Associated Press
Today in History: Friday, August 07, 2015
On Aug. 7, 1998, al Qaida set off bombs at the U.S. embassies in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, killing 224 people – including 12 Americans – and injuring more than 5,500.
1912- The Progressive Party nominated Theodore Roosevelt for president.
1942- U.S. forces landed at Guadalcanal, marking the start of the first major allied offensive in the Pacific during World War II.
1964- Congress passed the Gulf of Tonkin resolution, giving President Lyndon B. Johnson broad powers to deal with reported North Vietnamese attacks on U.S. forces.
1971- Apollo 15 returned to Earth after a manned mission to the moon.
1974- French stuntman Philippe Petit walked a tightrope strung between the twin towers of New York’s World Trade Center.
1990- President George H.W. Bush ordered U.S. troops and warplanes to Saudi Arabia to guard the oil-rich desert kingdom against a possible invasion by Iraq.
2000- Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore chose Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman as his running mate, making him the first Jewish candidate on a major party ticket.
2002- Major league baseball players and owners agreed on the sport’s first tests for steroids.
2007- Barry Bonds became baseball’s career home run leader when he hit No. 756 during a home game in San Francisco, passing Hank Aaron’s mark.
2008- Georgia shelled the capital of breakaway republic South Ossetia. (Russia responded by occupying much of Georgia in a five-day war.)
2009- Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin accused President Barack Obama of proposing a “death panel” that would decide who receives treatment in his health care plan.
2010- Elena Kagan was sworn in as the 112th justice and fourth woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.
Today’s Birthdays:
Actor David Duchovny (“The X Files,” “Californication”) turns 55 years old today.
Garrison Keillor, Writer, humorist (“A Prairie Home Companion”), 73
B.J. Thomas, Singer, 73
John Glover, Actor, 71
Wayne Knight, Actor (“Seinfeld”), 60
Alberto Salazar, Marathon runner, 57
Harold Perrineau, Actor (“Lost”), 52
Abbie Cornish, Actress, 33
Sidney Crosby, Hockey player, 28
Mike Trout, Baseball player, 24
Actress Charlize Theron turns 40 years old today.