The Almanac

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 17, the 229th day of 2005 with 136 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include frontiersman Davy Crockett in 1786; movie producer Samuel Goldwyn in 1882; black nationalist leader Marcus Garvey in 1887; actors Monty Woolley in 1888 and Mae West in 1892; publisher/diplomat John Hay Whitney in 1904; bandleader Hugo Winterhalter in 1909; actors Maureen O'Hara in 1921 (age 84) and Robert DeNiro in 1945 (age 60); U.S. aviator Francis Gary Powers in 1929; British poet laureate Ted Hughes in 1930 (age 75); pop singer Belinda Carlisle in 1958 (age 47; and actor Sean Penn in 1960 (age 45).

On this date in history:

In 1807, Robert Fulton began the first American steamboat trip between Albany, N.Y., and New York City.

In 1915, a hurricane struck Galveston, Texas, killing 275 people.

In 1961, the East German government began building the Berlin Wall.

In 1978, three Americans completed the first successful crossing of the Atlantic by balloon, landing their helium-filled Double Eagle II near Paris.

In 1987, kidnapped American journalist Charles Glass escaped and was rescued after being held hostage for 62 days in Lebanon.

Also in 1987, Rudolf Hess, Hitler's former deputy, was found strangled in Berlin's Spandau Prison. He was 93.

In 1991, the Lebanese government granted amnesty to former Christian army commander Gen. Michel Aoun and allowed him to leave the French Embassy.

In 1992, filmmaker Woody Allen and his leading lady, Mia Farrow, split up after 12 years together. Allen said he was in love with the actress' adult daughter, Soon-Yi Previn.

In 1996, the Reform Party nominated Texas businessman Ross Perot for president.

In 1998, addressing the American people, President Clinton admitted he had a relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky that was "not appropriate."

In 1999, at least 16,000 people were killed and 20,000 more injured when a strong earthquake rocked Turkey.

In 2001, Ford Motor Co. announced it would dismiss up to 5,000 of its salaried employees, or 10 percent of its managers and engineers.

In 2003, a U.S. soldier shot and killed a Reuters photographer at a prison near Baghdad after mistaking his camera for a rocket propelled grenade.

Also in 2003, loss of revenue from a fire-damaged Iraqi oil pipeline was estimated at $7 million a day with repairs expected to take a month.

And, Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe was reported ready to give up power after 23 years in return for immunity from prosecution for crimes committed during his rule.

In 2004, eight British men arrested with reconnaissance plans for the New York Stock Exchange and other targets have been charged with conspiracy to murder and conspiracy to use radioactive material, toxic gas, chemicals or explosives.

A thought for the day: it was Alexander Woollcott who said, "All the things I really like to do are either immoral, illegal or fattening."