The almanac

Today is Thursday, Aug. 23, the 235th day of 2007 with 130 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Venus, Mars and Uranus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury and Jupiter.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include poet and novelist Edgar Lee Masters in 1869; Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, hero of Bataan, in World War II, in 1883; humorist Will Cuppy in 1884; cartoonist Ernie Bushmiller (creator of "Nancy") in 1905; dancer/actor Gene Kelly in 1912; actresses Vera Miles in 1930 (age 77) and Barbara Eden in 1934 (age 73); political comedian Mark Russell in 1932 (age 75); rock drummer Keith Moon of "The Who" in 1946; actress Shelley Long and singer/actor Rick Springfield both in 1949 (age 58); and pro basketball star Kobe Bryant in 1978 (age 29).

On this date in history:

In 1926, silent screen idol Rudolph Valentino died, sending his fans into hysterical mourning.

In 1927, despite worldwide demonstrations in support of their innocence, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed for murder.

In 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a non-aggression pact. Less than two years later, Germany launched a blitzkrieg attack on Russia.

In 1982, Beirut Christian leader Beshir Gemayel was elected president of Lebanon. He was assassinated less than one month later and was succeeded by his brother, Amin.

In 1991, Russian Republic President Boris Yeltsin pressured Soviet President Gorbachev into replacing his Cabinet in the wake of a failed coup.

In 1996, tobacco regulation, recommended by the FDA, was approved by U.S. President Bill Clinton.

In 1999, Berlin once again became the capital of Germany.

In 2003, a former priest who had been in the forefront of the sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Church was strangled, apparently by a fellow inmate, at a Massachusetts prison.

In 2005, the U.S. Defense Department said it planned to review its investigation into football star Pat Tillman's death from friendly fire in Afghanistan.

Also in 2005, Venezuela's vice president reacted angrily to comments by U.S. evangelist Pat Robertson who suggested President Hugo Chavez be assassinated.

In 2006, Amnesty International accused Israel of war crimes for allegedly targeting civilians in its fight with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon.

A thought for the day: Ogden Nash said, "Don't try to rewrite what the moving finger has writ, and don't ever look over your shoulder."