Saturday History
By Andrews McMeel Syndicate
Today is the 261st day of 2021 and the 91st day of summer.
TODAY’S HISTORY:
— In 1793, President George Washington laid the cornerstone for the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C.
— In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which allowed slave owners to reclaim slaves who had escaped to free states.
— In 1947, the National Security Act took effect, establishing the Central Intelligence Agency and making the Air Force an independent branch of the U.S. military.
— In 2014, a majority of voters in Scotland chose to remain part of the United Kingdom.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Samuel Johnson (1709-1784), author/lexicographer; Greta Garbo (1905-1990), actress; Agnes de Mille (1905-1993), dancer/choreographer; Joe Kubert (1926-2012), writer/illustrator; Scotty Bowman (1933-), hockey coach; Fred Willard (1939-2020), actor/comedian; Frankie Avalon (1940-), singer; Rick Pitino (1952-), basketball coach; James Gandolfini (1961-2013), actor; Aisha Tyler (1970-), actress; Lance Armstrong (1971-), cyclist; Jada Pinkett Smith (1971-), actress; Jason Sudeikis (1975-), actor/comedian.
TODAY’S FACT: In 2009, the final episode of the soap opera “Guiding Light” aired, ending its 72-year broadcast run on radio and TV.
TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1999, Sammy Sosa became the first Major League Baseball player to hit more than 60 home runs in two seasons.
TODAY’S QUOTE: “The chains of habit are too weak to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.” — Samuel Johnson
TODAY’S NUMBER: $1 billion — donation pledged “to United Nations causes” by media mogul Ted Turner on this day in 1997. Turner’s United Nations Foundation donated its billionth dollar in 2006, $600 million of which came from Turner himself.
TODAY’S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Sept. 13) and full moon (Sept. 20).
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