Today is Friday, Aug. 8, the 220th day of 2014. There are 145 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On August 8, 1974, President Richard Nixon announced his resignation, effective the next day, following
damaging new revelations in the Watergate scandal.
On this date:
In 1814, during the War of 1812, peace talks between the United States and Britain began in Ghent,
Belgium.
In 1911, President William Howard Taft signed a measure raising the number of U.S. representatives from
391 to 433, effective with the next Congress, with a proviso to add two more when New Mexico and Arizona
became states.
In 1937, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Japan completed its occupation of Beijing.
In 1945, President Harry S. Truman signed the U.S. instrument of ratification for the United Nations
Charter. The Soviet Union declared war against Japan during World War II.
In 1963, Britain’s "Great Train Robbery" took place as thieves made off with 2.6 million pounds
in banknotes.
In 1968, the Republican national convention in Miami Beach nominated Richard Nixon for president on the
first ballot.
In 1973, Vice President Spiro T. Agnew branded as "damned lies" reports he had taken kickbacks
from government contracts in Maryland, and vowed not to resign – which he ended up doing.
In 1978, the U.S. launched Pioneer Venus 2, which carried scientific probes to study the atmosphere of
Venus.
In 1994, Israel and Jordan opened the first road link between the two once-warring countries.
In 2007, space shuttle Endeavour roared into orbit with teacher-astronaut Barbara Morgan on board.
Five years ago: Sonia Sotomayor was sworn in as the U.S. Supreme Court’s first Hispanic and third female
justice. A small plane collided with a sightseeing helicopter over the Hudson River in New York City,
killing nine people, including five Italian tourists.
One year ago: The U.S. sharply escalated its drone war in Yemen, with military officials in the Arab
country reporting three strikes that left a dozen dead.