Associated Press
Today in History: Wednesday, July 29, 2015
On July 29, 1588, the English soundly defeated the Spanish Armada in the Battle of Gravelines.
On this date in:
1890- Artist Vincent van Gogh died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Auvers, France, at age 37.
1914- Transcontinental telephone service began with the first phone conversation between New York and San Francisco.
1948- Britain’s King George VI opened the Olympic Games in London.
1957- Jack Paar debuted as host of NBC’s “Tonight” show.
1958- President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill creating the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
1967- Fire swept the USS Forrestal in the Gulf of Tonkin, killing 134 servicemen.
1981- Britain’s Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London.
1993- The Israeli Supreme Court acquitted retired Ohio autoworker John Demjanjuk of being Nazi death camp guard “Ivan the Terrible” and threw out his death sentence.
1999- A day trader opened fire in two Atlanta brokerage offices, killing nine people and wounding 13 before shooting himself to death; he had earlier killed his wife and two children.
2008- Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, was indicted on seven felony counts of concealing more than a quarter of a million dollars in house renovations and gifts he had received from a powerful oil contractor. (A judge later dismissed the case, saying prosecutors had withheld evidence.)
2008- Army scientist Bruce Ivins commited suicide as prosecutors prepared to indict him in the 2001 anthrax attacks.
Today’s Birthdays:
Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns turns 62 years old today.
Nancy Kassebaum Baker, Former U.S. senator, R-Kansas, 83
Elizabeth Dole, Former U.S. senator, R-N.C., 79
Marilyn Quayle, Wife of former Vice President Dan Quayle, 66
Tim Gunn, TV personality (“Project Runway”), 62
Geddy Lee, Rock singer, musician (Rush), 62
Patti Scialfa, Rock singer, musician (The E Street Band), 62
Martina McBride, Country singer, 49
Wil Wheaton, Actor, 43
Danger Mouse, DJ (Gnarls Barkley), 38
Rachel Miner, Actress, 35
Actor Stephen Dorff turns 42 years old today.