On This Day in History - August 12th - Almanac

Today is Friday, Aug. 12, the 225th day of 2016 with 141 to follow.

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

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 86); author William Goldman in 1931 (age 85); former national security adviser John Poindexter in 1936 (age 80); actor George Hamilton in 1939 (age 77); singer/songwriter Mark Knopfler in 1949 (age 67); guitarist Pat Metheny in 1954 (age 62); author Ann Martin ("The Babysitter's Club" series) in 1955 (age 61); actor Bruce Greenwood in 1956 (age 60); tennis star Pete Sampras in 1971 (age 45); comedian Michael Ian Black in 1971 (age 45); Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr in 1973 (age 43); actor Casey Affleck in 1975 (age 41).

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 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 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 1992, President George H.W. Bush announced the completion of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) with Mexico and Canada, creating the world's largest free trade bloc. President Bill Clinton signed the agreement into law on December 8, 1993.

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.

In 2015, a series of powerful explosions rocked the Chinese port city of Tianjin, killing 145 people and injuring hundreds more.

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."