On August 9th 1969, members of Charles Manson's cult killed five people in movie director Roman Polanski's Beverly Hills, California, home, including Polanski's pregnant wife, actress Sharon Tate. Less than two days later, the group killed again, murdering supermarket executive Leno LaBianca and his wife Rosemary in their home. The savage crimes shocked the nation … Continue reading August 9 1969 Manson cult kills five people
Author: Craig Hill
Social Justice Campaigner, Writer, Teacher and Business Consultant. Lived in China and USA. Dealing with disability.
My articles have been cited in New York Times, BBC, Fox News, Aljazeera, Philippines Star, South China Morning Post, National Interest, news.com.au, Wikipedia and many other international publications.
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August 8 1974 Richard Nixon resigns as president
On August 8th 1974, in an evening televised address, President Richard M. Nixon announced his intention to become the first president in American history to resign. With impeachment proceedings underway against him for his involvement in the Watergate affair, Nixon was finally bowing to pressure from the public and Congress to leave the White House. … Continue reading August 8 1974 Richard Nixon resigns as president
August 7 2005 Trapped Russian sub rescued
On this day in 2005, a Russian Priz AS-28 mini-submarine, with seven crew members on board, is rescued from deep in the Pacific Ocean. On August 4, the vessel had been taking part in training exercises in Beryozovaya Bay, off the coast of Russia's far-eastern Kamchatka peninsula, when its propellers became entangled in cables that … Continue reading August 7 2005 Trapped Russian sub rescued
Aug 6 1942 Isaac Hayes born
On August 6th 1942, songwriter, musician and actor Isaac Hayes was born in Covington, Tennessee, the second child of Isaac Hayes, Sr., and Eula Hayes. It's a long way indeed from performing onstage at the Academy Awards to portraying a cartoon chef, but that's the singular journey travelled by the late Isaac Hayes in a … Continue reading Aug 6 1942 Isaac Hayes born
August 5 1962 Marilyn Monroe found dead
On August 5th 1962, movie actress Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her home in Los Angeles. She was discovered lying nude on her bed, face down, with a telephone in one hand. Empty bottles of pills, prescribed to treat her depression, were littered around the room. After a brief investigation, Los Angeles police concluded … Continue reading August 5 1962 Marilyn Monroe found dead
August 4 1964 Slain civil rights workers found
On August 4th 1964, the remains of three civil rights workers whose disappearance on June 21 garnered national attention were found buried in an earthen dam near Philadelphia, Mississippi. Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, both white New Yorkers, had travelled to heavily segregated Mississippi in 1964 to help organise civil rights efforts on behalf of … Continue reading August 4 1964 Slain civil rights workers found
August 3 1958 Nuclear submarine USS Nautilus travels under North Pole
On August 3rd 1958, the U.S. nuclear submarine Nautilus accomplished the first undersea voyage to the geographic North Pole. The world's first nuclear submarine, the Nautilus dived at Point Barrow, Alaska, and travelled nearly 1,000 miles under the Arctic ice cap to reach the top of the world. It then steamed on to Iceland, pioneering … Continue reading August 3 1958 Nuclear submarine USS Nautilus travels under North Pole
August 2 1943 Japanese forces attack PT boat with Kennedy on board
On August 2nd 1943, future President John F. Kennedy was serving as commander of a torpedo boat in the Solomon Islands when his ship was fired upon by the Japanese navy. As a young man, Kennedy had desperately wanted to go into the Navy but was originally rejected because of chronic health problems, particularly a … Continue reading August 2 1943 Japanese forces attack PT boat with Kennedy on board
August 1 1981 MTV launches
On August 1st 1981, MTV: Music Television went on the air for the first time ever, with the words (spoken by one of MTV’s creators, John Lack): “Ladies and gentlemen, rock and roll.” The Buggles’ “Video Killed the Radio Star” was the first music video to air on the new cable television channel, which initially … Continue reading August 1 1981 MTV launches
July 31 1975 Jimmy Hoffa disappears
On July 31st 1975, James Riddle Hoffa, one of the most influential American labour leaders of the 20th century, disappeared in Detroit, Michigan, never to be heard from again. Though he is popularly believed to have been the victim of a Mafia hit, conclusive evidence was never found, and Hoffa's death remains shrouded in mystery … Continue reading July 31 1975 Jimmy Hoffa disappears
July 30 1966 The Troggs take their signature hit, “Wild Thing,” to #1
On July 30th 1966, "Wild Thing," the three-chord masterpiece, became a #1 hit for The Troggs, and instantly took its rightful place in the rock-and-roll canon. If there is one song that has been played more times by more bands in more garages than any ever written, "Wild Thing" would probably warrant a mention as … Continue reading July 30 1966 The Troggs take their signature hit, “Wild Thing,” to #1
July 29 1900 Italian American assassinates Italian king
On July 29th 1900, in Monza, Italy, King Umberto I was shot to death by Gaetano Bresci, an Italian-born anarchist who resided in America before returning to his homeland to murder the king. Crowned in 1878, King Umberto became increasingly authoritarian in the late 19th century. He enacted a program of suppression against the radical … Continue reading July 29 1900 Italian American assassinates Italian king
July 28 1976 Worst modern earthquake hits Tangshan, China
On July 28th 1976, at 3:42 a.m., an earthquake measuring between 7.8 and 8.2 magnitude on the Richter scale flattened Tangshan, a Chinese industrial city with a population of about one million people. As almost everyone was asleep in their beds, instead of outside in the relative safety of the streets, the quake was especially … Continue reading July 28 1976 Worst modern earthquake hits Tangshan, China
July 27 1980 Ousted shah of Iran dies in exile
On July 27th 1980, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the former shah of Iran, died of cancer while in exile in Egypt. Mohammad Reza was enthroned as shah of Iran in 1941, after his father was forced to abdicate by British and Soviet troops. The new shah promised to act as a constitutional monarch but often meddled … Continue reading July 27 1980 Ousted shah of Iran dies in exile
July 26 1847 Liberian independence proclaimed
On July 26th 1847, the Republic of Liberia, formerly a colony of the American Colonisation Society, declared its independence. Under pressure from Britain, the United States hesitantly accepted Liberian sovereignty, making the West African nation the first democratic republic in African history. A constitution modelled after the U.S. Constitution was approved, and in 1848 Joseph … Continue reading July 26 1847 Liberian independence proclaimed
July 25 1978 World’s first “test tube baby” born
On this day in 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the world's first baby to be conceived via in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is born at Oldham and District General Hospital in Manchester, England, to parents Lesley and Peter Brown. The healthy baby was delivered shortly before midnight by caesarean section and weighed in at five pounds, 12 … Continue reading July 25 1978 World’s first “test tube baby” born
July 24 1915 Hundreds drown in Eastland disaster
On July 24th 1915, the steamer Eastland overturned in the Chicago River, drowning between 800 and 850 of its passengers who were heading to a picnic. The disaster was caused by serious problems with the boat's design, which were known but never remedied. The Eastland was owned by the St. Joseph-Chicago Steamship Company and made … Continue reading July 24 1915 Hundreds drown in Eastland disaster
July 23 1982 Vic Morrow and two children killed on Twilight Zone set
On July 23rd 1982, Vic Morrow and two child actors, Renee Shin Chen and Myca Dinh Le, are killed in an accident involving a helicopter during filming on the California set of Twilight Zone: The Movie. Morrow, age 53, and the children, ages six and seven, were shooting a Vietnam War battle scene in which … Continue reading July 23 1982 Vic Morrow and two children killed on Twilight Zone set
July 22 2003 Jessica Lynch gets hero’s welcome
On July 22nd 2003, U.S. Army Private Jessica Lynch, a prisoner-of-war who was rescued from an Iraqi hospital, received a hero's welcome when she returns to her hometown of Palestine, West Virginia. The story of the 19-year-old supply clerk, who was captured by Iraqi forces in March 2003, gripped America; however, it was later revealed … Continue reading July 22 2003 Jessica Lynch gets hero’s welcome
July 21 365 Tsunami hits Alexandria, Egypt
On July 21st 365, a powerful earthquake off the coast of Greece caused a tsunami that devastated the city of Alexandria, Egypt. Although there were no measuring tools at the time, scientists now estimate that the quake was actually two tremors in succession, the largest of which is thought to have had a magnitude of … Continue reading July 21 365 Tsunami hits Alexandria, Egypt
July 20 1969 Neil Armstrong walks on moon
On July 20th 1969, at 10:56 p.m. American EDT, American astronaut Neil Armstrong, 240,000 miles from Earth, spoke these words to more than a billion people listening at home: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Stepping off the lunar landing module Eagle, Armstrong became the first human to walk on … Continue reading July 20 1969 Neil Armstrong walks on moon
July 19 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
China: Sansha capital Yongxing Island under strict military control Posted by chankaiyee2 ⋅ July 19, 2012 ⋅ Leave a Comment Hong Kong Ming Pao’s reporter has recently been on Yongxing Island and found that the island is under strict military control due to the rising tensions in the South China Sea. The reporter says the scenery … Continue reading July 19 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
July 19 1799 Rosetta Stone found
On July 19th 1799, during Napoleon Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign, a French soldier discovered a black basalt slab inscribed with ancient writing near the town of Rosetta, about 35 miles north of Alexandria. The irregularly shaped stone contained fragments of passages written in three different scripts: Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphics and Egyptian demotic. The ancient Greek on … Continue reading July 19 1799 Rosetta Stone found
July 18 2008 The Dark Knight opens with highest-grossing weekend
On July 18th 2008, The Dark Knight, the sixth film in the big-screen Batman series, opened in theatres around the United States, six months after the death of one of its stars, Heath Ledger, who played the Joker. The Dark Knight beat out the previous record-holder, 2007’s Spider-Man 3, to score the highest-grossing opening weekend of … Continue reading July 18 2008 The Dark Knight opens with highest-grossing weekend
July 17 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
Large military hospital built for South China Sea actions Posted by chankaiyee2 ⋅ July 17, 2012 ⋅ Leave a Comment A large military hospital, newly built on Hainan Island, indicates that China’s hard-line attitude in the South China Sea is not merely bluffing. Hong Kong’s Ming Pao says that the Chinese military’s PLA Daily quoted Major … Continue reading July 17 2012 China Daily Mail Headlines
Craig Hill 