Aug. 13 (UPI) -- On this date in history:
In 1889, William Gray patented the coin-operated telephone.
Advertisement |
Aug. 13 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1889, William Gray patented the coin-operated telephone.
In 1930, Capt. Frank Hawkes set an air speed record by flying from Los Angeles to New York in 12 hours, 25 minutes.
In 1961, East Germany closed the Brandenburg Gate and prepared to start building the Berlin Wall.
In 1980, U.S. President Jimmy Carter was nominated for a second term by the Democratic National Convention in New York. He lost in November to Ronald Reagan.
In 1990, singer/songwriter Curtis Mayfield was left paralyzed when he was hit by a wind-blown lighting rig on an outdoor stage in New York. He died in 1999.
In 1994, North Korea agreed to allow U.N. monitors to inspect a secret nuclear laboratory.
In 1995, former New York Yankees centerfielder Mickey Mantle died of liver cancer at the age of 63.
In 2004, the Summer Olympics opened in Athens, Greece, with a record 202 countries and 10,500 athletes taking part.
In 2008, Bill Gwatney, chairman of the Arkansas Democratic Party and a former legislator, was shot to death in his Little Rock office. After a 30-mile chase, a suspect was killed by police in an exchange of gunfire. A motive for Gwatney's killing was never determined.
In 2012, U.S. President Barack Obama told a campaign crowd in Iowa the result of the 2012 presidential election "will impact your lives and your children's lives for decades to come."
In 2013, Israel released 26 Palestinian prisoners as part of a deal to resume peace talks.
In 2014, Brazilian presidential candidate Eduardo Campos was among seven people killed in a plane crash southeast of Sao Paulo.
In 2016, Michael Phelps wins his 23rd Olympic gold medal to finish his swimming career as the world's most decorated Olympian.