The almanac

Today is Monday, Aug. 12, the 224th day of 2013 with 141 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include English poet laureate Robert Southey in 1774; American painter Abbott Thayer, credited with noting camouflage in the animal world, in 1849; businessman "Diamond Jim" Brady in 1856; educator and poet Katharine Lee Bates, who wrote "America the Beautiful," in 1859; mystery writer Mary Roberts Rinehart in 1876; Christy Mathewson, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, in 1880; moviemaker Cecil B. DeMille in 1881; Mexican comic actor Cantinflas ("Around The World In 80 Days"), born Mario Moreno Reyes, in 1911; actors Jane Wyatt in 1910 and John Derek in 1926; Norris and Ross McWhirter, who founded the Guinness World Records, in 1925; country singers Porter Wagoner in 1927 and Buck Owens in 1929; billionaire and activist George Soros in 1930 (age 83); author William Goldman in 1931 (age 82); former national security adviser John Poindexter in 1936 (age 77); actor George Hamilton in 1939 (age 74); singer/songwriter Mark Knopfler in 1949 (age 64); guitarist Pat Metheny in 1954 (age 59); author Ann Martin ("The Babysitter's Club" series) in 1955 (age 58); actor Bruce Greenwood in 1956 (age 57); tennis star Pete Sampras and comedian Michael Ian Black, both in 1971 (age 42); Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr in 1973 (age 40); and actor Casey Affleck in 1975 (age 38).

On this date in history:

In 1851, Isaac Singer was granted a patent for his sewing machine. He set up business in Boston with $40 in capital.

In 1898, a peace protocol was signed, ending the Spanish-American War. The United States acquired Puerto Rico, Guam and the Philippines and annexed Hawaii.

In 1966, as the Beatles were beginning their last tour, John Lennon apologized for saying they were more popular than Jesus Christ.

In 1981, IBM introduced first personal computer.

In 1984, the 23rd Olympic Games ended in Los Angeles, It had a record attendance of 5.5 million people despite a Soviet-led boycott.

In 1985, in aviation's worst single-plane disaster, 520 people died when a Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 slammed into a mountain in central Japan. Four passengers survived.

In 1987, U.S. President Ronald Reagan, in his first television address since the Iran-Contra hearings, said he had been "stubborn" in pursuing a policy "that went astray."

In 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA championship for his 14th major title, surpassing Bobby Jones' record of 13 majors. Nicklaus won 18 major tournaments in his career.

In 1992, U.S. President George H.W. Bush signed an agreement with Mexico and Canada that created the world's largest free-trade bloc.

In 1998, the two largest Swiss banks and representatives of Holocaust survivors and their heirs agreed on a settlement of claims against the banks.

In 2002, monsoons in Asia claimed more than 1,600 lives while floodwaters tore through central Europe and in southwestern Russia, killing 58.

In 2004, New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey announced his resignation after revealing a homosexual affair.

In 2010, Iraq will need help with border defense for 10 years because its army won't be ready when U.S. troops leave at the end of 2011, American and Iraqi commanders said.

In 2012, officials in Iran said the death toll from two earthquakes that struck the northwestern part of the country rose to 250, with at least 2,000 others injured.

A thought for the day: Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, during the 1968 Democratic Party national convention, said: "The police aren't here to create disorder. The police are here to preserve disorder."