UPI Almanac for Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017

Today is Saturday, Aug. 12, the 224th day of 2017 with 141 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning star is Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter and Mercury.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include American painter Abbott Thayer, credited with noting camouflage in the animal world, in 1849; educator/poet Katharine Lee Bates, who wrote "America the Beautiful," in 1859; Christy Mathewson, baseball Hall of Fame pitcher, in 1880; moviemaker Cecil B. DeMille in 1881; Norris and Ross McWhirter, who founded the Guinness World Records, in 1925; billionaire/activist George Soros in 1930 (age 87); author William Goldman in 1931 (age 86); former national security adviser John Poindexter in 1936 (age 81); actor George Hamilton in 1939 (age 78); singer/songwriter Mark Knopfler in 1949 (age 68); former French President Francois Hollande in 1954 (age 63); author Ann Martin ("The Babysitter's Club" series) in 1955 (age 62); actor Bruce Greenwood in 1956 (age 61); rapper Sir Mix-a-Lot in 1963 (age 54); tennis star Pete Sampras in 1971 (age 46); actor Yvette Nicole Brown in 1971 (age 46); comedian Michael Ian Black in 1971 (age 46); Iraqi cleric Moqtada al-Sadr in 1973 (age 43); actor Casey Affleck in 1975 (age 42); actor Leah Pipes in 1988 (age 29); actor and model Cara Delevingne in 1992 (age 25).

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 1939, The Wizard of Oz starring Judy Garland had its world premiere in Oconomowoc, Wis.

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."