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From: Mary Minnich< >
Subject: [FOLKLORE-L] Today In History - July 18th
Date: Sun, 18 Jul 1999 06:38:51 -0400


Today is Sunday, July 18th, the 199th day of 1999.
There are 166 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On July 18th, 1969, a car driven by Senator Edward M. Kennedy (Democrat,
Massachusetts) plunged off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island near Martha's
Vineyard. His passenger, 28-year-old Mary Jo Kopechne, died.

On this date:
In A.D. H4, the Great Fire of Rome began.

In 1792, American naval hero John Paul Jones died in Paris at age 45.

In 1872, Britain introduced the concept of voting by secret ballot.

In 1927, Ty Cobb hit safely for the four-thousandth time in his career.

In 1932, the United States and Canada signed a treaty to develop the St.
Lawrence Seaway.

In 1936, the Spanish Civil War began as General Francisco Franco led an
uprising of army troops based in Spanish North Africa.

In 1944, Hideki Tojo was removed as Japanese premier and war minister
because of setbacks suffered by his country in World War Two.

In 1947, President Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act, which
placed the speaker of the House and the Senate president pro tempore next in
the line of succession after the vice president.

In 1984, a gunman opened fire at a McDonald's fast food restaurant in San
Ysidro, California, killing 21 people before being shot dead by police.

In 1984, Walter F. Mondale won the Democratic presidential nomination in San
Francisco.

Ten years ago: Actress Rebecca Schaeffer, 21, was shot to death at her Los
Angeles home by obsessed fan Robert Bardo, who was later sentenced to life
in prison.

Five years ago: A car bomb destroyed a Jewish community center in Buenos
Aires, Argentina, killing 95. Tutsi rebels declared an end to Rwanda's
14-week-old civil war.

One year ago: Residents along the northern coast of Papua New Guinea were
left reeling after a 23-foot-high tidal wave hit the night before, killing
an estimated three-thousand people.

Today's Birthdays:
Actor Hume Cronyn is 88.
Former South African President Nelson Mandela is 81.
Senator John Glenn (Democrat, Ohio) is 78.
Skating champion and commentator Dick Button is 70.
Singer Screamin' Jay Hawkins is 70.
Author-journalist Hunter S. Thompson is 62.
Movie director Paul Verhoeven is 61.
Singer Brian Auger is 60.
Singer Dion DiMucci is 60.
Actor James Brolin is 59.
Singer Martha Reeves is 58.
Blues guitarist Lonnie Mack is 58.
Actor Kurt Mann is 52.
Singer Ricky Skaggs is 45.
Rock musician Nigel Twist (The Alarm) is 41.
Actress Audrey Landers is 40.
Actress Elizabeth McGovern is 38.
Rock musician John Hermann (Widespread Panic) is 37.
Rock musician Jack Irons (Pearl Jam) is 37.
Actor Vin Diesel ("Saving Private Ryan") is 32.
Rock musician Tony Fagenson (Eve 6) is 21.
Actor Jason Weaver is 20.

Thought for Today:

"Much misconstruction and bitterness are spared to him who thinks naturally
upon what he owes to others, rather than on what he ought to expect from
them."
-- Elizabeth de Meulan Guizot, French author (1773-1827).

(Copyright 1999 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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