August 19th
Today in America's Present Past
1782 | War of Independence: The Battle of Blue Licks, Kentucky.
1785 | Entrepreneur Seth Thomas was born.
1791 | Civil Rights: Benjamin Banneker sends a copy of his Almanac and writes a letter to Thomas Jefferson criticizing his pro-slavery stance.
1812 | War of 1812: The U.S. warship Constitution defeated the British warship Guerriere.
1814 | Entrepreneur Mary Ellen Pleasant was born.
1814 | War of 1812: British forces landed at Benedict, Maryland.
1831 | General Stephen Gano Burbridge, "Butcher of Kentucky,” was born.
1838 | Engineer James Geddes died.
1851 | Pharmacist and entrepreneur Charles E. Hires was born.
1871 | Inventor Orville Wright was born.
1896 | Geologist Josiah Dwight Whitney died.
1902 | Poet Ogden Nash was born.
1906 | Inventor Philo T. Farnsworth was born.
1919 | Publisher Malcom Forbes was born.
1921 | Author Gene Roddenberry was born.
1930 | Author Frank McCourt was born.
1934 | The first All-American Soap Box Derby is held in Dayton, Ohio.
1937 | SCOTUS: Justice Hugo Black was sworn in.
1940 | Journalist and politician Allan Louis Benson died.
1942 | Actor and politician Fred Thompson was born.
1944 | Author Jack Canfield was born.
1946 | POTUS: President Bill Clinton was born.
1964 | Entrepreneur and politician Pete Ricketts was born.
1965 | Actor Kevin Dillon was born.
1967 | Civil Rights: A Long, hot summer of riots continues in New Haven, Connecticut.
1969 | Musician Clay Walker was born.
1969 | Actor Matthew Perry was born.
1977 | Comedian Groucho Marx died.
1991 | Civil Rights: Crown Heights riot in Brooklyn, New York City.
1994 | Chemist Linus Pauling died.
2023 | Computer scientist John Warnock died.