UPI Almanac for Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 12, the 224th day of 2015 with 141 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Mars, Neptune and Uranus. Evening stars are Jupiter, Mercury, 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/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; actor Jane Wyatt in 1910; actor John Derek in 1926; Norris and Ross McWhirter, who founded the Guinness World Records, in 1925; country singer Porter Wagoner in 1927; country singer Buck Owens in 1929; billionaire/activist George Soros in 1930 (age 85); author William Goldman in 1931 (age 84); former national security adviser John Poindexter in 1936 (age 79); actor George Hamilton in 1939 (age 76); singer/songwriter Mark Knopfler in 1949 (age 66); guitarist Pat Metheny in 1954 (age 61); author Ann Martin ("The Babysitter's Club" series) in 1955 (age 60); actor Bruce Greenwood in 1956 (age 59); tennis star Pete Sampras in 1971 (age 44); comedian Michael Ian Black in 1971 (age 44); Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr in 1973 (age 42); actor Casey Affleck in 1975 (age 40).

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 the 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, a Japan Air Lines Boeing 747 slammed into a mountain in central Japan, killing 520 people. Four passengers survived.

In 1973, Jack Nicklaus won the PGA championship for his 14th major title, surpassing Bobby Jones' record of 13. (Nicklaus won 18 majors 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 2002, monsoons in Asia killed hundreds of people.

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

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.

In 2013, Los Angeles billionaire Elon Musk revealed the design of his proposed Hyperloop high-speed transit system, which he said could carry passengers from LA to San Francisco in a half-hour at speeds up to 760 mph.

In 2014, actress Lauren Bacall died at her home in New York City a month before her 90th birthday.

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."