Today in History: Aug. 23

  • By The Associated Press
  • Wednesday, August 23, 2017 1:30am
  • Life

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 23, the 235th day of 2017. There are 130 days left in the year.

Today’s highlight: On August 23, 1927, amid worldwide protests, Italian-born anarchists Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed in Boston for the murders of two men during a 1920 robbery.

On this date:

In 1305, Scottish rebel leader Sir William Wallace was executed by the English for treason.

In 1775, Britain’s King George III proclaimed the American colonies to be in a state of “open and avowed rebellion.”

In 1858, “Ten Nights in a Bar-room,” a play by Timothy Shay Arthur about the perils of alcohol, opened in New York.

In 1913, Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid statue, inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story, was unveiled in the harbor of the Danish capital.

In 1914, Japan declared war against Germany in World War I.

In 1926, silent film star Rudolph Valentino died in New York at age 31.

In 1939, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union agreed to a non-aggression treaty, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, in Moscow.

In 1947, an audience at the Hollywood Bowl heard President Harry S. Truman’s daughter, Margaret, give her first public concert as a singer (she had previously peformed on the radio).

In 1960, Broadway librettist Oscar Hammerstein II, 65, died in Doylestown, Pennsylvania.

In 1973, a bank robbery-turned-hostage-taking began in Stockholm, Sweden; the four hostages ended up empathizing with their captors, a psychological condition now referred to as “Stockholm Syndrome.”

In 1982, Lebanon’s parliament elected Christian militia leader Bashir Gemayel president. (However, Gemayel was assassinated some three weeks later.)

In 1989, in a case that inflamed racial tensions in New York, Yusuf Hawkins, a 16-year-old black youth, was shot dead after he and his friends were confronted by a group of white youths in the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn. (Gunman Joey Fama was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison; he will be eligible for parole in 2022.)

Ten years ago: A report by top U.S. spy analysts concluded the Iraqi government was strained by rampant violence, deep sectarian differences among its political parties and stymied leadership. Reality TV star Nicole Richie spent 82 minutes in a Los Angeles County jail to complete a four-day sentence for driving under the influence of drugs.

Five years ago: First lady Michelle Obama consoled relatives of worshippers gunned down at a Sikh temple in suburban Milwaukee. Lance Armstrong chose not to pursue arbitration in the drug case brought against him by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, setting the stage for his Tour de France titles to be stripped and his name to be all but wiped from the record books of the sport he once ruled.

One year ago: Standing amid piles of waterlogged debris, President Barack Obama promised a sustained national effort to rebuild flood-ravaged southern Louisiana “even after the TV cameras leave” on a visit aimed in part at stemming campaign-season criticism that he was slow to respond to the disaster. Prosecutors charged a Tulsa man with first-degree murder and committing a hate crime in the killing of his Lebanese Christian neighbor — a culmination of what authorities said was the man’s violent feud with the family that spanned several years and included a regular barrage of racial insults and personal confrontations. Actor Steven Hill, 94, died in New York City.

Today’s birthdays: Actress Vera Miles is 87. Actress Barbara Eden is 86. Political satirist Mark Russell is 85. Pro Football Hall of Famer Sonny Jurgensen is 83. Actor Richard Sanders is 77. Ballet dancer Patricia McBride is 75. Former Surgeon General Antonia Novello is 73. Pro Football Hall of Famer Rayfield Wright is 72. Country singer Rex Allen Jr. is 70. Actor David Robb is 70. Singer Linda Thompson is 70. Actress Shelley Long is 68. Actor-singer Rick Springfield is 68. Country singer-musician Woody Paul (Riders in the Sky) is 68. Queen Noor of Jordan is 66. Actor-producer Mark Hudson is 66. Actor Skipp Sudduth is 61. Retired MLB All-Star pitcher Mike Boddicker is 60. Rock musician Dean DeLeo (Army of Anyone; Stone Temple Pilots) is 56. Country musician Ira Dean (Trick Pony) is 48. Actor Jay Mohr is 47. Actor Ray Park is 43. Actor Scott Caan is 41. Country singer Shelly Fairchild is 40. Figure skater Nicole Bobek is 40. Rock singer Julian Casablancas (The Strokes) is 39. Retired NBA player Kobe Bryant is 39. Actress Joanne Froggatt is 37. Neo-soul musician Andy Wild is 36. Actress Annie Ilonzeh is 34. Dance musician Sky Blu is 31. Actress Kimberly Matula is 29. NBA player Jeremy Lin is 29.

Thought for today: “The chains which cramp us most are those which weigh on us least.” — Anne Sophie Swetchine, Russian-French author (1782-1857).

Associated Press

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

2025 Acura MDX (Provided by Acura).
2025 Acura MDX lives up to its reputation

Lively power and handling are the recipe for a fun-to-drive midsize premium SUV

Outback slices through the snow without fanfare. Photo provided by Subaru US Media Center.
2024 Subaru Outback Receives A New Rugged Look

Touring XT Combines Function, Practicality, and Creature Comforts

Explorer Platinum photo provided by Ford Media Center.
2025 Ford Explorer Platinum Includes BlueCruise Hands-Free Driving

Redesigned Exterior And Interior Add More Value

2024 Toyota Tacoma TRD Off-Road 4x4 Double Cab (Provided by Toyota).
2024 Toyota Tacoma is a total redesign

The fourth-generation model of the mid-size pickup is better than ever

Photo provided courtesy of Nissan USA Newsroom
Iconic Z Car Adds Track-Ready NISMO grade

2024 Z NISMO Amplifies The Sports Car Experience

2025 Honda Civic Sedan Hybrid Sport Touring (Provided by Honda).
2025 Honda Civic lineup welcomes new hybrid variants

The Civic Hybrid is available in sedan and hatchback body styles.

Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid compact SUV (Provided by Hyundai).
2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is updated inside and out

A new infotainment system, and safety technology enhancements are included.

Photo provided by Mercedes-Benz Media USA.
Mercedes AMG C 63 S E Performance Delivers Formula 1 Speed, Power And Control

671 HP, 3.3 Seconds 0-To-60 MPH, And 155 MPH Top Speed

The dark days ahead…

It’s hard not to notice the sun is setting earlier and rising… Continue reading

From left: Tina Tang, Autrina Martindale, Kendra Montgomery and Kitaka Makarin. Photo courtesy of Pitch Black Entertainment and Events.
Take a Stand for Women’s Heart Health at the Inaugural Freedom Run 2024 5k

Walk, run, or volunteer to raise awareness for women’s wellness this October!

Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band performs during Cumberland Wild in Cumberland Village on Aug. 17, 2019. Marissa Tiel/ Campbell River Mirror
Marissa Tiel / Campbell River Mirror
Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band plays the Historic Everett Theatre on Friday.
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.