September 1st - The Anniversary of the Beginning of World War II in Europe

   

Phot courtesy of Rupert Colley's Flickr Page - Hitler and Rohm, leader of the Nazi SA: https://www.flickr.com/photos/historyinanhour/4810258592

Creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/

Today marks the anniversary of the beginning of the European part of World War II, even though it could certainly be argued that the war was already being waged in Asia, with considerable Japanese aggression.

Hitler and the Nazis had risen to power in Germany, and once there, they quickly went to work setting up anti-Semitic laws and policies, as well as building up their war machine. Step by step, Hitler calculated (correctly) how the Western democratic powers would react. He took gambles and, at least early on, won each and every one of them, correctly diagnosing that the West would collectively do everything possible to avoid war, and allow Germany all sorts of liberties. He essentially tore up the Treaty of Versailles (which was ill-advised, in any case), and rearmed Germany. Then, he occupied the Rhineland in 1936. Then came the Anschluss with Austria in March of 1938. Hitler wanted more, and he claimed to be fighting for the rights of the Germans in Czechoslovakia during the summer of 1938, leading to the Munich Agreement in September of 1938, giving Hitler the Sudetenland. The Western powers, particularly Britain and France, essentially appeased Hitler, giving him what he wanted, and essentially betraying their ally, Czechoslovakia. Infamously, British Prime Minister held up the paper agreement and declared to supporters back home that this was "peace in our time." That clearly was not the case when Hitler went ahead and occupied all of Czechoslovakia shortly thereafter.

Then came August of 1939, and Hitler took another gamble. He wanted Poland, but this time, the Western powers promised war if he should pursue it. But Hitler found a back way, making a deal with Stalin and the Soviet Union, agreeing to a nonaggression pact, often known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. What it amounted to was a Soviet promise not to get involved when (as opposed to if) the Germans invaded Poland. This they did on this day, 76 years ago, and it led to World War II. The Germans quickly took over Poland, while the Soviets took over what was left of Poland shortly thereafter.

In the meantime, the Western powers of Britain and France officially declared war on Germany. Yet, essentially, they still did nothing, as Poland fought alone against the encroaching Germans, and were powerless to prevent a Nazi takeover. Although the countries were officially at war, the next phase is commonly referred to as the sitztkrieg, or "phony war." Germany took over Poland, and the British and French essentially stood by, officially at war, but with no armed conflicts to show for it. William Shirer even describes how the French troops along the German border would play soccer, and the Germans would watch and cheer them along. That would end soon enough, as the Germans stepped up their aggression again in the spring, and took over most of western Europe. The next year, they would invade much of the rest of Europe to the east, including the western Soviet Union, despite the nonaggression pact that existed between the two countries.

Of all Hitler's gambles, this in my opinion is the one he got dead wrong, and his country and empire paid the ultimate price for it. Essentially, Hitler sealed his own doom with the Soviet invasion. I know that this is difficult for many Americans to understand, let alone accept. But Vice-President Harry Truman, soon enough to ascend to the presidency himself before the war would be done, advocated a policy known as "bait and bleed." Truman insisted that the two warring countries should be allowed to fight "so that they bleed each other white."

Truman elaborated on this a bit more:

"If we see that Germany is winning we ought to help Russia, and if Russia is winning we ought to help Germany, and that way let them kill as many as possible."

(Source of quotes used above: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bait_and_bleed)

The only problem with this policy is that the Soviet Union were our allies in the war effort against Nazi Germany. They lost 20 million people in the eastern war against Nazi Germany, in what is often described as the most brutal war in history.

Little by little, the German war machine, which up until then had enjoyed only good fortune and scored successes, were stopped dead in their tracks and began to be pounded back westward, eventually back to the borders of the Reich itself, and eventually towards Berlin, the final scene of the European war. The city went to street to street fighting, as the last Nazis held out following the death by suicide of their Führer. Nazi Germany, which only a few years before had ruled over most of Europe, now lay in ruins, with streets of rubble in German cities. There was an unconditional surrender, thus ending the bloodiest war in history.

It was the Soviets who paid the biggest price of the war, and it was the Soviets who essentially sacrificed the most, and contributed the most, towards eventual Nazi defeat. I know a lot of Americans who would have a hard time swallowing that fact, but not liking a fact does not prevent it from being a fact.

A lot of mistakes were made, and it seems safe to say that this is true across the boards. But the major mistake was to allow Hitler and the Nazis to keep winning all of those early gambles and gain ever more confidence and hunger. When not kept in check, the Nazis were allowed to let their war machine grow, and to make war inevitable.

So on this, the anniversary of the bloodiest war in history that they started, it is fitting to remember what happened, and to dissect a bit how they came to power in the first place, and were allowed to grow to the level that they became such a threat. Here are some links that I believe will be useful in doing so:

A Brutal Pageantry: The Third Reich’s Myth-Making Machinery, in Color by Ben Cosgrove  Aug. 5, 2014:

http://time.com/3490218/a-brutal-pageantry-the-third-reichs-myth-making-machinery-in-color/

September 1, 1939: Germany Invades Poland, Beginning World War II      

http://www.thenation.com/article/september-1-1939-germany-invades-poland-beginning-world-war-ii/

World War II Erupts: Color Photos From the Invasion of Poland, 1939

http://time.com/3486074/world-war-ii-erupts-color-photos-from-the-invasion-of-poland-1939/

World War II: The Invasion of Poland and the Winter War by Alan Taylor, June 26, 2011:

http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2011/06/world-war-ii-the-invasion-of-poland-and-the-winter-war/100094/

Despite the Systematic Repetition That the United States is the Wealthy Country in the World, Americans Actually Might Not Fair Too Well When Compared With Citizens of Other Countries

Not too long ago, I encountered an article published by The Wall Street Journal earlier this year. In it, it also claimed that Europeans were significantly poorer than Americans.

Funny, because I have been to Europe numerous times in my life, and at least one in each decade that I have been alive. 

And you know what?

It has been my experience that Europeans are hardly much poorer than Americans. In fact in some important ways, they tend to be on much firmer financial footing than the average American is, particularly when you include the risk of healthcare costs and the absence of other social safety nets which Europeans tend to take for granted, but which Americans tend not to have. 

Let's be frank: If most Americans actually understood the things which Europeans can afford to take for granted, things like at least four weeks guaranteed of paid vacation, long paid maternity and family leave, and zero individuals going bankrupt because they cannot afford their medical bills, they might think twice about dismissing Europeans as "poor." In fact, if the vast majority of Americans truly understood the sense of security that most Europeans have regarding those things in contrast to Americans, who are forced to do without, maybe the country would begin to really change politically.

However, it is because well-paid talking heads - apparently including Joseph Sternberg of the Wall Street Journal - leave a lot of that kind of stuff out or demonize it as "socialist" or "communist" (as if those terms were easily interchangeable), then Americans vote based on fear of the unknown. Someone tells them it's much worse in Europe - and they already want to believe in their own superiority - and so they go ahead and believe it.

That's how you get a nation like the United States to have the people of the country vote against their own best interests time after time. 

Recognize that it's propaganda. That strongest voices opposed to these kinds of things stand to benefit greatly by government benefits being minimized. People who want the corporation to profit more at the expense of workers by not providing living wages or decent vacation or other benefits that could really help ordinary people. 

You know, like they have in every other industrialized nation in the world? 

Does that not count as quality of life and raise the overall standard of living for most "poor" Europeans, and other countries where the citizens have these kinds of things? 

Maybe not according to the Wall Street Journal, or Donald Trump, or other elites.

But I can tell you that the vast majority of Europeans, specifically, whom I have met and interacted with sure appreciated having those things. And they tend to very much prefer those things over what Americans have or, in this case, do not have. Things like affordable healthcare, a decent amount of paid vacation, guaranteed paid maternity leave and family leave.

Instead of always turning to FOX News or Trump or the Wall Street Journal, I would encourage Americans to reach out to people in those other countries for a better understanding of how these things actually work and how they feel it benefits them. Don't just take my word for it, and certainly don't simply read an article by Joseph C. Sternberg or others at The Wall Street Journal and take their word for it that these are bad things. 

The US is NOT a wealthy country: This is the real data Geopolitical Economy Report Geopolitical Economy Report

https://youtu.be/kzFUd8uj7pA?si=I1aDVA2A-iVz5nPr

The US is NOT a wealthy country: This is the real data

Below is the link to the Wall Street Journal article which I posted something about last month, and which also shows a skewed, Americentric attitude of superiority towards Europeans. Take a look at the article, and see how he words things, how he makes his arguments. More specifically, see the things which he conveniently leaves out:

What Happens When Europeans Find Out How Poor They Are? by Joseph C. Sternberg April 30, 2026:

The Continent trails far behind U.S. economic output. Politics is bound to catch up sooner or later. 

https://www.wsj.com/opinion/what-happens-when-europeans-find-out-how-poor-they-are-270cff5d?mod=e2fb&fbclid=IwY2xjawSjYGBleHRuA2FlbQEwAGFkaWQBqzKsH86kunNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4D6EExy73A-dRJTBSqzwTL4SZnm1WdignJTLNTPL7_1EqCY5vLh_Mcu2F2TQ_aem_yc4iotThqkF7j9eAyuWQ3Q&utm_campaign=120207446090830106&utm_content=120244863657060106&utm_id=120207446090830106&utm_medium=paid&utm_source=fb&utm_term=120233532115630106

What Happens When Europeans Find Out How Poor They Are? - WSJ

September 1st: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

Today is the anniversary of the beginning of World War II (at least the European part of it, although it should be noted that Japan had invaded mainland China many years earlier, and so it could be seen to have begun somewhat earlier than that). Still, the European theater of World War II started on this day when Hitler's Nazi Germany invaded Poland, setting off chain events that ultimately led to the Second World War. 

Otherwise, King Louis XIV of France, also known as the "Sun King," died on this day in 1715 after a reign of 72 years—the longest of any major European monarch.  On this day in 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 1785 on this day, Mozart published a six string quartet opus 10 in Vienna, Austria. AIn 1807 on this date, Aaron Burr was acquitted of treason. On this day in 1831 while in Shrewsbury, England, botanist Charles Darwin accepted the position to be the naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle, although it would not sail until late December of that same year. This decision would have major ramifications later, as Darwin's findings - particularly on the Galapagos Islands west of Ecuador, South America, would lead him to develop his theory on natural selection, or evolution. It would prove to be a historical finding which rocked not just the scientific community, but the world. In another war less than a century earlier, Atlanta fell to Union forces on this day, and was completely ravaged and mostly destroyed. On this day in 1870, Emperor Napoleon III and his French army surrendered to Prussian forces at the Battle of Sedan. This was a massive and decisive defeat that effectively ended the Second French Empire, and led to the establishment of the Third French Republic on September 4, 1870.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• This day in the year 69 marks the traditional date of the destruction of Jerusalem. This day in 462 marks the possible start of the first Byzantine indiction cycle. 

• On this day in 891, the Northmen (Vikings) were defeated near Louvaine, France. Baldwin VI became the Count of Flanders on this day in 1067. 

• Ubaldo Allucingoli replaced Alexander III as Pope Lucius III on this day in 1181. 

• Rabbi Moses Ben Nachman established a Jewish community in Jerusalem on this day in 1267. 

• On this day in 1355, Tvrtko I wrote in castro nostro Vizoka vocatum from old town Visoki. Krim-Tataren plundered Kiev on this day in 1482. 

• Council to Pisa opened on this day in 1511. 

• On this day in 1547, Charles demanded the creation of Imperial League (German state). 

• In 1598 on this day, Spanish King Philip II received sacraments. 

• On this day in 1609, Pieter Both was sworn in as the first Governor-General of the East Indies.

• 1614 - Vincent Fettmich expels Jews from Frankfurt-on-Main, Germany

1632 - Battle at Castelnaudary: Henri de Montmorency's rebellion army loses

1638 - -4] French queen-mother Maria de' Medici visits Amsterdam

• 1647 - French Cardinal Mazarin &the Duke of Modena signed a treaty against Milan

• 1661 - 1st Yacht race, England's King Charles vs his brother James

• 1689 - Russia began taxing men's beards

• 1695 - Dutch/English army under king Willem III occupies Names

Louis XIV, the "Sun King" of France

• King Louis XIV of France, also known as the "Sun King," died on this day in 1715 after a reign of 72 years—the longest of any major European monarch.

1739 - 35 Jews sentenced to life in prison in Lisbon Portugal

• On this day in 1752, the Liberty Bell arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1763 - Catherine II of Russia endorses Ivan Betskoy's plans for a Foundling Home in Moscow

1772 - Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa forms in California

Bust of Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• In 1785 on this day, Mozart published a six string quartet opus 10 in Vienna, Austria.

1797 - 2nd National Meeting in Hague

1798 - England signs treaty with nizam of Hyderabad, India

1799 - Bank of Manhattan Company opens in NYC (forerunner to Chase Manhattan)

1799 - The Bank of Manhattan Company opened in New York City, NY. It was the forerunner of Chase Manhattan.  

1804 - Juno, one of the largest main belt asteroids, was discovered by German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding.

1807 - Aaron Burr acquitted of charges of plotting to set up an empire

1807 - Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was found innocent of treason.

1821 - 1st colonies along Santa Fe Trail

British Botanist Charles Darwin

• On this day in 1831 while in Shrewsbury, England, botanist Charles Darwin accepted the position to be the naturalist aboard the HMS Beagle, although it would not sail until late December of that same year. This decision would have major ramifications later, as Darwin's findings - particularly on the Galapagos Islands west of Ecuador, South America, would lead him to develop his theory on natural selection, or evolution. It would prove to be a historical finding which rocked not just the scientific community, but the world.

1836 - Reconstruction begins on Synagogue of Rabbi Judah Hasid in Jerusalem

1836 - Narcissa Whitman, one of the first white women to settle west of the Rocky Mountains, arrives at Walla Walla, Washington.

Naturalist Charles DarwinNaturalist Charles Darwin 1849 - California Constitutional Convention held in Monterey

1858 - 1st transatlantic cable fails after less than 1 month

1859 - 1st Pullman sleeping car in service

1859 - R C Carrington & R Hodgson make 1st observation of solar flare

1859 - A solar superstorm affects electrical telegraph service.

1861 - Grant assumes command of Federal forces at Cape Girardeau MI

1861 - Skirmish at Boone Court House WV & Blue Creek WV

1862 - Battle at Chantilly (Ox Hill) Virginia (2100 casualties)

1862 - Federal tax levied on tobacco

1863 - 6th Ohio Cavalry ambush at Barbees Crossroads Virginia

1863 - Federal troops reconquer Fort Smith Arkansas

1863 - RR & ferry connection between SF & Oakland inaugurated

1864 - 2nd day of battle at Jonesboro Georgia, about 3,000 casualties

1864 - Battle of Petersburg VA

1864 - Skirmish at Hood evacuated confederates from Atlanta GA

1866 - Last Navaho chief Manuelito, turns self in at Fort Wingate

1867 - Robert T Freeman is 1st black to graduate from Harvard Dental School

Painting of Napoleon III, which hangs in the Napoleon III Apartment in the Louvre Museum, Paris, France

• On this day in 1870, Emperor Napoleon III and his French army surrendered to Prussian forces at the Battle of Sedan. This was a massive and decisive defeat that effectively ended the Second French Empire, and led to the establishment of the Third French Republic on September 4, 1870.

• 1873 - Cetshwayo ascends to the throne as king of the Zulu nation following the death of his father Mpande.

1874 - 28th Postmaster General: Marshall Jewell of Conn takes office

1874 - Sydney General Post Office opens in Australia

1875 - A murder conviction effectively forces the violent Irish anti-owner coal miners, the "Molly Maguires", to disband.

1878 - 1st female telephone operator starts work (Emma Nutt in Boston)

1886 - Neth's New Code of Criminal law enforced

1887 - Dutch Amateur Photography Cooperation established

1888 - Dutch Railway Deventer-Almelo opens

1890 - 1st baseball tripleheader-Boston vs Pittsburgh

• 1897 - The Boston subway opens, becoming the first underground rapid transit system in North America.

• 1898 - Dutch soccer team Receiver forms

• 1898 - Lord Kitcheners army bombs Omdurman Sudan

1901 - Construction begins on NY Stock Exchange

1902 - Tinker, Evers, & Chance appear together for 1st time

1905 - Alberta & Saskatchewan become 8th & 9th Canadian provinces

1906 - Alberta adopts Mountain Standard Time

1906 - British New Guinea becomes Australian Papua New Guinea

1906 - Joseph Harris (Boston) & Jack Coombs (A's) pitch complete 24 inn game

1906 - NY Highlanders win 6th game in 3 days from Wash (3 straight DHs)

1906 - Papua placed under Australian administration

1906 - The International Federation of Intellectual Property Attorneys (FICPI) is established.

1911 - M Fourny sets world aircraft distance record of 720 km

Playwright George Bernard ShawPlaywright George Bernard Shaw 1913 - George Bernard Shaws "Androcles & the Lion," premieres in London

1913 - Yuan Shikai captures Nanjing "2nd Chinese revolution"

1914 - 34th US Mens Tennis: R Norris W III beats M E McLoughlin (63 86 10-8)

1914 - Lord Kitchener arrives in Paris

1914 - St Petersburg, Russia changes name to Petrograd

1914 - Von Glucks army meets up with British expeditionary army

1914 - The last passenger pigeon, a female named Martha, dies in captivity in the Cincinnati Zoo.

1916 - Bulgaria declares war on Romania

1916 - Keating-Owen Act (child labor banned from interstate commerce)

1918 - Baseball season ends due to WW I

1918 - Ty Cobb pitches 2 innings against Browns

1918 - US troops land in Vladivostok, Siberia, stay until 1920

1919 - Frank Wedekind's "Herakles," premieres in Munich

1920 - France creates Lebanon

1920 - New townhall of Rotterdam opens

1921 - Nederlander Theater opens at 208 W 41 St NYC (Billy Rose, Trafalgar)

1922 - NYC law requires all "pool" rooms to change name to "billiards"

1923 - 18th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in New York (4-1)

1923 - 7.9 earthquake strikes Tokyo & Yokohama, kills 142,000

1923 - US beats Australia in tennis, for their 4th straight Davis Cup

1924 - Kenchoji Rinzai temple in Kamakur Japan, heavily damaged by earthquake

1925 - Pierre de Coubertin steps down as chairman of Intl Olympic Committee

1926 - British Columbia Rugby Football Union forms

1926 - Turkey allows civil marriage

1928 - Albania becomes a kingdom, with Zogu I as king

1930 - NY World reports disappearance of supreme court justice Joseph Crater

1931 - Gehrig hits his 3rd grand slam in 4 days & his 6th HR in consec games

1932 - NYC Mayor James J "Gentleman Jimmy" Walker resigns (graft charges)

1933 - Soccer team DVS '33 forms

1934 - Spelling-Marchand Laws enforced

1934 - SMJK Sam Tet was founded by Father Fourgs from the St. Michael Church, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

1936 - Middleweight Staff Roth KOs Heinz Lazek

1937 - 4th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 6, Green Bay 0 (84,560)

1937 - Battle of Gijon in Spain begins

• 1938 - Benito Mussolini cancels civil rights of Italian Jews

• 1939 - Hitler orders extermination of mentally ill

1939 - Last day of 1st-class cricket in England for 6 years

1939 - Physical Review publishes 1st paper to deal with "black holes"

1939 - Switzerland proclaims neutrality

Statue of an American Soldier at the World War II Memorial in Trenton, New Jersey

1939 - WW II starts, Germany invades Poland, takes Danzig

1939 - The Wound Badge for Wehrmacht, SS, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe soldiers is instituted. The final version of the Iron Cross was also instituted on this date.

1939 - Switzerland mobilizes its forces and the Swiss Parliament elects Henri Guisan to head the Swiss Army (an event that can happen only during war or mobilization).

• 1940 - Gen George Marshall sworn in as chief of staff of US army

1941 - Jews living in Germany are required to wear a yellow Jewish star

Military Leader George MarshallMilitary Leader George Marshall 1942 - Fed judge upholds detention of Japanese-Americans

1942 - German troops land on Taman peninsula

1944 - Bulgaria government of Bagrjanow, resigns

• 1944 - King George VI promotes Montgomery to field marshal

• 1945 - Japan surrenders ending WW II (US date, 9/2 in Japan)

• 1946 - Greece votes for monarchy

1947 - NY Giants 183-185 HR of year breaks Yankee mark of 182 in 1936

1948 - Bradman scores 143 Aust v South of England, 17 fours 1 six

1948 - Communist form North China People's Republic

1948 - UN's World Health Organization forms

1949 - 1st network detective series-Private Eyes-premieres

1949 - KMTV TV channel 3 in Omaha, NB (CBS/NBC) begins broadcasting

1949 - Viljo Heino runs world record 10k (29:27.2)

1950 - 13 North Korean divisions open assault on UN lines

1950 - West Berlin granted a constitution

1951 - PM Ben-Gurion orders establishment of Israeli secret service Mossad

1951 - US, Australia & New Zealand sign ANZUS treaty

1952 - Sutro Baths, SF purchased by George Whitney

1952 - Willem Drees forms new Dutch government

1953 - 101°F highest temperature ever recorded in Cleveland in Sept

1953 - Fokker begins building F-27 Fokker Friendship

1954 - Hurricane Carol strikes Long Island/New England, kills 68

1954 - Ted Kluszewski is 1st Cin Red to hit 40 HRs en route to 49

1955 - 2 Egyptian fighters shot down over Israel

1956 - Indian state of Tripura becomes a territory

1957 - Excursion train crashed into a ravine killing 175, injuring 400

1961 - 1st conference of neutral countries held in Belgrade

1961 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

Flag of Ethiopia

The Lion of Judah Emblem of the Ethiopian Empire

• 1961 - The Eritrean War of Independence officially begins with the shooting of the Ethiopian police by Hamid Idris Awate

1962 - 12,000 die in an earthquake in western Iran

1962 - KATC TV channel 3 in Lafayette, LA (ABC) begins broadcasting

1962 - UN announces Earth population has hit 3 billion

1962 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

1962 - Channel Television launches to 54,000 households in the Channel Islands.

1963 - Language laws in Belgium goes into effect causing a riot

1963 - St Louis Cards pitcher Curt Simmons steals home plate

1963 - WCTI TV channel 12 in New Bern, NC (ABC) begins broadcasting

1964 - Masanori Murakami is 1st Japanese player in majors (NY Mets)

• 1965 - India & Pakistan border fights

1968 - Earthquake destroys Ferdows Persia, 2,000 killed

1968 - Pirate Radio Marina (Netherlands) begins transmitting

Comedian Jerry LewisComedian Jerry Lewis 1969 - Jerry Lewis' 4th Muscular Dystrophy telethon

• 1969 - Libyan revolution, Col Moammar Gadhafi deposes King Idris

• 1969 - A revolution in Libya brings Col. Muammar al-Gaddafi to power, which was later transferred to the People's Committees.

1970 - Failed assassination attempt on Jordanian king Hussain

1970 - Jose Velasco Ibarra re-elected president of Ecuador

1971 - John Newcombe is 1st top-seed man to lose in 1st round of US Open

• 1971 - Qatar declares independence from Britain

• 1971 - Rolling Stones sue manager Allen Klein

• 1972 - Bobby Fischer (US) defeats Boris Spassky (USSR) for world chess title

1972 - Egypt & Libya form federation

1973 - 74-year-old Hafnia Hotel burns, killing 35 (Copenhagen, Denmark)

1973 - George Foreman KOs Jose "King" Roman in 1 for heavyweight boxing title

1974 - Dutch law against pirate radio goes into effect

1974 - Jane Blalock/Sue Roberts wins LPGA Southgate Ladies Golf Open

1974 - Train accident at Zagreb Yugoslavia, 121 killed

Boxing Champ George ForemanBoxing Champ George Foreman 1974 - The SR-71 Blackbird sets (and holds) the record for flying from New York to London: 1 hour 54 minutes and 56.4 seconds.

1975 - All political parties forbidden in Bangladesh

1975 - Gunsmoke resigns the air

1975 - Jerry Lewis' 10th Muscular Dystrophy telethon

1975 - KOL-AM in Seattle Wash changes call letters to KMPS

1975 - NY Met Tom Seaver is 1st to strike out 200 in 8 consecutive seasons

1975 - NYC transit fare rises from 35 cents to 50 cents

1976 - NASA launches space vehicle S-197

1976 - NJ Meadowlands racetrack opens

1976 - Wayne L Hays, (Rep-D-Oh), resigns (scandal with Elizabeth Ray)

1977 - 1st TRS-80 Model I computer sold

1977 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

1978 - Indians' Sammy Stewart tosses 7 consecutive strikeouts (vs Balt)

1978 - Last broadcast of "Columbo" on NBC TV

1978 - Jacqueline Smith of Great Britain scores 10 straight dead center strikes on a 4" disk in World Parachute Championships in Yugoslavia

1978 - #4655 Marjoriika, #4814 Casacci, #5344 Ryabov, #6262 Javid & #8064

1979 - Debbie Boone & Gabriel Ferrer wed in LA

1979 - LA Court orders Clayton Moore to stop wearing Lone Ranger mask

1979 - Pioneer 11 makes 1st fly-by of Saturn, discovers new moon, rings

1980 - Dutch embassy in Israel moves from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv

1980 - Jerry Lewis' 15th Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $31,103,787

1980 - Nancy Lopez wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic

1980 - Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope ends in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

1981 - Fiona Brothers sets women's propeller boat speed record (116.279 MPH)

1981 - Milt coup under general Kolingba in Cent Afr Rep, Pres Dacko flees

Comedian Jerry LewisComedian Jerry Lewis 1981 - RKO radio network is 1st to offer 2 separate overnight services

1981 - RKO radio network premieres America Overnight talk show

1982 - Caryl Churchill's "Top Girls," premieres in London

1982 - Max speedometer reading mandated at 85 MPH

1982 - Mexico President Lopez Portillo nationalizes banks

1982 - Palestinian Liberation Organization leaves Lebanon

1982 - The United States Air Force Space Command is founded.

1983 - Korean Airlines flight 007 shot down by Soviets in Russian airspace

1983 - Korean Boeing 747 strays into Siberia & is shot down by a Soviet jet

1983 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1983 - WGH-AM in Newport News VA changes call letters to WNSY

1985 - Cyclist Joop Zoetemelk becomes world champion

1985 - US-French expedition locates wreckage of Titanic off Newfoundland

1986 - Betsy King wins LPGA Rail Charity Golf Classic

1986 - Jerry Lewis' 21st Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $34,096,733

Pop Star & Beatle Paul McCartneyPop Star & Beatle Paul McCartney 1986 - Paul McCartney releases "Press to Play" album

1986 - Texas Rangers O McDowell & Porter are 7th to hit consecutive pinch HRs

1987 - 15 yr old Michael Chang is youngest man to win US Tennis Open match

1987 - Smoking forbidden in public buildings in Belgium

1988 - Timberlake Westenbaker's "Our Country's Good," premieres in London

1989 - "Anything Goes" closes at Beaumont Theater NYC after 804 performances

1989 - Princess Anne & Mark Phillips announce their separation

1990 - "Heidi Chronicles" closes at Plymouth Theater NYC after 621 perfs

1990 - "Jerome Robbins' Broadway" closes at Imperial NYC after 634 perfs

1990 - Gelindo Bordin sets European marathon record (2:14:02)

1990 - Highest combined CFL score (111), Toronto Argonauts beat BC 68-43

1991 - Hiromi Taniguchi wins 3rd world championship marathon (2:14:57)

1991 - Richard J Kerr, serves as acting director of CIA

1992 - NYC police commisioner Brown resigns

1992 - Tommy Smothers undergoes arthroscopic surgery

1993 - "White Liars/Black Comedy" opens at Criterion NYC for 38 perfs

1993 - Goran Ivanisevic & Daniel Nestor play longest tie-break in US Tennis

1995 - Infinity Radio agrees to voluntarily pay $1.7 million to US Treasury

1995 - NYC reinstates the death penalty

1995 - Rock & Roll Hall of Fame opens in Cleveland Ohio

1996 - Balt Ravens (Cleveland Browns) 1st NFL game, beat Oakland Raiders, 17-14

1997 - "Doll's House," closes at Belasco Theater

1997 - Cartoon Channel premieres in Japan

1997 - Cindy Figg-Currier wins LPGA State Farm Rail Classic

1997 - Jerry Lewis' 32nd Muscular Dystrophy telethon raises $50,500,000

2004 - The Beslan school hostage crisis begins when armed terrorists take hundreds of school children and adults hostage in the Russian town of Beslan in North Ossetia.

2005 - Seven members and former members of the AFL-CIO form a new trade union organization, the Change to Win Federation.

2006 - Luxembourg became the first country to complete the move to all digital television broadcasting.

2012 - Islamist rebels seize Douentza, Mali

2012 - Grenade injures 41 festival celebrants in Paquibato, Philippines

2012 - Two suicide bombings kill 12 people and wound 50 in a NATo base in Afghanistan's Sayed Abad district

2012 - US drone strike kills 5 people in North Waristan, Pakistan

1799 - The Bank of Manhattan Company opened in New York City, NY. It was the forerunner of Chase Manhattan.   1807 - Former U.S. Vice President Aaron Burr was found innocent of treason.   1810 - The first plow with interchangeable parts was patented by John J. Wood.   1859 - The Pullman sleeping car was placed into service.   1878 - Emma M. Nutt became the first female telephone operator in the U.S. The company was the Telephone Dispatch Company of Boston.   1884 - The Thomas A. Edison Construction Department and the Edison Company for Isolated Lighting merged.   1887 - Emile Berliner filed for a patent for his invention of the lateral-cut, flat-disk gramophone. It is a device that is better known as a record player. Thomas Edison made the idea work.   1894 - A forest fire in Hinckley, MN, killed more than 400 people.   1897 - The first section of Boston's subway system was opened.   1905 - Saskatchewan and Alberta became the ninth and tenth provinces of Canada.   1906 - Jack Coombs of the American League’s Philadelphia Athletics pitched 24 innings against the Boston Red Sox. (MLB)   1922 - The first daily news program on radio was "The Radio Digest," on WBAY radio in New York City, NY.   1923 - About 100,000 people were killed when an earthquake hit Tokyo and Yokohama, Japan.   1939 - World War II began when Germany invaded Poland.   1942 - A federal judge in Sacramento, CA, upheld the wartime detention of Japanese-Americans as well as Japanese nationals.   1945 - The U.S. received official word of Japan's formal surrender that ended World War II. In Japan, it was actually September 2nd.   1949 - "Martin Kane, Private Eye" debuted on NBC-TV.   1951 - The ANZUS Treaty, a mutual defense pact, was signed by the U.S., Australia and New Zealand.   1969 - Col. Moammar Gadhafi came into power in Libya after the government was overthrown.   1970 - The last episode of "I Dream of Jeannie" aired on NBC-TV. The show premiered was on September 18, 1965.   1971 - Danny Murtaugh of the Pittsburgh Pirates gave his lineup card to the umpire with the names of nine black baseball players on it. This was a first for Major League Baseball.   1972 - America’s Bobby Fischer beat Russia’s Boris Spassky to become world chess champion. The chess match took place in Reykjavik, Iceland.   1979 - The U.S. Pioneer 11 became the first spacecraft to visit Saturn.   1982 - J.R. Richard returned to major league baseball after a two-year absence following a near-fatal stroke.   1982 - Mexican President Jose Lopez Portillo closed all the country's private banks.   1983 - A Soviet jet fighter shot down a Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 when it entered Soviet airspace. 269 people were killed.   1985 - The Titanic was found by Dr. Robert Ballard and Jean Louis Michel in a joint U.S. and French expedition. The wreck site is located 963 miles northeast of New York and 453 miles southeast of the Newfoundland coast.   1986 - The Soviet Union announced the accident involving the Admiral Nakhimov the night before. 448 people died in the ship collision.   1986 - Jerry Lewis raised a record $34 million for Muscular Dystrophy during his annual telethon for Jerry’s kids over the Labor Day weekend.   1993 - Louis Freeh was sworn in as the director of the FBI.   1995 - Illinois Congressman Mel Reynolds announced his resignation. He had been convicted of having sex with an underage campaign volunteer.   1997 - In France, the prosecutor's office announced that the driver of the car, in which Britain's Princess Diana was killed, was over the legal alcohol limit.   1998 - The movie "Titanic" went on sale across North America.   1998 - Mark McGwire, of the St. Louis Cardinals, hit his 56th and 57th homeruns to set a new National League record. He would eventually reach a total of 70 for the season on September 27.   1998 - Vietnam released 5,000 prisoners, including political dissidents, on National Day.   1999 - Twenty-two of major league baseball's 68 permanent umpires were replaced. The problem arose from their union's failed attempt to force an early start to negotiations for a new labor contract.

1807 Former U.S. vice president Aaron Burr was found innocent of treason. 1923 A devastating earthquake struck the Japanese cities of Tokyo and Yokohama. Nearly 150,000 people were killed and more than two million left homeless. 1939 World War II began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland. 1969 A coup in Libya toppled the monarchy of King Idris and brought Muammar al-Qaddafi to power. 1983 A Korean Air Lines Boeing 747 was shot down by a Soviet jet fighter, killing all 269 people aboard. 1985 A joint U. S.-French expedition located the wreck of the Titanic 560 miles off the coast of Newfoundland. 2004 Chechen terrorists took about 1,200 schoolchildren and others hostage in Beslan, Russia. Commandos stormed the school on Sept. 3.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/sep01.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Trump's Vice-President JD Vance Blames Former President Biden For the $40 Trillion National Debt

Do you remember when we had politicians who actually sounded like adults?

Yeah, those days are long gone. 

American Vice-President JD Vamce, is apparently learning from his boss quickly, playing the blame game. Conveniently, Vance pointed the finger of blame at President Joe Biden for the $40 trillion debt that the nation has amassed over the course of many, many decades now.

It's funny that Vance would take such a stance, given that 28% of the national debt came under the watch of the two Trump presidential terms. Much of that debt that his boss was largely responsible for happened to be for massive tax cuts and incentives for the wealthiest, most privileged Americans out there.

By contrast, the debt which was accumulated during the Biden years were mostly as a direct result of the coronavirus pandemic and work shutdown, when Americans truly needed the money.

However, the American voters - and particularly those who tend to back Trump - have a very, very short memory for little details like that.

So tiresome.

Anyway, thought that it would be worth sharing the article (see link below):

JD Vance says $40 trillion US debt is Biden’s fault, and critics are tired of the blame game Story by Pocharapon Neammanee • August 21, 2026 • 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/general/jd-vance-says-40-trillion-us-debt-is-biden-s-fault-and-critics-are-tired-of-the-blame-game/ar-AA2aEYUB?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6a89ac9a5c94407ea58554778d003b89&ei=14

JD Vance says $40 trillion US debt is Biden’s fault, and critics are tired of the blame game

CFL Update: Final Weekend of August 2026

 

The Montreal Alouettes entered this weekend with easily the best overall record in the league at 9-1. 7 str

However, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers humbled them with a convincing 44-28 win. That drops Montreal to 9-2 on the year. While they still have the best overall record in the CFL, they now only are one game better than the Edmonton Elks at 8-3. Meanwhile, Winnipeg improved to 6-5 on the year.

Toronto visited Saskatchewan, where the Argonauts were edged out by the Roughriders, 24-20.  The Roughriders improved to 7-4 on the season, although they remain one game behind Edmonton in the West Division. 

The two losses by the other Eastern Division teams opened up an opportunity for the Tiger-Cats. But Hamilton could not capitalize, also losing 28-23 on the road in Calgary. Hamilton falls to 4-8 on the year. Meanwhile Calgary improves to 5-6, although they remain in last place in the West.

Meanwhile in the final game for this weekend, the British Columbia Lions visited the still winless Ottawa Redblacks on Sunday evening. 0-10. The game was actually close, and Ottawa had a chance to pull off their first win. The game was actually tied late in the third. However, that was when the BC Lions took control, scoring a touchdown to take the lead. It was the first points of a 21-0 run for British Columbia to close out the game and to end all suspense. With the win, the Lions improve to 6-5, while dropping the still winless Redblacks to 0-11 on the season. 

August 31st: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• On this day in 1056, Byzantine Empress Theodora fell ill, dying suddenly a few days later, without children to succeed the throne, thus ending the Macedonian dynasty. 

• In 1142 on this day, with the aid of Hiawatha and Deganawidah, The Great Peacemaker, the Iroquois tribes establish the Confederation of the Haudenosaunee. 

• Utrecht Bishop Willebrand granted Swells state justice on this day in 1230. 

• German King Heinrich VII made his son Johan the King of Bohemia on this day in 1310.

• 1422 - Henry VI, becomes King of England at the age of 9 months.

1535 - Pope Paul II deposed & excommunicated King Henry VIII

1745 - Bonnie Prince Charlie reaches Blair Castle Scotland

1751 - English troops under sir Robert Clive occupy Arcot India

1772 - Hurricane destroy ships off Dominica

• 1778 - British kill 17 Stockbridge indians in Bronx during Revolution

• 1823 - Ferdinand VII was restored to the throne of Spain when invited French forces entered Cadiz. The event is known as the Battle of Trocadero.  

1829 - Opera "Guillaume Tell" is produced (Paris)

British Botanist Charles Darwin

• On this day in 1836, the HMS Beagle, with British botanist Charles Darwin aboard, anchored in Postage Praia, Cape Verde Islands.

1842 - Micah Rugg patents a nuts & bolts machine

1842 - US Naval Observatory authorized by an act of Congress

1843 - Liberty Party nominates James Birneyas presidential candidate

1850 - California pioneers organized at Montgomery & Clay Streets

1864 - Atlanta Campaign: Battle of Jonesboro Georgia, 1900 casualties

• 1876 - Ottoman Sultan Murat V is deposed and succeeded by his brother Abd-ul-Hamid II.

1881 - 1st US men's single tennis championships (Newport, RI)

1886 - 1st major earthquake recorded in eastern US, at Charleston SC, 110 die

1886 - Crocker-Woolworth National Bank organized

1887 - Thomas A Edison patents Kinetoscope, (produces moving pictures)

1889 - Start of Sherlock Holmes adventure "Cardboard Box" (BG)

1894 - Phillies Billy Hamilton steals 7 bases

1895 - 1st pro football game (QB John Brallier paid $10 & won 12-0)

1896 - Louis Napoleon Parker's "Rosemary," premieres in NYC

• 1897 - General Kitchener occupies Berber, North of Khartoum

Monuments to Thomas Edison at Menlo Park in Edison,  NJ 

• 1897 - Thomas Edison patented his movie camera (Kinetograph)

The Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria, South Africa.

• 1900 - British troops over run Johannesburg

1900 - Dodgers' Brickyard Kennedy walks 6 straight Phillies

1902 - Split skirt 1st worn by Mrs Adolph Landeburg (horse rider)

1903 - Joe McGinnity wins his 3rd doubleheader of month

1905 - 25th US Mens Tennis: Beals C Wright beats Holcombe Ward (62 61 119)

1905 - Mbunga-rebellion takes German Fort Mahenge East-Africa

• 1907 - Britain & Russia sign treaty with Afghanistan, Persia & Tibet

• 1907 - England, Russia & France form Triple Entente

1909 - A J Reach Co patents cork-centered baseball

1909 - Thure Johnstown wins Stockholm marathon (2:40:34.2)

1911 - Anthony Fokker's demonstrates aircraft "Snip"

1913 - Soccer club PSV forms in Eindhoven Netherlands

1914 - 24.8 cm rainfall at Bloomingdale, Michigan (state record)

1914 - General von Kluck decides not to attack Paris

• 1914 - German troops reconquer Soldau/Neidenburg East-Prussia

• 1914 - Germany defeats Russia (battle at Tannenberg/30,000 Russians die)

1914 - Ecuador becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.

1915 - Chicago White Sox Jimmy Lavender no-hits NY Giants, 2-0

1915 - Brazil becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty.

1916 - Oscar Asche's musical "Chu Chin Chow," premieres in London

1918 - Boston Red Sox, win earliest AL pennent ever (season ended Sept 2)

1919 - John Reed forms American Communist Labor Party in Chicago

1919 - Petlyura's Ukrainian Army kills 35 members of a Jewish defense group

1919 - Ukranian (Petlyura) Army recaptures Kiev

1920 - Belgium starts paying old age pensions

1920 - Detroit radio station is 1st to broadcast a news program on the air

1923 - League of Nations gives Belgium mandate of Ruanda-Urundi (was German)

Italian Dictator Benito MussoliniItalian Dictator Benito Mussolini 1923 - Mussolini's troops occupy Korfu

1924 - Paavo Nurmi runs world record 10,000m (30:06.2)

1928 - Brecht & Weils "Dreigroschenoper" premieres

1935 - 1st national skeet championship (Indianapolis)

Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.

• 1935 - FDR signs an act prohibiting export of US arms to belligerents

1935 - Russian Aleksei Stachanov digs 6 hours, 105 tons of cabbages

1939 - Japanese invasion army driven out of Mongolia

• 1939 - Staged "Polish" assault on radio station in Gleiwitz

1940 - 1st edition pf illegal opposition newspaper Free Netherlands

1940 - 56 U-boats sunk this month (268,000 ton)

32nd US President Franklin D. Roosevelt32nd US President Franklin D. Roosevelt 1940 - Fighter Command loses 39/Luftwaffe 41 airplanes

• 1940 - German occupiers in Netherlands begin soap ration

1940 - US National Guard assembles

1941 - 23 U-boats sunk this month (80,000 ton)

1941 - Great Gildersleeve, a spin-off of Fibber McGee & Molly debuts on NBC

• 1942 - Battle at Alam Halfa: German & Italians assault

1942 - U boats sunk this month 108 ships (544,000 ton)

1943 - 1st battle of Essex/new Yorktown: US assault on Marcus Island

1943 - Japanse occupiers intern Jewish Congregation of Sorabajo

1944 - Allied offensive at "Gothen-linie," Italy

• 1944 - French provisional government moves from Algiers to Paris

• 1944 - French troops liberate Bordeaux

• 1944 - Russian-Romanian troops march into Bucharest

• 1945 - The Liberal Party of Australia is founded by Robert Menzies.

1947 - Hungarian communist party wins election

1947 - NY Giants set season record for HRs by a club 183 (en route to 221)

1948 - Queen Wilhelmina celebrates 50th jubilee

1950 - Dodger Gil Hodges hits 4 HRs & a single in a game vs Braves

1951 - 1st 33 1/3 album introduced in Dusseldorf

1953 - KRBC TV channel 9 in Abilene, TX (NBC) begins broadcasting

1953 - WKBG (now WLVI) TV channel 56 in Cambridge-Boston, MA (IND) begins

1954 - Census Bureau forms

1954 - Hurricane Carol (1st major named storm) hits New England, 70 die

1954 - WMTW TV channel 8 in Portland-Poland Spring, ME (ABC) begins

1955 - 1st microwave TV station operated (Lufkin, Tx)

1955 - 1st sun-powered automobile demonstrated, Chicago, Ill

1955 - KTRE TV channel 9 in Lufkin, TX (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting

Flag of Malaysia

• 1957 - Malaysia (formerly Malaya) gains independence from Britain

1960 - Agricultural Hall of Fame forms

1961 - Amsterdam National Ballet forms

• 1962 - Trinidad & Tobago gain independence from Britain (National Day)

• 1965 - House of Reps joins Senate establish Dept of Housing & Urban Develop

1965 - The Aero Spacelines Super Guppy Aircraft makes its first flight.

1966 - Referee Leo Horn whistles his last soccer match (Ajax-Bulgaria)

1968 - 12,000 die in 7.8 quake destroys 60,000 buildings in NE Iran

1968 - 68th US Golf Amateur Championship won by Bruce Fleisher

1968 - Private Eye magazine reports a John Lennon & Yoko Ono album will have a picture of them nude on cover

1968 - Roy Face ties W Johnson's record of 802 pitching appearances with club

1968 - Verne Gagne beats Dick Beyers (Dr X) in Minn, to become NWA champ

1968 - Garfield Sobers becomes the first cricketer to hit 6 sixes in one over.

1969 - 25,000 attend New Orleans Pop Festival

1970 - 59th Davis Cup: USA beats Germany in Cleveland (5-0)

1970 - Lonnie McLucas, a Black Panther activist, convicted

1970 - Molukkers occupy Indonesian ambassador's home in Wassenaar

Artist & Musician Yoko OnoArtist & Musician Yoko Ono 1970 - Peter Yarrow arrested for taking "immoral liberties" with girl, 14

1970 - WKMJ TV channel 68 in Louisville, KY (PBS) begins broadcasting

1971 - Adrienne Beames runs female world record marathon (2:46:30)

1972 - Lasse Viren runs Olympic/world record 10,000m (27:38.4)

1972 - Olga Korbut, USSR, wins olympic gold medal in gymnastics

1973 - 1st heavyweight championship fight in Japan (Foreman beats Roman)

1973 - PBA National Championship Won by Earl Anthony

1974 - Pirate Radio Veronica moves into Scheveningen harbor

1975 - Former Teamsters' president James Hoffa reported missing

• 1976 - George Harrison found guilty of plagurizing "My Sweet Lord"

1976 - Mexican peso devalued

1976 - Trinidad & Tobago adopts constitution

1976 - Waldemar Cierpinski wins 18th Olympics Marathon (2:09:55.0)

1977 - Aleksandr Fedotov sets aircraft alt rec of 38.26 km (125,524')

1977 - Spyros Kyprianou appointed president of Cyprus

1977 - Ian Smith, espousing racial segregation, wins Rhodesian general election with 80% of overwhelmingly white electorate's vote

• 1978 - Constitution adopted by Sri Lanka

1978 - Emily & William Harris plead guilty to 1974 kidnapping of Patty Hearst

1978 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1979 - 16 yr old Tracy Austin defeats 14 yr old Andrea Jaeger at US Open

• 1979 - Comet Howard-Koomur-Michels collides with Sun

1979 - Donald McHenry named to succeed Andrew Young as UN ambassador

1979 - Phillies replaces manager Danny Ozark with Dallas Green

1980 - "Oklahoma!" closes at Palace Theater NYC after 301 performances

1980 - 80th US Golf Amateur Championship won by Hal Sutton

• 1980 - Poland's Solidarity labor union forms

• 1980 - The Gdańsk Agreement is signed.

1981 - Dirk Wellham scores 103 on Test Cricket debut, v England at Lord's

1981 - Royals manager Jim Frey is fired & replaced by Dick Howser

1982 - USSR performs underground nuclear test

1983 - Edwin Moses of USA sets 400m hurdle record (47.02) in Koblenz

1984 - Pinklon Thomas beats Tim Witherspoon in 12 for heavyweight boxing title

1985 - "Prakas" sets trotting mile record of 1:53.4 at Du Quoin, Ill

1985 - Angel Cordero becomes 3rd jockey to ride horses earning over $100 M

1985 - Night Stalker suspect that terrorized S California captured in East LA

1986 - Aeromexico DC-9 & small plane collide in LA, killing 82

1986 - Russian cargo ship crashes into cruise ship Admiral Nakhimov; 398 die

1987 - Curtis Strange sets golf's earning for year record ($697,385)

1987 - Michael Jacskon's "Bad" video premieres on CBS TV

Flag of South Africa during the apartheid era

• 1987 - South Africa longest mine strike in history ends

• 1988 - 5-day power blackout of downtown Seattle begins

1988 - Arbitrator George Nicolau rules owners conspired against free agents

1988 - Bomb attack on office of South Africa Council of Churches

1989 - Aeromexico DC-9 collides over LA, 82 die (15 on the ground)

1989 - Arbitrator T Roberts orders owners to pay $105 million for collusion

1990 - Dennis Eckersley saves his 40th game of the season

Flag of East Germany

• 1990 - East & West Germany sign a treaty to join legal & political systems

1990 - Ken Griffey Sr & Jr are 1st father & son to play on same team each goes 1 for 4 for Seattle Mariners

1991 - Houston QB David Klingler sets NCAA record with 6 touchdown passes in the 2nd quarter as the Cougars clobbered Louisiana Tech 73-3

1991 - Richard J Kerr, ends term as deputy director of CIA

1991 - Rockies bat out of order against Expos in 1st inning

1991 - William H Webster, ends term as 14th director of CIA

1992 - 44th Emmy Awards: Northern Exposure, Christopher Lloyd & Dana Delane

1992 - Dynamite explosion in Philipines mine; 500 die

1992 - Howard Stern Radio Show premieres in Cleveland OH on WNCX 98.5 FM

1993 - Minnesota Twins beat Cleve Indians 5-4 in 22 innings

1993 - Venezuela president Carlos Perez flees

1993 - HMS Mercury closes after 52 years in commission.

• 1994 - Last Russian soldiers leave Estonia & Latvia

1994 - Northern Ireland Sinn Fein proclaims ceases-fire

1994 - Pentium computer beats world chess champ Gari Kasparov

1994 - The Provisional Irish Republican Army declares a ceasefire.

1997 - "Gin Game," closes at Lyceum Theater NYC after 144 performances

1997 - Don Mattingly's #23 is retired by NY Yankees

1997 - Last episode of Rolanda airs

1997 - Pittsburgh Senior Golf Classic

1997 - Scott Hoch wins Greater Milwaukee Golf Open with a 268

• 1998 - North Korea reportedly launches Kwangmyongsong, its first satellite.

1999 - The first of a series of Russian Apartment Bombings in Moscow, killing one person and wounding 40 others.

1999 - A LAPA Boeing 737-200 crashes during takeoff from Jorge Newbury Airport in Buenos Aires, killing 65, including 2 on the ground.

2005 - A stampede on Al-Aaimmah bridge in Baghdad kills 1,199 people.

• 2006 - Stolen on August 22, 2004, Edvard Munch's famous painting The Scream was recovered from a raid by Norwegian police. The paintings were said to be in a better-than-expected condition.

• 2012 - Apple loses its patent dispute with Samsung in Tokyo, Japan

1823 - Ferdinand VII was restored to the throne of Spain when invited French forces entered Cadiz. The event is known as the Battle of Trocadero.   1852 - The first pre-stamped envelopes were created with legislation of the U.S. Congress.   1881 - The first tennis championships in the U.S. were played.   1887 - The kinetoscope was patented by Thomas Edison. The device was used to produce moving pictures.   1920 - The first news program to be broadcast on radio was aired. The station was 8MK in Detroit, MI.   1935 - The act of exporting U.S. arms to belligerents was prohibited by an act signed by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt.   1940 - Lawrence Olivier and Vivian Leigh were married.   1941 - The radio program "The Great Gildersleeve" made its debut on NBC.   1946 - Superman returned to radio on the Mutual Broadcasting System after being dropped earlier in the year.   1950 - Gil Hodges of the Brooklyn Dodgers hit four home runs in a single game off of four different pitchers.   1959 - Sandy Koufax set a National League record by striking out 18 batters.   1962 - The Caribbean nations Tobago and Trinidad became independent within the British Commonwealth.   1964 - California officially became the most populated state in America.   1965 - The Department of Housing and Urban Development was created by the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate.   1980 - Poland's Solidarity labor movement was born with an agreement signed in Gdansk that ended a 17-day strike.   1981 - The 30-year contract between Milton Berle and NBC-TV expired.   1989 - Great Britain's Princess Anne and Mark Phillips announced that they were separating. The marriage was 16 years old.   1990 - U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar met with the Iraqi Foreign Minister Tariq Aziz to try and negotiate a solution to the crisis in the Persian Gulf.   1990 - East and West Germany signed a treaty that meant the harmonizing of political and legal systems.   1991 - Uzbekistan and Kirghiziz declared their independence from the Soviet Union. They were the 9th and 10th republics to announce their plans to secede.   1991 - In a "Solidarity Day" protest hundreds of thousands of union members marched in Washington, DC.   1993 - Russia withdrew its last soldiers from Lithuania.   1994 - A cease-fire was declared by the Irish Republican Army after 25 years of bloodshed in Northern Ireland.   1994 - Russia officially ended its military presence in the former East Germany and the Baltics after a half-century.   1998 - A ballistic missile was fired over Japan by North Korea. The missile landed in stages in the waters around Japan. There was no known target.   1998 - "Titanic" became the first movie in North America to earn more than $600 million.

1887 Thomas Edison received a patent for his "Kinetoscope," and moving pictures were born. 1888 Mary Ann Nicholls, considered to be Jack the Ripper's first victim, was found murdered in London. 1962 Trinidad and Tobago gained independence from Great Britain. 1980 Poland's Solidarity labor movement had its beginnings when an agreement ending a 17-day strike was signed in Gdansk. 1994 Russia officially ended its military presence in the former East Germany and the Baltic states. 1997 Princess Diana and her companion Dodi al-Fayed were killed in a car accident in Paris. 2012 Armenia severed diplomatic relations with Hungary, after the pardoning of Ramil Safarov. In 2004, Safarov was convicted of killing an Armenian soldier. 

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/aug31.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory