Despite My Own Low Incredibly Low Expectations, Somehow I Still Underestimated the Extent of How Disastrous the Second Trump Administration Is Proving To Be

This is a picture of a magnet that was being sold at Strand's Book Store in New York City a few years ago. No, I did not buy it, but I liked it and took a picture, which I am sharing here now. 

What got me interested in this article was the title. Indeed, it feels like Trump can be likened to a political volcano. A volcano of blatant corruption, as the title suggests. But also a political volcano in terms of him just being a destroyer, not a builder or unifier. A volcano in terms of good will and any remaining faith that the rest of the world felt towards the United States. Whatever good will we had remaining after the aftermath of George W. Bush's Iraq invasion, Barack Obama's surveillance program against allies and his drone killings, and Trump's first term are now long gone. Universal tariffs imposed on goods from almost literally every nation in the world, threats to invade and take over numerous nations, constant insults recklessly hurled, and the general hubris of this second Trump administration have pretty much eroded what remained of good will towards Americans.

Now, as an American, when I go overseas or talk to someone from a foreign country, I feel I almost have to apologize for the actions of my fellow Americans for imposing such a monster on the rest of the world. Bad enough that he's doing the damage that he's transparently doing to the country. Even worse, though, that he somehow got the entire rest of the world against us, and in record time. Who would have thought that one man could do so much damage in such a short period of time?

Incredible. 

Which brings me back to the title of this article. Indeed, despite my own bleak expectations of impending disaster regarding a second Trump administration, did not believe that he could or would do quite as much damage as he has indeed done. As a nation, we will be paying for this for a long, long time. Decades, frankly. And we deserve it. This isn't something which will simply go away. People will remember many years from now. For the rest of the world, the United States will from here on out be remembered as the land which brought the world a volcano of destruction which went by the name of Trump.

Again, what a disaster.

Experts: We underestimated Trump's 'volcano of corruption' Story by Thomas Kika • April 9, 2026 • 

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/experts-we-underestimated-trump-s-volcano-of-corruption/ar-AA29ItVR?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=U531&cvid=6a799fc862944d34bcff42ce72ebf9f1&ei=13

Experts: We underestimated Trump's 'volcano of corruption'

Despite Earlier Rhetoric to the Contrary, Trump Relentlessly Avoids Any Kind of Blame When Things Inevitably Go Wrong

This is a picture of a magnet that was being sold at Strand's Book Store in New York City a few years ago. No, I did not buy it, but I liked it and took a picture, which I am sharing here now. 

"When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total. And that's the way it's got to be. It's total."

 — Donald Trump

Beyond just being a bad president, Trump's presidency also is strange. It marks a departure from any sort of consistency and logic in terms of reasoning. What Trump says or claims one day, he might do the opposite of the next. 

Need examples?

Not too long ago, he was threatening North Korea, claiming (or "joking") about how his nuclear button is bigger, and it works. Now, we appear to be friendly with North Korea and have left South Korea out to dry.

There are plenty of other inconsistencies, as well. Trump claimed he would get inflation under order once president. Now, he claims to "love inflation." He used to rail against "forever wars" and especially pointless wars in the Middle East, going so far as suggesting publicly once that George W. Bush should have been impeached for his role in starting two wars in the Middle East. Now, Trump has gotten us into another forever war in the Middle East. Trump promised to release the Epstein Files/ Now he bends over backwards not to release them as promised. Trump claimed that he would not have time to play golf when president. Instead, he hardly finds time for anything else on weekends. Trump once promised to build a national healthcare system that would be affordable and would cover everybody, and even doubled down by claiming it would be "easy" (his word for it, not mine). Not only did he not lift a finger to make this so, but he now claims that the federal government cannot possibly provide these things for American citizens. Trump claimed that he would pay off the national debt in eight years. In less than six years as president, he and the GOP have instead increased the national debt by over 28%, mostly for his tax cuts for the very wealthiest Americans. Upon first being elected in 2016, Trump promised to be the "president for all Americans." Instead, he has consistently played classic divide and conquer games to polarize Americans like we have never before seen in modern times.

Frankly, I could spend far more time on these inconsistencies, because those are only the truly major ones. But it seems to me that the point is clear. What Trump claims or promises at one point, he often claims or does the exact opposite at other points. The only things that one can truly rely on with the Trump presidency is embarrassing and compromising levels of idiocy and incompetence on a truly stunning level, selfishness, attempts to grab more and more power, blatant corruption, and massive narcissism on an epic scale.

Oh, and one more thing. The inconsistency regarding Trump's former claims in the past and what he says and does now is particularly glaring when it comes to responsibility itself. Trump has flip-flopped on who bears responsibility in a major way from the days before he was ever president. Before he became president, he claimed that a president's responsibility is total, leaving no room for doubts. Time and again since he actually became president, however, he divorces himself from responsibility. The finger of blame pointed forever and always is pointed squarely elsewhere. Anyone and everyone else is responsible for anything and everything that goes wrong on Trump's watch. 

Need a fairly recent example? 

Trump pointlessly and needlessly drains the Reflecting Pool of the National Mall and it ends up being a very public disaster and waste of taxpayer money? Blame Obama, who by that point has been out of office for almost ten years. The economy is slugging and inflation remains out of control more than 18 months after Trump took office again? Blame Biden. Obama and Biden are the constant targets, as increasingly are the "dumbocrats" more generally. 

For all intents and purposes, Trump alters his opinion and pivots his opinions and actions as necessary, all in the name of attempted self-preservation. Here is another, frankly major exception: Back in 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic, he insisted that a president's authority is total just one month after claiming that he takes no responsibility at all:

"When somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total. And that's the way it's got to be. It's total." — April 13

Not surprisingly, however, Trump predictably backed away from any kind of blame when the failed response by his own White House regarding the coronavirus pandemic was making international headlines. At that point, Trump somehow felt that he should not receive any kind of criticism, despite his previous assertions that a president (and he was then the sitting president) has "total authority":

"No, I don't take responsibility at all." — March 13 

What a guy. What a president, eh?

Trump can consistently be counted on to very publicly practice what conservative anti-Trumper Bill Kristol has called the president's "performative authoritarianism." In short, Trump plays the authoritarian strong man for the television cameras and especially to play up to his base of support. Yet, he has equally consistently show a decided lack of interest in doing the actual heavy lifting of doing what it takes to improve conditions in this country, and even to obtain that "total authority" that he so desperately and transparently craves. In large part, this would require actual accountability on his part. But that would compromise Trump's clear and obvious desire to blame someone else whenever things go wrong, especially when it becomes a major news story.

This is, arguably, the most tiresome aspect of Trump's presidency, and it was the same during both terms. Regardless of his former claims that a president has total authority, and despite the lack of logic in terms of how it undermines his strong man image, Trump can be relied upon to find someone else - anyone else, really - to blame if and when things inevitably go wrong. After all, where would Trump be if he could not throw somebody under the bus. Preferably a political enemy, but he has shown a willingness - sometimes even an eagerness, frankly - to throw political allies under the bus whenever necessary. 

No wonder many people feel that this total lack of accountability is yet one more of a long series of examples for why it seems there are no longer any adults in the room in the Trump White House.

Below are the links to the two articles which got me on this topic, and from which I obtained the specific quotes used above. Take a look:

The buck stops somewhere else: Trump takes blame game to a new level Story by Will Weissert • 2d •  5 min read

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/the-buck-stops-somewhere-else-trump-takes-blame-game-to-a-new-level/ar-AA2abMh1?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6a81bcd514824f74aa8caec76838a165&ei=18

The buck stops somewhere else: Trump takes blame game to a new level

Trump's 'total authority' boast should've enraged Republicans. Instead they shrugged. by Charlie Sykes,  April 16, 2020:

For decades, conservatives have pointed to the 10th Amendment as the very essence of decentralized government. Now, it's not clear what Trump's GOP supporters believe.   

https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/trump-s-total-authority-boast-should-ve-enraged-republicans-instead-ncna1184806

August 22nd: 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 also the anniversary of the first air raid in history, as Austrian forces launched an aerial assault with hot air balloons against Venice, in 1849. The International Red Cross was founded on this day. The Treaty of St. Petersburg between Russia and Japan was completed on this day. The Nez Perce fled to the territory that is now Yellowstone National Park. Japan annexed Korea as a protectorate. The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre, although it was recovered and returned two years later. J. Edgar Hoover became the assistant director of the FBI. The invading Nazi forces reached Leningrad in 1941, although they were ultimately unsuccessful in completely taking it over. One year later, Brazil declared war on the Axis powers of Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Soviet Union took over Romania, and communism was there to stay for quite some time afterwards. In 1944, this day marked the last deportation of Jews from France into Nazi Germany. On that same day, Hitler ordered Paris to be destroyed, although it ultimately was not. The conflict in Vietnam by Ho Chi Minh was begun on this day in 1945, shortly after the Japanese were defeated. Charles De Gaulle survived an assassination attempt (see story above, or at http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history). Althea Gibson broke the color barrier for the sport of tennis on this day in history. The first nuclear powered ship went from Yorktown, VA., to Savannah, Georgia. The Beatles arrived in the United States on this date in 1966. Rhodesia was expelled from the Olympics for it's racial policies. Australia unveiled the first ever platinum coin, which featured a Koala. A version of the famous painting "The Scream" by Munch was stolen in Norway.

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

• On this day in 392, Arbogast had Eugenius elected as the Western Roman Emperor. In 476 on this day, Odoacer was named Rex Italiae by his troop. St Columba reported seeing a monster in Loch Ness on this day in 565. In 851 on this day, Erispoe defeated Charles the Bald near the Breton town of Jengland. On this day in 1138, the English defeated the Scots at Cowton Moor in the Battle of the Standards. Banners of various saints were carried into battle which led to being called Battle of the Standard. Jews were expelled from Brunn Moravia by order of King Ladislaus on this day in 1454. 

• The Battle of Bosworth Field was fought on this day in 1485, when Henry VII's forces defeated England's King Richard III. This marked the end of the War of the Roses with the death of Richard III. 

• Emperor Charles V's army occupied Duren on this day in 1543. On this day in 1559, Spanish Archbishop Bartholome de Carranza was arrested as a heretic. 

• In 1567 on this day, the "Council of Blood" was established by the Duke of Alba. This was the beginning of his reign of terror in the Netherlands. 

• There was a failed assassination on Admiral De Coligny on this day in 1572. 

• King James IV of Scotland was captured on this day in 1582. 

• In 1603 on this day, the first stones were layed in Zuiderkerk Amsterdam. Trades people under Vincent Fettmilch chased & plundered Jews out of the ghetto in Frankfurt, Germany, on this day in 1614. Prince Frederik Hendrik occupied Maastricht on this day in 1632. 

• On this day in 1639, Madras (now Chennai), India, was founded by the British East India Company on a sliver of land bought from local Nayak rulers. On this day in 1642, the Civil War in England began between the Royalists and Parliament. In 1654 on this day, Jacob Barsimson arrived in New Amsterdam (modern day Manhattan) aboard the Peartree, becoming one of the first Jewish colonists there. 

• Prince Eugenius van Savoye siege of Toulon fell on this day in 1707. Sweden & Prussia signed a military treaty on this day in 1707. 

Bust of German-British composer George Friedrich Handel

• In 1715 on this day, Handel's "Watermusic" premiered on Thames. 

• On this day in 1717, Spanish troops landed in Sardinia. 

• In 1762 on this day, the first female (Ann Franklin) US newspaper editor, Newport RI, Mercury.

Picture of a statue of British explorer Captain James Cook

• James Cook's expedition landed on the east coast of Australia on this day in 1770. Cook claimed the land for England and called it New South Wales. 

• On this day in 1775, King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in open rebellion. 

• In 1780 on this day, the ship Resolution, without Captain Cook (who had been killed), returned to England. John Fitch's steamboat completed its tests, years before Fulton, on this day in 1787.

Flag of Haiti

• This day in 1791 marked the beginning of the Haitian Slave Revolution, which started under voodoo priest Dutty Boukman. 

• On this day in 1798, French troops landed in Kilcummin Harbour, County Mayo, Ireland to aid Wolfe Tone's United Irishmen's Irish Rebellion. 

• Grand Duchy of Bathe was formed on this day in 1818. 

• Colonies under Jedediah Strong Smith moved near Salt Lake, Utah, on this day in 1826. 

• On this day in 1827, José de La Mar became the President of Peru. The United States annexed New Mexico on this day in 1848. On this day in 1849, the first air raid in history took place. 

• Austrian forces launched an aerial assault with pilotless hot air balloons against the Italian city of Venice. 

  

Flag of Australia

• Gold fields were discovered in Australia on this day in 1851. 

A statue in Flemington, New Jersey, honoring veterans of the American Civil War.

In 1862 on this day during the American Civil War, the Battle of Catlett's Station, Virginia, was fought. 

There was a Santee Sioux Indian attack on Fort Ridgely on this day in 1862. 

The Geneva Convention was signed by 12 nations on this day in 1864. 

On that same day in 1864, the International Red Cross was formed. Fisk University was forms on this day in 1867. 

• The Treaty of Saint Petersburg between Japan and Russia was ratified on this day in 1875, providing for the exchange of Sakhalin for the Kuril Islands. 

• In 1877 on this day, the Nez Perce Indians fled into to Yellowstone National Park. 

• On this day in 1900, Gabriel Faures opera "Prométhée," premiered in Beziers.

• 1901 - Cadillac Motor Company is founded.

1902 - Pres Teddy Roosevelt became 1st US chief executive to ride in a car

1906 - 1st Victor Victrola manufactured

1907 - Colin Buchanan, town planner

1907 - Cyril Astley Clarke, British geneticist

1908 - Henri Cartier-Bresson, Montjustin France, photographer (Decisive Moment), (d. 2004)

• Japan annexed Korea on this day in 1910 after 5 years as a protectorate

The Mona Lisa inside of the Louvre in Paris.

• Vincenzo Perugia stole the Mona Lisa from Louvre, Paris, on this day in 1911. It would eventually be recovered two years later.

1912 - England defeat Australia to win the Triangular Tournament

1912 - Richard Catling, commissioner of police (Kenya)

1913 - Robert Martineau, bishop of Blackburn

1914 - Battle at Charleroi begins: Gen von Bulows troops beat French

1914 - 1st encounter between British & German troops (in Belgium)

1914 - Battle in Ardennen: Neufchateau, Rossignal, Tintigny & Virton

1914 - Canada's Finance Act, 1914, receives assent

1914 - General Martos' troops occupy Soldau/Neidenburg East Prussia

1914 - German troops execute 384 inhabitants of Tamines Belgium

1914 - Von Ludendorff & von Hindenburg move into E Prussia enroute to Russia

1917 - Pittsburgh Pirates play 4th straight extra inning game, Carson Bigbee sets record of 11 at-bats, they lose in 22 innings to Dodgers

1921 - J. Edgar Hoover becomes asst director of FBI

1923 - Paavo Nurmi runs world record mile (4:10.4)

1926 - Gold discovered in Johannesburg, South Africa

1926 - Greek dictator Gen Pangulos driven out

1927 - Babe Ruth hits 40th of 60 homers

1930 - Australia regain Ashes on 6th day of 5th Cricket Test

1932 - BBS begins experimental regular TV broadcasts

1932 - The BBC first experiments with television broadcasting. (See also Timeline of the BBC.)

1933 - Bill Veeck, urges midsummer inter-league games & a split season

1933 - International Zionists Congress opens in Prague

1934 - Australia beat England by 562 runs to regain Cricket Ashes

1934 - Red Sox pitcher Wes Ferrell hits 2 HRs to beat White Sox 3-2 in 12

1939 - Dutch border guards take positions for German invasion

1939 - Premier De Geer recalls Dutch vacationers in Black Forest

• 1941 - Nazi troops reach Leningrad

• 1942 - Brazil declares war on Germany, Japan and Italy

1943 - Soviet troops free Karkov

1944 - Hitler orders Paris to be destroyed [or 23rd]

1944 - Last transport of French Jews to Nazi Germany

1945 - Bob Cristofani scores 110 for Aust Services at Old Trafford

• On this day in 1945 after the European theater of World War II had ended, French President Charles de Gaulle arrived in Washington D.C. and met with American President Harry Truman. He participated in a welcome ceremony at the White House and held two meetings with President Truman, where the future of global order and France's particular role were discussed. It was aimed to foster a new era of relations between the two nations in the postwar era. 

1945 - England defeat Aust Services by 6 wkts in 5th Victory Test Cricket

1945 - Noel Coward's revue "Sigh no More," premieres in London

• 1945 - Vietnam conflict begins as Ho Chi Minh leads a successful coup

1946 - Baseball approves a 168-game schedule, but later rescinds it

1946 - Mikko Hietanen wins Oslo marathon (2:24:55)

1947 - 14th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 16, Chi Bears 0 (105,840)

1950 - Abdel Rehim swims English Channel (10:50)

1950 - Althea Gibson becomes 1st black competetor in natl tennis competition

1950 - Rotterdam harbor strike end

1951 - Harlem Globetrotters play in Olympic Stadium, Berlin before 75,052

Dictator of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler 1952 - The penal colony on Devil's Island is permanently closed.

1953 - John Norman Lewis contends players have no desire to form a union

1953 - Shah of Persia returns to Teheran

1954 - WPTV TV channel 5 in Palm Beach, FL (NBC) begins broadcasting

1956 - Elvis Presley begins filming "The Reno Brothers" (Love Me Tender)

1956 - Pres Eisenhower & VP Nixon renominated by Rep convention in SF

1957 - Floyd Patterson KOs Pete Rademacher in 6 for heavyweight boxing title

1958 - Argos' Boyd Carter, Dave Mann combine for record 131-yd punt return

1958 - Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island

1959 - Cin Red Frank Robinson hits 3 consecutive HRs

1960 - Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Asheville Golf Open

1960 - Gil Hodges set NL righty HR record with #352

1961 - Maris hits his 50th of 61 homers

French President Charles De Gaulle

• In 1962 on this day, there was a failed assassination on French President Charles De Gaulle.

On August 22, 1962, President Charles de Gaulle of France survives one of several assassination attempts against him thanks to the superior performance of the presidential automobile: The sleek, aerodynamic Citroen DS 19, known as “La Deesse” (The Goddess).  

When the Citroen DS made its sensational debut at the 1955 Paris Motor Show, its streamlined, understated form stood out among the tail-finned and chrome-covered cars popular in that era. A far cry from Citroen’s famous 2CV (dubbed the “ugly duckling”), the DS had a 1.9-liter engine and power-assisted gearshift, clutch, steering and brake systems. Its crowning aspect, however, was a hydropneumatic suspension system that Citroen would become known for, which automatically adjusted the height of the car to keep it level and enable the driver to maintain control more easily. Citroen took 12,000 orders for the DS by the end of that first day, and it soon became known as the preferred mode of transportation among France’s wealthy and most powerful citizens.  

In August 1962, a group called the OAS (Secret Army Organization in English) plotted an assassination attempt on President de Gaulle, who they believed had betrayed France by giving up Algeria (in northern Africa) to Algerian nationalists. Near dusk on August 22, 1962, de Gaulle and his wife were riding from the Elysee Palace to Orly Airport. As his black Citroen DS sped along the Avenue de la Liberation in Paris at 70 miles per hour, 12 OAS gunmen opened fire on the car. A hail of 140 bullets, most of them coming from behind, killed two of the president’s motorcycle bodyguards, shattered the car’s rear window and punctured all four of its tires. Though the Citroen went into a front-wheel skid, de Gaulle’s chauffeur was able to accelerate out of the skid and drive to safety, all thanks to the car’s superior suspension system. De Gaulle and his wife kept their heads down and came out unharmed.   

Frederick Forsyth dramatized the events of that August in his best-selling novel “The Day of the Jackal,” later made into a film. In 1969, de Gaulle–knowing that he owed his life to that Citroen–attempted to prevent the outright sale of France’s premier auto manufacturer (owned by the Michelin family of tire fame) to the Italian automaker Fiat by limiting the stake Fiat could buy to 15 percent. In 1975, to avert potential bankruptcy, the French government funded Citroen’s sale to a group that included its French rival, Peugeot; the result was PSA Peugeot Citroen SA, formed in 1976.

1962 Citroen helps de Gaulle survive assassination attempt HISTORY.com Editors Published: November 13, 2009 Last Updated: May 27, 2025:

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/august-22/citroen-helps-de-gaulle-survive-assassination-attempt

1962 - USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

1962 - Savannah, world's 1st nuclear-powered ship, completes maiden voyage from Yorktown, Va, to Savannah, Ga

1963 - NASA civilian test pilot Joe Walker in X-15 reaches 67 miles (106 km)

1964 - Guinee, Liberia & Ivory Coast form joint market

1964 - Supreme's "Where Did Our Love Go," reaches #1

1965 - Clifford Ann Creed wins LPGA Omaha Jaycee Golf Open

1965 - San Francisco Giants pitcher Juan Marachal hits LA Dodger catcher John Roseboro on the head with his bat causing a 14 minute brawl

• 1966 - Beatles arrive in NYC

1968 - 1st papal visit to Latin America (Pope Paul VI arrives in Bogota)

• 

1968 - Cynthia Lennon sues John Lennon for divorce on adultry

1968 - Pope Paul VI opens Eucharistic congress in Bogota

• 1969 - Beatles record a video for "Long and Winding Road"

1969 - Gloria O Smith, (NY), crowned 2nd Miss Black America

1969 - Hurricane Camille strikes US Gulf Coast kills 255

1971 - Bolivian military coup under col Hugo Banzer, pres Torres driven out

1971 - Pam Barnett wins LPGA Southgate Golf Open

1971 - J. Edgar Hoover and John Mitchell announce the arrest of 20 of the Camden 28.

• In 1972 on this day, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) expelled Rhodesia from participation in the Olympics due to its racist policies. At the time, Rhodesia was ruled by a white minority government that excluded blacks from power and equal rights within that nation.

1973 - Chilean parliament accuses pres Allende violating laws

1973 - Henry Kissinger succeeds William Rogers as min of Foreign affairs

1975 - Assassination attempt on president Gerald Ford

1975 - McNichols Sports Arena in Denver opens

1976 - Kathy Whitworth wins LPGA Patty Berg Golf Classic

1978 - Sandinistas occupy National Palace in Managua Nicaragua

1979 - 200 black leaders, meet in NY, to support Andrew Young

1980 - Bill Veeck agrees to sell Chicago White Sox to Eddie DeBartolo Sr for $20,000,000, AL owners block the sale

• On this day in 1982, Israeli General Ariel Sharon urged Palestinians to discuss peaceful coexistence with Israel.

1982 - Joanne Carner wins LPGA Chevrolet World Championship of Women's Golf

1984 - Evelyn Ashford of US ties world women's mark for 100 m, 10.76 sec

1984 - Last Volkswagen Rabbit produced

1984 - Met pitcher Dwight Gooden becomes 11th rookie to strikeout 200

1984 - Rep convention in Dallas renominates Pres Reagan & VP Bush

Flag of South Africa during the apartheid era

• In 1984 on this day during apartheid white minority rule in South Africa, the United Democratic Front, an internal coalition of anti-apartheid groups within the country, orchestrated a largely successful boycott of the Colored and Indian elections to parliament. This had been regarded as a conciliatory measure of reform by the white minority government, but it was largely rejected as a token measure that only gave the appearance of real reform and a move away from apartheid.

1985 - 30th Walker Cup: US wins 13-11

1985 - Airtours Boeing-737 crashes at airport of Manchester, 55 killed

1986 - Gas from Volcano Chamberoen kills 1,734 (Cameroon)

• 1986 - NASA announces tests designed to verify ignition pressure dynamics

1987 - Madonna's "Who's That Girl," single goes #1

1988 - Australia unveils 1st platinum coin (Koala)

1988 - NBC premieres "Later" with Bob Costas (1st guest Linda Ellerbee)

1988 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

• 1989 - 1st complete ring around Neptune discovered

1989 - Nolan Ryan strikes out his 5,000th batter (Rickey Henderson)

1990 - Pres Bush calls up military reserves

1991 - Krizstina Egerszegi swims world record 100 m backstroke (1:00.31)

1992 - Matthews & Warne spin Australia to a famous win v Sri Lanka

1992 - FBI HRT sniper Lon Horiuchi shoots and kills Vicki Weaver during an 11-day siege at her home at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.

1993 - "In the Summer House" closes at Beaumont Theater NYC after 25 perfs

1993 - Hiromi Kobayash wins Minnesota LPGA Golf Classic

1994 - DNA testing links OJ Simpson to murder of Nicole Simpson & Ron Goldman

1994 - Wim Cook government forms in Neth

1995 - FBI agent Lon Horiuchi shoots at Randy Weaver's cabin in Idaho

2003 - Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is suspended after refusing to comply with a federal court order to remove a rock inscribed with the Ten Commandments from the lobby of the Alabama Supreme Court building.

• 2004 - A version of The Scream and Madonna, two paintings by Edvard Munch, are stolen at gunpoint from a museum in Oslo, Norway.

2007 - The Texas Rangers rout the Baltimore Orioles 30-3, the most runs scored by a team in modern MLB history.

2007 - The Storm botnet, a botnet created by the Storm Worm, sends out a record 57 million e-mails in one day

2012 - 47 people are killed in the Syrian civil war

2012 - 48 people are killed in Kenyan tribal wars between the Pokomo and Orma

2012 - Russia and Vanuatu become members of the World Trade Organization

1485 - The War of the Roses ended with the death of England's King Richard III. He was killed in the Battle of Bosworth Field. His successor was Henry V II.   1567 - The "Council of Blood" was established by the Duke of Alba. This was the beginning of his reign of terror in the Netherlands.   1642 - The English Civil War began when Charles I called Parliament and its soldiers traitors.   1762 - Ann Franklin became the editor of the Mercury of Newport in Rhode Island. She was the first female editor of an American newspaper.   1770 - Australia was claimed under the British crown when Captain James Cook landed there.   1775 - The American colonies were proclaimed to be in a state of open rebellion by England's King George III.   1846 - The U.S. annexed New Mexico.   1851 - The schooner America outraced the Aurora off the English coast to win a trophy that became known as the America's Cup.   1865 - A patent for liquid soap was received by William Sheppard.   1902 - In Hartford, CT, U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt became the first president of the United States to ride in an automobile.   1906 - The Victor Talking Machine Company of Camden, NJ began to manufacture the Victrola. The hand-cranked unit, with horn cabinet, sold for $200.   1910 - Japan formally annexed Korea.   1911 - It was announced that Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" had been stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The painting reappeared two years later in Italy.   1932 - The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) began its first TV broadcast in England.   1938 - Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appeared on the cover of "LIFE" magazine.   1941 - Nazi troops reached the outskirts of Leningrad during World War II.   1950 - Althea Gibson became the first black tennis player to be accepted into a national competition.   1951 - 75,052 people watched the Harlem Globetrotters perform. It was the largest crowd to see a basketball game.   1959 - Stephen Rockefeller married Anne Marie Rasmussen. Anne had once been a maid for the powerful and wealthy Rockefeller family.   1968 - Pope Paul VI arrived in Bogota, Colombia, for the start of the first papal visit to Latin America.   1972 - Due to its racial policies, Rhodesia was asked to withdraw from the 20th Olympic Summer Games.   1973 - Henry Kissinger was named Secretary of State by U.S. President Nixon. Kissinger won the Nobel Peace Prize in the same year.   1984 - The last Volkswagen Rabbit rolled off the assembly line in New Stanton, PA.   1986 - Kerr-McGee Corp. agreed to pay the estate of the late Karen Silkwood $1.38 million to settle a 10-year-old nuclear contamination lawsuit.   1989 - Nolan Ryan became the first major league pitcher to strike out 5000 batters. (MLB)   1990 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush signed an order for calling reservists to aid in the build up of troops in the Persian Gulf.   1990 - The U.S. State Department announced that the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait would not be closed under President Saddam Hussein's demand.   1990 - Angry smokers blocked a street in Moscow to protest the summer-long cigarette shortage.   1991 - It was announced by Yugoslavia that a truce ordered on August 7th with Croatia had collapsed.   1991 - Mikhail S. Gorbachev returned to Moscow after the collapse of the hard-liners' coup. On the same day he purged the men that had tried to oust him.   1992 - In Rostock, Germany, neo-Nazi violence broke out against foreigners.   1996 - U.S. President Clinton signed legislation that ended guaranteed cash payments to the poor and demanded work from recipients.   1998 - "The Howard Stern Radio Show" premiered on CBS to about 70% of the U.S.   2004 - In Oslo, Norway, a version of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" and his work "Madonna" were stolen from the Munch Museum. This version of "The Scream," one of four different versions, was a tempera painting on board. 

1642 The English Civil War began between supporters of King Charles I (Royalists or Cavaliers) and those of Oliver Cromwell (Roundheads).   1775 King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in open rebellion.  1846 The United States annexed New Mexico.  1851 The U.S. yacht America outraced the British Aurora off the English coast to win a trophy that became known as the America's Cup.  1902 Theodore Roosevelt became the first United States president to ride in an automobile.  1910 Korea was annexed by Japan after five years as a protectorate.  1989 Black Panther co-founder Huey P. Newton was shot to death in Oakland, Calif.  2003 Alabama's chief justice, Roy Moore, was suspended for refusing to move a Ten Commandments monument from the state courthouse.  2004 A version of Edvard Munch's painting The Scream was stolen in Norway. Another version had been stolen in 1994  

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/aug22.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Coming Across an Unusual Looking Plant at the Delaware Raritan Canal

 

Saw this rather odd-looking plant yesterday during my walk at the Delaware-Raritan Canal, and it just seemed unusual. Guessing it's specific to the late summer or approaching autumn season, although I am hardly the expert on such matters.

Nevertheless, I took a picture. It seemed worth sharing here.

Enjoy.

CFL 2026 Season Update For the Weekend of August 21st - 23rd, 2026

 

Something like half of the CFL season has now passed, and I am only now getting around to beginning to cover it for the first time.

Yet, this was a busy year for sports coverage. I attended the French Open (well, sort of) earlier this year. There was the World Cup, and I managed to go to one game there as well. More recently, the NFL preseason began, too.

But I was not really yet paying attention to the CFL season. And it seemed time to finally remedy that now, with an entry to try and catch up.

So here goes:

The Montreal Alouettes have played in two of the last three Grey Cups. They won it the first time around, then lost it last year. But you have to figure that they have a good chance of making it back this year again, if they keep playing the way that they have to this point. They just defeated the Ottawa Redblacks, 46-16, to improve their overall record to a league best 9-1 mark at the midseason. That puts them 4 1/2 games ahead of the rest of the East, with eight games left to play. Defensively, they are the toughest unit in the East, and their offense is far and away higher scoring than any other team in the East. In fact, only the Calgary Stampeders have scored more points so far this season. Clearly, the Alouettes appear to be in as good a shape at this point as you could expect any team to be.

After that in the East, the Toronto Argonauts are second at 4-5, with the Hamilton Tigercats close on their heels at 4-6. In dead last place right now is Ottawa, who have yet to win a game and compiled a record of 0-10. Barring some kind of a miracle, the Redblacks really do not appear to have any shot at reaching the postseason. 

Out in the West, the Edmonton Elks suddenly have roared to life. This team was the worst in the West for years. Now, however, they appear to be the best of the West, with a record of 7-3. Still, that is only half a game ahead of the defending champions, the Saskatchewan Roughriders at 6-3. The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have been a force in the CFL for many years, and they too remain relevant so far at 5-4 at this midseason point. The BC Lions are behind them at 4-6, and Calgary presently is in last place in the West Division at 4-6. But no team in the West Division is out of it like, say, the Ottawa Redblacks appear to be in the East.

As mention, Montreal defeated Ottawa. Later this evening, the Winnipeg Blue Bombers will visit the first place Edmonton Elks. Tomorrow, the Hamilton Tigercats will go on the road to take on the interprovince rivals, the Toronto Argos. And on Sunday, the Roughriders will take on the Lions in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

August 21st: 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 959, Erachus became the Bishop of Luik. 

• In 1192 on this day, Minamoto Yoritomo became Seii Tai Shōgun and the de facto ruler of Japan. (Traditional Japanese date: July 12, 1192). 

• On this day in 1321, 160 Jews of Chincon, France, were burned at the stake. Tycho Brahe became interested in astronomy on this day in 1560. In 1598 on this day (and into the 22nd), the Deed of Transfers proclaimed the independence of Netherlands. On this day in 1673, there was a sea battle at Kijkduin, with De Ruyter defeating the English & French fleets. Pueblo Indians drove out the Spanish and took possession of Santa Fé (in present day New Mexico) on this day in 1680. The Battle of Dunkeld in Scotland took place on this day in 1689. The Ottoman army removed Sultan Mustafa II on this day in 1703. 

• In 1718 on this day, Emperor Karel VI, the Ottoman Empire, and Venice signed a peace treaty. On this day in 1760, the church (later cathedral) of "Our Lady of Candlemas of Mayagüez (Puerto Rico)" was founded, establishing the basis for the founding of the city. 

• On this day in 1772, King Gustav III completed his coup d'etat by adopting a new Constitution, ending half a century of parliamentary rule in Sweden and installing himself as an enlightened despot. 

• The Battle of Vimeiro was fought on this day in 1808, with British and Portuguese forces led by General Arthur Wellesley defeating French force under Major-General Jean-Andoche Junot near the village of Vimeiro, Portugal. It was the first Anglo-Portuguese victory of the Peninsular War. 

• On this day in 1810, Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, the Marshal of France, was elected Crown Prince of Sweden by the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates.

1821 - Jarvis Island is discovered by the crew of the ship, Eliza Frances.

1831 - Nat Turner slave revolt kills 55 (Southampton County, Virginia)

 1831 Nat Turner led an insurrection of slaves in Virginia.  

1841 - John Hampton patents venetian blind

Flag of Australia

• The city of Hobart, Tasmania, was founded on this day in 1842.

1852 - Tlingit Indians destroy Fort Selkirk, Yukon Territory.

• 1856 - America's first consul to Japan, Townsend Harris, arrives in Shimoda. (Traditional Japanese date: July 21, 1856)

Lincoln Memorial Sculpture by Daniel French i Washington, D.C.

• The first of the famous debates between Senator Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln took place on this day in 1858 in Illinois.   

Monument to Johann Strauss at the Stadtpark.

•  The Vienna Stadtpark (in modern day Vienna, Austria) opened its gates on this day in 1862.

1863 - Raid at Lawrence KS by William Quantrill

1864 - BBT Charleston, SC [->DEC 31]

1864 - Battle at Globe Tavern, Virginia, ends after 2500 casualties

1864 - Battle of Grubbs Crossroads, KY

1864 - Battle of Summit Point, VA

1864 - Gen-major Nathan B Forrests assault on Memphis, Tennessee

1878 - American Bar Association organizes at Sarasota, NY

1878 - Edward Pooley completes record 8 stumpings in a cricket match

1879 - The Virgin Mary, along with St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist, reportedly appears to the people of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland.

1883 - Providence shuts out Phillies 28-0

1887 - Mighty (Dan) Casey struck-out in a game with NY Giants!

1888 - William Seward Burroughs patents adding machine

1891 - Dutch Mackay government resigns

1897 - Oldsmobile begins operation as a General Motors Corp division

1901 - 21st US Mens Tennis: William Larned beats Beals C Wright (62 68 64 64)

1901 - Joe McGinnity, suspended from NL for punching & spitting on an ump

• The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre museum in France by an Italian waiter, Vicenzo Perruggia, on this day in 1911.  

1912 - Mr Carter-Cotton chosen 1st chancellor of Univ of British Columbia

1914 - 20th US Golf Open: Walter Hagen shoots a 290 at Midlothian CC Ill

1914 - Belgium: German troops occupy Tamines

• In 1914 on this day during World War I, there was a French offensive in the Ardennen/Sambre.

• 1915 - Italy declares war on Turkey in World War I

1922 - Curly Lambeau & Green Bay Football Club granted NFL franchise

1925 - BV Emmen soccer team forms

1926 - -22] Uprising against Greek president/dictator Pangalos

1927 - 4th Pan-African Congress meets (NYC)

1930 - Prohibition of Wieringermeer finished

1931 - Babe Ruth hits his 600th HR, off George Blaeholder of Browns

1932 - Wes Ferrell is 1st to win 20 games in each of his 1st 4 seasons

1933 - Ruth's homer leads AL to a 4-2 win in 1st All Star Game

1938 - Italy bars all Jewish teachers in Public & High School

1940 Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky died in Mexico City.

1942 - Alpine hunters plant German flag on Elbroezgebergte, Kaukasus

1942 - Transport nr 22 departs with French Jews to nazi-Germany

• 1942 - World War II: a Nazi flag is installed atop the Mount Elbrus.

1943 - Gromyko named USSR-ambassador in Washington

1943 - Japan leaves Aleutian Islands

1944 - Germans storm up Hill 262 (Mont Ormel) Normandy

1944 - Grieg/Work/Forest's musical "Song of Norway," premieres in NYC

1944 - Raid on Jewish childrens house in Secrétan/St-Mandé

1944 - US 12nd Army corp occupies Sens

Bust of American President Harry Truman

• On this day in 1945, U.S. President Harry Truman ended the Lend-Lease program that had shipped about $50 billion in aid to America's Allies during World War II.   

1959 - Hawaii became the 50th state. U.S. President Eisenhower also issued the order for the 50 star flag.   1963 - In South Vietnam, martial law was declared. Army troops and police began to crackdown on the Buddhist anti-government protesters.   1971 - Laura Baugh, at the age of 16, won the United States Women's Amateur Golf tournament. She was the youngest winner in the history of the tournament.   1984 - Victoria Roche, a reserve outfielder, became the first girl to ever compete in a Little League World Series game.   1984 - Clint Eastwood was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   1989 - Voyager 2, a U.S. space probe, got close to the Neptune moon called Triton.   

1953 - Marion Carl in Douglas Skyrocket reaches record 25,370 m

1953 - Sultan Sidi Mohammed Am Joessoef V of Morocco deposed

1956 - WTVW TV channel 7 in Evansville, IN (ABC) begins broadcasting

1957 - 1st launching in Baikonur, Kazachstan (R7 "Semiorka"-rocket)

1958 - KUT-FM in Austin Texas begins radio transmissions

1959 - Hawaii becomes 50th US state

• 1961 - Jomo Kenyatta freed from prison in Kenya

1962 - Verne Gagne beats Mister M (doctor X) in Minn, to become NWA champ

1963 - Jerry Lynch's record 15th pinch-hit HR gives Pirates a 7-6 win

1963 - Martial law declared in S Vietnam, following raids on Buddhist pagodas

1965 - Gemini 5 launched into Earth orbit (2 astronauts)

1965 - Romania adopts constitution

1965 - The Crusher beats Mad Dog Vachon in St Paul, to become NWA champ

1966 - Mickey Wright wins LPGA Women's Western Golf Open

1967 - China reports downing of 2 US bombers

1967 - Ken Harrelson becomes baseball's 1st free agent

1967 - Liquid gas tanker explodes in Martelange Belgium, 22 killed

1967 - Mikis Theodorakis arrested in Greece

1968 - After 5 years Russia once again jams Voice of America radio

• 1968 - Democratic Convention opens in Chicago

1968 - Marine James Anderson Jr is 1st black Medal of Honor winner

1968 - Radio Prague (Czech) at 12:50 AM announces a soviet led invasion

1968 - Warsaw Pact forces enter Czechoslovakia to end reform movement

1968 - William Dana reaches 80 km (last high-altitude X-15 flight)

1969 - Fire in Al-Aksa-mosque in Jerusalem

1972 - 1st hot air balloon flight over Alps

1972 - British harbor strike ends

1972 - Grace Slick maced by police when a band official called cops, pigs

1972 - Republican convention opens in Miami Beach

1972 - US orbiting astronomy observatory Copernicus launched

1975 - 3 truck pile up kills 10, injures 26 on French highway

1975 - Rick & Paul Reuschel become 1st brothers to pitch a combined shut out

1975 - US lightens trade embargo against Cuba

1976 - Al Bumbry hits 17th inside-the-park HR in Oriole history

1976 - Battle East Sussex: Mary Langdon becomes 1st British firewoman

1976 - Operation Paul Bunyan at Panmunjeom, Korea.

1977 - Debbie Austin wins LPGA Wheeling Golf Classic

1977 - Donna Patterson Brice sets high speed water skiing rec (111.11 mph)

1978 - 1st gay theme telefilm - Matlovich vs US Air Force

• 1982 - Palestinian terrorists are dispersed from Beirut

1982 - Rollie Fingers (Brewers) becomes 1st pitcher to get save #300

1983 - "La Cage aux Folles" opens at Palace Theater NYC for 1761 performances

1983 - 110°F (43°C) at Fayetteville, North Carolina (state record)

1983 Corazon Aquino's husband Benigno, who was Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos's chief political opponent, was assassinated.  

1986 - Lake Nios Volcano in Cameroon kills 1,746

1986 - Surinames Ronnie Brunswijks Jungle commandos kill 2 government officials

• 1986 - Volcanic eruption in Cameroon releases poison gas, killing 2,000

1986 - With 2 outs in 6th inning, Red Sox score 11 runs

1987 - "Mack Lobell" set harness racing's trotting mil (1:52)

1987 - Clayton Lonetree, 1st marine court-martialed for spying, convicted

1987 - Silke Horneer swims female world record 100m breaststroke (1:07.91)

1988 - Cease fire between Iran & Iraq takes effect after 8 years of war

1988 - Juli Inkster wins LPGA Atlantic City Golf Classic

1989 - Voyager 2 begins a flyby of planet Neptune

• 1991 - Communist coup is crushed in USSR in 2 days

The flag of the USSR (Soviet Union)

• 1991 - The hard-line coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev ended. The uprising that led to the collapse was led by Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin.   

1992 - NBC News fired Authur Kent two weeks after he refused an assignment to war-torn Croatia.   1993 - NASA lost contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft. The fate of the spacecraft was unknown. The mission cost $980 million.   1994 - Ernesto Zedillo won the Mexican presidential election.   1996 - The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was signed by U.S. President Clinton. The act made it easier to obtain and keep health insurance.   1997 - Hudson Foods Inc. closed a plant in Nebraska after it had recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef that was potentially contaminated with E. coli 01557:H7. It was the largest food recall in U.S. history.   

• 1997 - Afghanistan suspended its embassy operations in the United States.   1997 - Cicely Tyson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   1998 - Wesley Snipes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   2002 - In Pakistan, President General Pervez Musharraf unilaterally amended the Pakistani constitution. He extended his term in office and granted himself powers that included the right to dissolve parliament.   2003 - In Ghana, businessman Gyude Bryant was selected to oversee the two-year power-sharing accord between Liberia's rebels and the government. The accord was planned to guide the country out of 14 years of civil war

Flag of Latvia.

•  Latvia declared its independence from the Soviet Union on this day in 1991.

• 1993 - NASA loses contact with Mars Observer

1994 - -23] Typhoon Fred ravages Chinese county Zhejiang, 700+ killed

1994 - Ernesto Zedillo wins Mexican presidential election

1994 - Jane Geddes wins LPGA Chicago Golf Challenge

1994 - Royal Air Maroc ATR-42 crash down at Agadir, 44 killed

1995 - US marshals move in on Randy Weaver's cabin in Idaho

1996 - "Hughie," opens at Circle in Sq Theater NYC

1996 - Christie Lee Woods, 18, of Texas, crowned 14th Miss Teen USA

1996 - Netscape Browser 3.0 is released

1997 - Typhoon Winnie kills 140, injures 3,000 in East China

1997 - US government forces closure of Hudson Foods due to E Coli break out

• 2001 - NATO decides to send a peace-keeping force to the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

2001 - The Red Cross announces that a famine is striking Tajikistan, and calls for international financial aid for Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

2007 - Hurricane Dean makes its first landfall in Costa Maya, Mexico with winds at 165 mph. Dean is the first storm since Hurricane Andrew to make landfall as a Category 5.

2012 - 20 people in the Democratic Republic of the Congo die from the Ebola virus

• 2017 - Next total solar eclipse visible from North America

1680 - The Pueblo Indians drove the Spanish out and took possession of Santa Fe, NM.   1831 - Nat Turner, a former slave, led a violent insurrection in Virginia. He was later executed.   1841 - A patent for venetian blinds was issued to John Hampton.   1878 - The American Bar Association was formed by a group of lawyers, judges and law professors in Saratoga, NY.   1888 - The adding machine was patented by William Burroughs.   1912 - Arthur R. Eldred became the first American boy to become an Eagle Scout. It is the highest rank in the Boy Scouts of America.   1923 - In Kalamazoo, Michigan, an ordinance was passed forbidding dancers from gazing into the eyes of their partner.   1943 - Japan evacuated the Aleutian island of Kiaska. Kiaska had been the last North American foothold held by the Japanese.   1945 - U.S. President Truman ended the Lend-Lease program that had shipped about $50 billion in aid to America's Allies during World War II.   1959 - Hawaii became the 50th state. U.S. President Eisenhower also issued the order for the 50 star flag.   1963 - In South Vietnam, martial law was declared. Army troops and police began to crackdown on the Buddhist anti-government protesters.   1971 - Laura Baugh, at the age of 16, won the United States Women's Amateur Golf tournament. She was the youngest winner in the history of the tournament.   1984 - Victoria Roche, a reserve outfielder, became the first girl to ever compete in a Little League World Series game.   1984 - Clint Eastwood was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   1989 - Voyager 2, a U.S. space probe, got close to the Neptune moon called Triton.   1991 - The hard-line coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev ended. The uprising that led to the collapse was led by Russian federation President Boris Yeltsin.   1992 - NBC News fired Authur Kent two weeks after he refused an assignment to war-torn Croatia.   1993 - NASA lost contact with the Mars Observer spacecraft. The fate of the spacecraft was unknown. The mission cost $980 million.   1994 - Ernesto Zedillo won the Mexican presidential election.   1996 - The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was signed by U.S. President Clinton. The act made it easier to obtain and keep health insurance.   1997 - Hudson Foods Inc. closed a plant in Nebraska after it had recalled 25 million pounds of ground beef that was potentially contaminated with E. coli 01557:H7. It was the largest food recall in U.S. history.   1997 - Afghanistan suspended its embassy operations in the United States.   1997 - Cicely Tyson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   1998 - Wesley Snipes received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.   2002 - In Pakistan, President General Pervez Musharraf unilaterally amended the Pakistani constitution. He extended his term in office and granted himself powers that included the right to dissolve parliament.   2003 - In Ghana, businessman Gyude Bryant was selected to oversee the two-year power-sharing accord between Liberia's rebels and the government. The accord was planned to guide the country out of 14 years of civil war

1680 Pueblo Indians drove out the Spanish and took possession of Santa Fe, N.M.  1831 Nat Turner led an insurrection of slaves in Virginia.  1858 The famous debates between Senator Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln began in Illinois.   1911 The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre museum in France by an Italian waiter, Vicenzo Perruggia.  1940 Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky died in Mexico City.  1945 Harry S. Truman announced the end of the Lend-Lease Program.   1959 Hawaii became the 50th state in the United States.  1983 Corazon Aquino's husband Benigno, who was Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos's chief political opponent, was assassinated.   1991 Latvia declared its independence from the Soviet Union.

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/aug21.htm

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

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory