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On This Day: Adolf Hitler becomes dictator of Germany

On Aug. 2, 1934, with the death of German President Paul von Hindenburg, Chancellor Adolf Hitler became absolute dictator of Germany.

By UPI Staff
Adolf Hitler attends a Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, Germany in 1928. On Aug. 2, 1934, with the death of German President Paul von Hindenburg, then-Chancellor Hitler became absolute dictator of Germany. File Photo by NARA/UPI
1 of 4 | Adolf Hitler attends a Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg, Germany in 1928. On Aug. 2, 1934, with the death of German President Paul von Hindenburg, then-Chancellor Hitler became absolute dictator of Germany. File Photo by NARA/UPI

Aug. 2 (UPI) -- On this date in history:

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence, adopted on July 4, was signed by members of the Continental Congress.

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In 1923, U.S. President Warren G. Harding died of a stroke in a San Francisco hotel at the age of 58. He was succeeded by Vice President Calvin Coolidge.

In 1934, with the death of German President Paul von Hindenburg, Chancellor Adolf Hitler became absolute dictator of Germany under the title of fuehrer, or "leader."

In 1968, a major earthquake in the Philippines rocked Manila, killing 307 people.

In 1974, John Dean, counsel to U.S. President Richard Nixon, was sentenced to one to four years in prison for his part in the Watergate coverup. Dean's sentence was reduced and he was released after four months.

File Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI

In 1985, 135 people died in the crash of a Delta Airlines L-1011 jet at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

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In 1990, Iraq invaded neighboring Kuwait after weeks of tension over disputed land and oil production quotas.

In 2000, the Republican Party nominated George W. Bush and Dick Cheney to head its ticket for the November elections.

In 2010, U.S. scientists estimated that the BP oil spill touched off by an April 20 explosion on an offshore rig leaked 5 million barrels of crude into the Gulf of Mexico, making it the world's largest oil spill of its kind.

File Photo by Bevil Knapp/UPI

In 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.4 percent -- a four-year low.

In 2014, an accidental explosion in an eastern China factory that authorities said had unsafe conditions killed about 75 people and injured scores of others.

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