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On This Day: Jackie Joyner-Kersee wins 2nd Olympic gold in heptathlon

On Aug. 2, 1992, Jackie Joyner-Kersee became the first woman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon.

By UPI Staff
Jackie Joyner-Kersee arrives on the red carpet at the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Ceremony 2016 at Barclays Center on December 12, 2016, in New York City. On August 2, 1992, she became the first woman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
1 of 5 | Jackie Joyner-Kersee arrives on the red carpet at the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Ceremony 2016 at Barclays Center on December 12, 2016, in New York City. On August 2, 1992, she became the first woman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

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."

File Photo courtesy of the NARA

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.

In 1985, 135 people died in the crash of a Delta Air Lines 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 1992, Jackie Joyner-Kersee became the first woman to win consecutive Olympic gold medals in the heptathlon.

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

File Photo by Ezio Petersen/UPI

In 2018, Apple became the first publicly traded company to reach a trillion-dollar market capitalization.

In 2020, two NASA astronauts splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico after completing a two-month mission that sent them to the International Space Station to test SpaceX's groundbreaking Crew Dragon shuttle capsule. It was the first commercial crewed mission in U.S. history.

File Photo by Bill Ingalls/UPI

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