August 16
1777
The Revolutionary War battle of Bennington, Vt., won by American forces.
1829
The original Siamese twins, Eng and Chang, arrived in Boston.
1948
Baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York City at age 53.
1960
Cyprus, the third-largest island in the Mediterranean, became an independent republic.
1962
Algeria was admitted to the Arab League.
1977
Elvis Presley died at Graceland, his Memphis, Tenn., home, from heart failure at age 42.
2003
Former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin died.
Birthdays
Menachem Begin
1913–92, Zionist leader and Israeli prime minister (1977–83), born in Russia.
George Meany
labor leader (1894)
Charles Bukowski
fiction writer (1920)
Frank Gifford
football player (1930)
Suzanne Farrell
ballet dancer (1945)
James Cameron
director (1954)
Madonna
pop singer and actress (1958)