Wednesday, August 6, 1997
Today's events
The Solomon Islands hold national elections.
A memorial service for 1945 atomic bombing victims is
scheduled to be held in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
The 1997 Horse Show is scheduled to take place at the Royal
Dublin Society in Dublin, Ireland.
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On the horizon
On Thursday, August 7, "Achievements and perspectives of the
Venezuelan Agenda," a conference, opens in Caracas.
On Friday, August 8, Prime Minister Goh Chok
Tong delivers his National Day address to the people of
Singapore.
On Saturday, August 9, the annual parade of the Apprentice
Boys in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, is scheduled to take
place. The parade celebrates the victory over Roman Catholics
who besieged the city after 13 apprentice boys shut the gates
on the advancing army of King James II.
On Sunday, August 10, hundreds of Rastas from around the
world are expected at the 3rd annual Rastafari Gathering in
Christiansted, St. Croix.
On Monday, August 11, Elvis Week is scheduled to begin in
Memphis, Tennessee.
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On this day
In 1600, Henry IV of France invaded Savoy after negotiations
broke down over Saluzzo, controlled by Savoy since 1588.
In 1726, Russia became part of the Treaty of Vienna and put
30,000 troops at the disposal of her allies in return for
support against a possible war with the Ottoman
Empire.
In 1806, the Holy Roman Empire ended when Francis II
renounced the crown and became Francis I Emperor of Austria.
In 1824, in the Peruvian War of Independence Colombian
patriots with Simon Bolivar defeated the Spanish at the
battle of Junin north west of Lima.
In 1825, Bolivia was proclaimed an independent republic after
nearly 300 years of Spanish rule.
In 1890, convicted murderer William Kemmler became the first
human to die in an electric chair at Auburn Prison, New York.
In 1896, French parliament voted for the annexation of
Madagascar.
In 1914, in World War I, Austria-Hungary declared war on
Russia and Serbia declared war on Germany.
In 1915, fresh allied landings of 25,000 men on Suvla Bay on
the Gallipoli Peninsula failed; 252,000 allied troops were
casualties of the Gallipoli campaign between 1915-1916.
In 1918, in World War I, the second battle of the Marne
ended. In what was the last German attack on the Western
Front they suffered at least 100,000 casualties.
In 1926, U.S. swimmer Gertrude Ederle became the first woman
to swim the English Channel. The swim took just over 14
hours.
In 1940, Estonia formally absorbed into the Soviet Union as
the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic.
In 1945, the U.S. air force dropped the first atomic bomb on
Hiroshima, Japan. It was carried by the B-29 bomber "Enola
Gay." Five square miles were reduced to ashes and at
least 117,000 people were killed.
In 1962, Jamaica became independent after 300 years of
British rule.
In 1981, a coup bid against President Jarawa of Gambia ended
when British SAS troops helped Senegalese troops to free some
30 hostages still held by rebels.
In 1990, the U.N. Security Council voted 13-0 to ban trade
with Iraq except for medicine and some food for humanitarian
relief after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait.
In 1996, U.S. scientists revealed they had found evidence of
ancient life on Mars in remnants of a meteorite discovered in
Antarctica.
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Newslink
Beavis and Butthead have become a worldwide phenomenon thanks
to MTV Asia. Click here
to learn more.
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Holidays and more
Today is Independence Day in Bolivia.
It's a Festival Holiday in the British Virgin Islands.
Today is San Salvador Feast in El Salvador.
Director Paul Bartel is 59.
Actor Peter Bonerz is 59.
Actress Soleil Moon Frye is 21.
Actress Catherine Hicks is 46.
Basketball player David Robinson is 32.
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Sources: Associated Press,
Chase's Calendar of Events 1997, J.P. Morgan
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