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Today is Saturday, Aug. 5, the 217th day of 2023 with 148 to follow. French novelist Guy de Maupassant was born on this date in 1850, and U.S. Gen. Hazel Johnson was born in 1927. In 1962, Marilyn Monroe died at the age of 35. In 2012, a white supremacist gunman killed six people at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis. UPI reported
The moon is currently in its waning phase. Morning stars visible in the sky include Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, and Uranus. Evening stars include Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Saturn, and Venus.
Notable individuals born on this date are under the zodiac sign of Leo. They include French novelist Guy de Maupassant in 1850, Joseph Merrick, the subject of “The Elephant Man,” in 1889, U.S. General Hazel Johnson in 1927, film director John Huston in 1906, astronaut Neil Armstrong in 1930, hockey Hall of Fame member Herb Brooks in 1937, actor Loni Anderson in 1945 (age 78), actor Maureen McCormick in 1956 (age 67), singer Pete Burns in 1959, basketball Hall of Fame member Patrick Ewing in 1962 (age 61), actor Jonathan Silverman in 1966 (age 57), director James Gunn in 1966 (age 57), rapper Adam Yauch in 1964, actor Jesse Williams in 1981 (age 42), rapper Travie McCoy in 1981 (age 42), Olympic runner/bobsledder Lolo Jones in 1982 (age 41), actor Adam Irigoyen in 1997 (age 26), actor Olivia Holt in 1997 (age 26), and actor Albert Tsai in 2004 (age 19).
On this day in history:
In 1833, the village of Chicago, with a population of approximately 200 people, was officially incorporated.
In 1858, after several unsuccessful attempts, the first telegraph line connecting Europe and North America across the Atlantic Ocean was successfully completed.
In 1861, U.S. President Abraham Lincoln gave his approval for the implementation of the first federal income tax. This temporary tax measure, enacted during wartime, was later repealed in 1872.
In 1944, Polish underground forces launched the Warsaw Uprising, a battle aimed at retaking Warsaw from Nazi German occupation. As part of this operation, hundreds of Jewish prisoners were freed from the Gęsiowka Nazi work camp.
In 1949, a devastating earthquake struck Ecuador, resulting in an estimated 6,000 deaths and around 20,000 injuries. The earthquake caused widespread destruction in numerous towns.
In 1957, the iconic television show “American Bandstand,” hosted by Dick Clark, began airing nationally. Clark, who also hosted “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” passed away in April 2012.
In 1962, Marilyn Monroe, one of the most famous actresses of her time, tragically died at the age of 35 from an overdose of barbiturates.
In 1974, U.S. President Richard Nixon admitted to ordering the halt of the Watergate investigation six days after the break-in. Nixon anticipated facing impeachment proceedings.
In 1981, U.S. President Ronald Reagan took the controversial action of firing 11,359 air-traffic controllers who had gone on strike to demand higher pay and shorter workweeks.
In 1991, Iraq acknowledged that it had provided false information to United Nations inspectors regarding its secret biological weapons program. Iraq also admitted to extracting plutonium from fuel at a nuclear plant.
In 2003, the U.S. Episcopal Church made history by approving the election of V. Gene Robinson as its first openly gay bishop, representing the Diocese of New Hampshire.
In 2007, U.S. President George W. Bush signed into law a bill allowing government eavesdropping on telephone conversations and emails of U.S. citizens without a warrant, on the condition that there was a “reasonable belief” that one party was not located within the United States.
In 2010, Solicitor General Elena Kagan was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the newest member of the Supreme Court. She was nominated by President Barack Obama and sworn in two days later, succeeding retiring Justice John Stevens.
In 2012, a tragic shooting took place at a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin. The lone gunman, Wade Michael Page, a member of a racist neo-Nazi group, killed six people during Sunday services before taking his own life. The victims included a woman and five men, ranging in age from 39 to 84. The incident was treated as an act of domestic terrorism.
In 2016, the Summer Olympics opened in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 2019, the Indian government announced plans to revoke the autonomy of the predominantly Muslim region of Kashmir.
In 2022, Death Valley National Park experienced its rainiest day on record, with 1.7 inches of rainfall, breaking the previous record of 1.47 inches in a single day.
As we reflect on this day, let us remember the words of American actor Jesse Williams: “Blackness is not a monolith. We are not homogenous people; we are not all the same.”
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