Advertisement

UPI Almanac for Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2019

On Aug. 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States.

By United Press International
Spectators watch massive waves crash on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, on December 13, 2004. On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. File Photo by Pierre Tostee/UPI
1 of 3 | Spectators watch massive waves crash on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, on December 13, 2004. On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States. File Photo by Pierre Tostee/UPI | License Photo

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 21, the 233rd day of 2019 with 132 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Mercury, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus. Evening stars are Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn and Uranus.

Advertisement


Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. Britain's Princess Margaret in 1930; actor Melvin Van Peebles in 1932 (age 87); basketball Hall of Fame member Wilt Chamberlain in 1936; country/pop singer Kenny Rogers in 1938 (age 81); actor Clarence Williams III in 1939 (age 80); pop singer Jackie DeShannon in 1941 (age 78); film director Peter Weir in 1944 (age 75); actor Patty McCormack in 1945 (age 74); actor Loretta Devine in 1949 (age 70); rock musician Glenn Hughes in 1951 (age 68); actor Kim Cattrall in 1956 (age 63); rock musician Joe Strummer in 1952; former Ohio State football running back Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner, in 1954 (age 65); America Online co-founder Steve Case in 1958 (age 61); French satirical cartoonist Stéphane Charbonnier in 1967; actor Carrie-Anne Moss in 1967 (age 52); singer Serj Tankian in 1967 (age 52); actor Alicia Witt in 1975 (age 44); singer Kelis Rogers in 1979 (age 40); TV personality Brody Jenner in 1983 (age 36); Olympic gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt in 1986 (age 33); country singer Kacey Musgraves in 1988 (age 31); actor Hayden Panettiere in 1989 (age 30); actor RJ Mitte in 1992 (age 27).

Advertisement


On this date in history:

In 1831, Nat Turner launched a bloody slave insurrection in Southampton County, Va., leading to the deaths of 60 people. Turner, an educated minister who considered himself chosen by God to lead his people out of slavery, was hanged.

In 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre. The painting by Leonardo di Vinci was recovered in 1913.

In 1935, Benny Goodman's nationally broadcast concert at Los Angeles' Palomar Theater was such a hit that it often has been referred to as the kickoff of the swing era.

In 1940, exiled Bolshevik leader Leon Trotsky was assassinated in Mexico City on orders from Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin.

In 1951, the United States ordered construction of the world's first atomic submarine, the USS Nautilus. The vessel was retired in 1985.

In 1959, Hawaii became the 50th state of the United States.

In 1983, Philippine opposition leader Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated as he stepped from a plane at the Manila airport.

In 1986, gas released from a volcanic lake in the remote mountains of Cameroon killed more than 1,700 people and injured 500. It became known as the Lake Nyos disaster.

Advertisement

In 2009, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, assessing the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, in a mostly flu-free time of year, said there had been 522 reported deaths from confirmed cases of the illness and 7,963 people hospitalized.

In 2011, Libyan rebels, with NATO support, stormed into Tripoli and seized control of Moammar Gadhafi's besieged country, setting up their own government at the end of a three-day battle.

In 2013, a U.S. military judge sentenced Army Pfc. Bradley Manning to 35 years in prison for giving classified documents to the WikiLeaks whistle-blower site. Manning, with credit for time already served, would be eligible for parole in seven years. In 2016, President Barack Obama pardoned Manning, who was by then going by Chelsea Manning.

In 2017, millions watched the United States' first total solar eclipse in 38 years. Experts said the event was one of the largest mass migrations in human history with more than 200 million Americans within a day's drive of the path of totality.


A thought for the day: "Hollywood is like an empty wastebasket." -- dancer/actor Ginger Rogers

Latest Headlines