection that was the first great test of Washington’s authority as president of the United States. In the letter, Washington declared that he had no choice but to act to subdue the “insurgents,” fearing they would otherwise “shake the government to its foundation.”

The Whiskey Rebellion of August 1794 was the product of growing discontentment, which had been expressed as early as 1791, of grain farmers who resented a federal tax imposed on their distillery products. As growers threatened federal tax collectors with physical harm, Washington at first tried to prosecute the resistors in the court system. In 1794, however, 6,000 men angry at the tax gathered at a field near Pittsburgh and, with fake guillotines at the ready, challenged Washington and the federal government to disperse them.

1920 - 19th Amendment adopted

The 19th Amendment, guaranteeing women the right to vote, is formally adopted into the U.S. Constitution. The amendment was the culmination of more than 70 years of struggle by the women's suffrage movement.

The two sections of the 19th Amendment read simply: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of s*x” and “Congress shall have power to enforce this article by appropriate legislation.”

1964 - Lyndon B. Johnson receives Democratic nomination for president

Lyndon B. Johnson is nominated to run for the presidency at the Democratic National Convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey. His running mate would be Hubert H. Humphrey. Former Vice President Johnson had assumed the reigns of government in November 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Upon assuming office, he inherited a commitment to Vietnam where Kennedy had sent military advisors to support the South Vietnamese government in Saigon.

Following the Tonkin Gulf incident earlier in August when North Vietnamese torpedo boats reportedly attacked U.S. destroyers, Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution empowering Johnson to “take all necessary measures to repel an armed attack against the forces of the United States and to prevent further aggression.” With the support of Congress in hand and having been nominated for the presidency in his own right, Johnson said he would stop the spread of communism in Southeast Asia, but that American “boys” should not be sent to do the fighting that Asian “boys” with U.S. help could do themselves. Receiving opposing views from various experts inside and outside the government, Johnson chose to listen to those he wanted to hear, discounting those who suggested that the U.S. should not become deeply involved in the war. Trying to protect his domestic agenda at home, he nevertheless gradually escalated the U.S. commitment in South Vietnam, eventually sending U.S. combat units that resulted in more than 500,000 American troops in-country by early 1968.

1978 - “Grease” movie soundtrack earns its second No. 1 hit

On August 26, 1978, Frankie Valli’s “Grease” reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, the second chart-topping hit from the album of the same name.

The 1960s was the final decade in which the musical hits of Broadway were routinely and successfully adapted by Hollywood into big-budget screen versions. West Side Story (1961), My Fair Lady (1964), The Sound Of Music (1965), Funny Girl (1968)—all of these movie musicals were among the biggest critical and commercial hits of their era. But while the early part of the subsequent decade brought successful adaptations of Fiddler on the Roof (1971) and Cabaret (1972), Hollywood had all but given up Broadway by the middle of the 1970s.

1986 - “Preppy Murder” stuns New York

On August 26, 1986, 18-year-old Jennifer Levin is found dead in New York City’s Central Park less than two hours after she was seen leaving a bar on the city’s Upper East Side with 19-year-old Robert Chambers. The tall, handsome Chambers was soon arrested and charged with murder. The tabloid media dubbed Chambers, who had attended Manhattan private schools, the “Preppy Killer.” The case shocked the city and raised questions about underage drinking, drug use and casual s*x among New York’s privileged youth.

In the early hours of August 26, Levin, a graduate of a Manhattan private school, was with friends at Dorrian’s Red Hand, a bar popular with prep-school students, where she encountered Chambers, with whom she was casually acquainted. Chambers, a college dropout, had grown up on Manhattan’s mostly affluent Upper East Side, although his family was not wealthy. A former altar boy, he became involved in drinking and drugs as a teenager—allegedly stealing to pay for his drug habit—and was kicked out of several private schools he attended.

On The National Day Calendar - What Is Today?

NATIONAL DOG DAY

National Dog Day on August 26 encourages dog ownership of all breeds. While seeking a new companion, be sure to consider the mutts, mixes, purebreds, and everything in between.



Whether mixed or purebred, embrace the opportunity for all dogs to live a happy, safe, and abuse-free life. They all give us companionship. Additionally, they keep us safe, and they aid those in need. Dogs play. Well, they play many roles in our lives, too! They keep us healthy, both physically and mentally.

While many days aim to find loving homes for dogs, this day expands that consideration to look beyond the breed. Look into the heart of the animal. The purpose of the National Dog Day Foundation is to rescue 10,000 dogs each year.

A dog is man’s best friend.

Breeds

Purebreds are animals whose parents were both of the same breed. While the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognizes official breeds, not all dogs with parents from the same breed are considered official by the AKC. One benefit of purebred animals is that characteristics such as behavior and size are predictable.

With mixed breed animals, the genetics becomes uncertain, and some of the predictability is lost. However, when it comes to choosing a dog to add to your family or for training one to join a team, both purebred and mixed breeds may still fit the bill. Both types of dogs, young and old, find their way to shelters.

Many popular breeds fill shelters due to recent films or television shows. Families buy an animal imagining they will make the perfect pet but are unprepared for the training, care, and other responsibilities that come with canine care. Regardless of their genetics, all dogs require care and training. If there's a particular breed that has captured your heart, check the shelters. You might be surprised to find either a purebred or one that is a mix of the kind you're fond of.

When dogs find a forever home, their companionship creates lifelong benefits. They bring with them joy, loyalty, and devotion. Eventually, no matter the breed, these pets become family.

NATIONAL WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY

Every year on August 26, we commemorate this right with National Women's Equality Day. The United States Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women full and equal voting rights on this day in 1920.



Birth of a Movement

While in London at the World Anti-Slavery Convention 1840, several women were denied access to the convention floor planting the seeds for a women's rights movement. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Staton, along with Martha Wright, Mary Ann McClintock, and Jane Hunt, set in motion plans for the first woman's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Held at Wesleyan Chapel on July 19-20, 1848, the conference drew 200 women on the first day. On the second day, the convention opened to men, and some did attend.

Resolved, that it is the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the elective franchise. ~ 9th Resolution of the Seneca Falls Convention 1848

During the convention, leaders presented 12 resolutions. They enumerated in the rights that women should be equal to men socially, economically, legally and representatively. Of the resolutions, all but the 9th were approved unanimously. The right to vote created concern. Many women felt it would cause large numbers of their backers to withdraw their support. However, after much debate and the support of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, the 9th resolution also passed.

The Right to Vote

Woman's suffrage began in earnest in the United States then. Another advocate, Susan B. Anthony, joined Stanton in 1869 to create the National Woman Suffrage Association (NWSA). Through nearly ten years of persistence and lobbying, the NWSA introduced an amendment in 1878. Despite years of debate and finally to the floor of Congress in 1886, only to be defeated.

Ultimately, it would take another 34 years before a new amendment made it to Congress. For several years, advocates continued passing the batons. New states entered the union. Their constitutions included rights for women that states before them never had - the right to vote. Civil disobedience ensued. Eventually, with women gaining equality, Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the Constitution.

NATIONAL WEBMISTRESS DAY

National WebMistress Day on August 26 recognizes women in web development.



A WebMistress is a woman who designs, develops, markets and maintains websites. The term has existed since the mid-1990s. In June of 1995, the term officially entered technology's lexicon. That month, Kat Valentine secured the domain name WebMistress.com. Taking the name a step further, Valentine then began web development under the job title WebMistress. Comparatively, the term WebMaster arrived on the scene as early as 1986, according to various classified ads.

Now, thousands of women work under the job title WebMistress. More than 20 years later, the word still raises eyebrows. However, WebMistress has a place not only on the résumé but is a legitimate job title in the business world. Take the time to acknowledge the women in web development to promote the job title in the business and lose the stigma associated with the word.

NATIONAL GOT CHECKED DAY

National Got Checked Day on August 26 creates a call to action, providing a friendly reminder and asking a simple question, "got checked?" Be inspired when you answer, "YES!"



Routine breast cancer screenings do save lives. However, it is also important to begin breast/chest health much earlier in life.

Planting the seed of prevention young establishes breast/chest health building blocks to last a lifetime. While it starts with a gradual routine in youth, anyone can continue the routine throughout adulthood. What does a gradual routine look like?

Discuss family history.

Create a balance between fitness and nutrition.

Develop spiritual and mental health.

Find purpose and set life goals.

Create healthy relationships with others.

Understand your relationship with the environment and its effects on your mind, body, and soul.

Use music, dance, and the arts as a tool of healthy, thriving.

Learn to perform a self-breast or chest exam early. Know the signs to look for and do not ignore them.

Include regular conversations about genetics and screening options with your ob-gyn and general practitioner

Routinely schedule breast screenings.

National Got Checked? Day inspires women and men of all ages to improve their lifestyle choices and observe all the screening recommendations.

NATIONAL CHERRY POPSICLE DAY

Each summer on the 26th of August, Popsicle lovers across the United States enjoy celebrating National Cherry Popsicle Day.



An 11-year-old Frank Epperson inspired the creation when he invented the original Popsicle back in 1905. After mixing up a powdered soda, he left the beverage overnight with the stirring stick in it. Temperatures dropped unusually low that night and the next morning, Epperson found the liquid frozen on the stick. He dubbed the creation the Epsicle.

It wasn't until years later, in 1922 during a fireman's ball, that he introduced his frosty treat. With the Popsicle's huge success, Epperson proceeded to make and sell his frozen sweetness at an amusement park in Alameda, California. By 1924, Epperson applied for a patent by that name, too. Sometime later, he changed the name to Popsicle.

Popsicle is the name brand of a frozen juice concoction on a stick. However, it's so common, many people use the word for all frozen juice pops. Other name brand products that became household words include Kleenex, Crock-Pot, and Chapstick. But hundreds exist! The word for this phenomenon is called an eponym.

Of course, as one of the summertime's favorite treats, this celebration honors one of the top flavors of Popsicles!

On This Day In History:

1835 - “The Great Moon Hoax” is published in the “New York Sun”

On August 25, 1835, the first in a series of six articles announcing the supposed discovery of life on the moon appears in the New York Sun newspaper.

Known collectively as “The Great Moon Hoax,” the articles were supposedly reprinted from the Edinburgh Journal of Science. The byline was Dr. Andrew Grant, described as a colleague of Sir John Herschel, a famous astronomer of the day. Herschel had in fact traveled to Capetown, South Africa, in January 1834 to set up an observatory with a powerful new telescope. As Grant described it, Herschel had found evidence of life forms on the moon, including such fantastic animals as unicorns, two-legged beavers and furry, winged humanoids resembling bats. The articles also offered vivid description of the moon’s geography, complete with massive craters, enormous amethyst crystals, rushing rivers and lush vegetation.

1931 - Yangtze River peaks in Gaoyou, China, killing more than 10,000

On August 25, 1931, after months of torrential flooding, levees around the city of Gaoyou, China, break and the Yangtze River overflows, killing between 10,000 and 15,000 in a single night. The disastrous breach was part of a catastrophic flood that killed an estimated 3.7 million people directly and indirectly over the next several months, and left some 40 million without homes.

This was perhaps the worst natural disaster of the 20th century.
The Yangtze River runs through southern China, one of the most populated areas on Earth. The region’s people, most of whom lived at subsistence level, depended on the river for water for their personal and farming needs. In April, the river-basin area received far-above-average rainfall. When torrential rains came again in July, the stage was set for disaster. The Yangtze flooded over a 500-square-mile area. The rising waters drove 500,000 people from their homes by the beginning of August.

1939 - “The Wizard of Oz” opens in U.S. theaters

On August 25, 1939, The Wizard of Oz, which will become one of the best-loved movies in history, opens in theaters around the United States.

Based on the 1900 children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum (1856-1919), the film starred Judy Garland as the young Kansas farm girl Dorothy, who, after being knocked unconscious in a tornado, dreams about following a yellow brick road, alongside her dog Toto, to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of Oz. Along the way, Dorothy encounters a cast of characters, including the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion and the Wicked Witch of the West. Though the scenes in Kansas were shot in traditional black and white, Oz appears in vivid Technicolor, a relatively new film process at the time. Nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Picture category, The Wizard of Oz lost to the Civil War-era epic Gone With the Wind. The Wizard of Oz won a Best Song Oscar for “Over the Rainbow,” which became one of Garland’s signature hits. Garland won a special award at that year’s Oscar ceremony, for Best Juvenile Performer.

1979 - Hurricane David forms

On August 25, 1979, the storm that will become Hurricane David forms near Cape Verde off the African coast in the eastern Atlantic Ocean. Its winds increase as it moves west-northwestward, and the hurricane goes on to devastate the island of Dominica then the Dominican Republic, killing at least 2,000 people.

Two days after forming, on August 27, the storm reached hurricane status and headed straight for the Caribbean Sea. The small island of Dominica and its capital city, Roseau, took an extremely hard hit on August 29. Winds with speeds of up to 150 miles per hour devastated the island. Thirty-seven people died, and 60,000 lost their homes, nearly 75 percent of the entire population. The banana and citrus crops, essential to the island’s economy, were wiped out. It was the worst storm to hit the island to that time.

1985 - Samantha Smith dies in plane crash

Samantha Smith, the 13-year-old “ambassador” to the Soviet Union, dies in a plane crash. Smith was best known for writing to Soviet leader Yuri Andropov in 1982 and visiting the Soviet Union as Andropov’s guest in 1983.

In late 1982, Smith, a fifth-grader at Manchester Elementary School in Manchester, Maine, wrote a plaintive letter to Soviet leader Andropov. She said that she was “worrying about Russia and the United States getting into a nuclear war. Are you going to have a war or not?” A few months later, Smith’s letter was reprinted in Russia and it was announced that Andropov was writing a response. Smith received his letter in April 1983. Andropov assured Smith that he did not want a nuclear war with the United States or any other country. Calling Smith a “courageous and honest” little girl, Andropov closed the letter with an invitation for her to visit the Soviet Union. In July, accompanied by her parents, Smith embarked on a two-week trip. She was a hit in the Soviet Union, and although she did not get to meet with Andropov, she traveled widely and spoke to numerous groups and people.

2009 - Ted Kennedy, “liberal lion of the Senate,” dies at 77

On August 25, 2009, Edward “Ted” Kennedy, the youngest brother of President John F. Kennedy and a U.S. senator from Massachusetts from 1962 to 2009, dies of brain cancer at age 77 at his home in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts. Kennedy, one of the longest-serving senators in American history, was a leader of the Democratic Party and a spokesman for liberal causes who also was known for his ability to work with those on both sides of the political aisle.

Edward Moore Kennedy was born in Boston on February 22, 1932, the youngest of nine children of Joseph P. Kennedy Sr., a wealthy financier who served as the first chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission and later as ambassador to Great Britain, and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, the daughter of a Boston politician. After serving in the U.S. Army in the early 1950s, Kennedy graduated from Harvard University in 1956 and earned a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1959. While still a student, he managed his brother John’s successful 1958 re-election campaign to the U.S. Senate from Massachusetts. Also in 1958, Ted Kennedy married Joan Bennett, with whom he later had three children. The couple divorced in 1982, and in 1992, Kennedy married Victoria Reggie, a Washington attorney with two children.