This Week in History: Aug. 14th-20th

Aug 14- 1457: Mainz Psalter is printed by Johan Fust and Peter Schoeffer in Mainz, Germany. It was the first book to include printed publisher names and publication date; it was the world’s second book printed on a press using movable type (the Gutenberg Bible being the first). 1936: The last public hanging in the United States takes place in Owensboro, KY, as convicted murderer Rainey Bethea is executed. 1945: Japan agrees to surrender unconditionally, bringing an end to World War II in the Pacific. 1980: More than 17,000 workers go on strike at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk, Poland, ushering in the Solidarity Movement in eastern Europe.

Aug 15- 1947: India gains independence after almost 89 years of British rule. The “British Raj” had begun in 1858 in response to the Indian Rebellion of 1857, with the British government taking over administration of the colony from the East India Company. 1969: The Woodstock Music Festival begins at a 600-acre dairy farm near Bethel, NY. Local officials had expected a crowd of 50,000 for “Three Days of Peace and Music” but more than ten times as many people (est.) traveled to the small village in rural New York state (nearly 50 miles from the actual town of Woodstock!), causing massive traffic congestion and overwhelming local services. Attendees witnessed performances by some of the leading musicians of the day, including Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Jimi Hendrix, and the group Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young. 2015: North Korea establishes its own time zone, setting the country’s clocks back 30 minutes (GMT +8.5).

Aug 16- 1896: American prospector George Carmack discovers gold in Rabbit Creek (later renamed Bonanza Creek), a tributary of the Klondike River in Canada’s Yukon Territory. When news of the discovery reached the outside world, tens of thousands of people from around the world, especially the United States, made the trip to the Klondike area in search of riches. 1954: The first issue of Sports Illustrated is published, featuring Milwaukee Braves star Eddie Matthews at the plate, along with NY Giants catcher Wes Westrum and umpire Augie Donatelli, in Milwaukee’s County Stadium. 1977: Elvis Presley, one of the best-selling musical artists in history, died unexpectedly at his Graceland estate in Memphis, TN. The 42-year-old singer, whose abuse of prescription drugs and unhealthy eating habits were well-documented, died from a heart attack, according to Tennessee medical officials.

Aug 17- 1903: Newspaper publisher Joseph Pulitzer donates $1,000,000 to Columbia University, which establishes the Columbia School of Journalism and administers the awarding of the Pulitzer Prize for a variety of literary accomplishments. 1933: NY Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig plays in his 1,308th consecutive game, setting a new major league record for durability. The “Iron Horse” would extend his streak to 2,130 games until sitting out on April 30, 1939. He never played another game. 1945: Korea is divided into two separate countries, North and South, along the 38° parallel. 1949: The Republic of Indonesia gains independence from The Netherlands after more than 125 years of Dutch rule.

Aug 18- 1587: Virginia Dare is born in the Roanoke Colony (now North Carolina), the first child of European parents born in North America. John White, Virginia’s grandfather and the governor of the colony, returned to England shortly after her birth to procure supplies for the colonists. When White returned three years later, all traces of the colony and its residents, including Virginia, had disappeared. 1817: Several Massachusetts fishermen aboard the schooner “Caravan” report seeing a sea serpent some 60-70 feet long off the coast of Gloucester, MA. While there have been multiple reported sightings in subsequent years, no one has been able to “reel-in” the massive creature. 1914: In a speech to the US Senate, President Woodrow Wilson speaks about the war in Europe (World War I) declaring, “The United States must be neutral in fact, as well as in name, during these days that are to try men’s souls.” 1920: The Tennessee legislature ratifies the Nineteenth Amendment, extending voting rights to American women, by one vote, when Rep. Harry T. Burn changes his vote, swayed after reading a letter from his mother urging him to support women’s suffrage. 1940: In a World War II air battle during the Battle of Britain, known as “The Hardest Day,” the British RAF and German Luftwaffe each lose nearly 70 aircraft and dozens of soldiers, prompting PM Winston Churchill to proclaim in Parliament two days afterward: “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Aug 19- 1812: The frigate USS Constitution defeats the British warship Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia during the War of 1812. Reports that British cannonballs bounced off the wooden hull of the US ship like it was made of iron, led to the ship’s well-earned nickname of “Old Ironsides.” 1909: The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is officially opened in Speedway, IN. 1934: With a 90% majority, a public referendum in Germany combines the offices of Chancellor and President, giving Adolf Hitler control of the German army and access to unchecked power. 2010: Operation Iraqi Freedom winds down as the last US combat team returns to Kuwait.

Aug 20- 1619: The first ship carrying captured Africans arrives at Point Comfort, VA (Fort Monroe). The captives would be sold or traded for goods, establishing slavery in North America. 1882: Composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s “1812 Overture” is played for the first time in Moscow, Russia. 1911: A telegraph operator at the New York Times sent a commercial telegram around the world that read “This message sent around the world.” The message traveled over 28,000 miles, being relayed by 16 different operators and routed through San Francisco, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Saigon, Singapore, Bombay, Malta, Lisbon, and the Azores – among other locations – and arrived back at the sender’s station 16.5 minutes after being sent. 1920: The American Professional Football Association is formed in Canton, OH with Olympic Gold Medal winner Jim Thorpe as the group’s president. In 1922, the group would become known as the National Football League (NFL).