August 22nd
Today in 1865,liquid soap was patented.
Today in 1902,Theodore Roosevelt became the first President to ride in an automobile.
Today in 1911,it was announced that Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa" had been stolen from the Louvre Museum in Paris. The painting, which had been stolen the night before,reappeared two years later in Italy.
Today in 1950,Althea Gibson became the first black tennis player to be accepted into a national competition.
Today in 1951,more than 75-thousand fans watched the Harlem Globetrotters perform. It was the largest crowd ever gathered at that time to see a basketball game.
Today in 1986,Kerr-McGee Corp.agreed to pay the estate of the late Karen Silkwood $1.38-million to settle a 10-year-old nuclear contamination lawsuit.
Today in 1989,Black Panther co-founder Huey P. Newton was shot to death in Oakland, California. Gunman Tyrone Robinson was later sentenced to 32 years to life in prison.
Today in 1989,Nolan Ryan became the first major league pitcher to strike out 5000 batters.
Today in 1990,angry smokers blocked a street in Moscow to protest the summer-long cigarette shortage.
Today in 1995,Congressman Mel Reynolds (D-IL)was convicted in Chicago of sexual misconduct involving an underage campaign volunteer. Sentenced to five years in prison, he was later convicted of lying to obtain loans and of illegally siphoning campaign money for personal use. While serving a five-year sentence in that case, he was convicted on charges of tax fraud and illegally raising campaign cash while in Congress and defrauding banks. He was sentenced to six-months for those charges in May 2018.
Today in 2007,the Texas Rangers beat the Baltimore Orioles 30-3,the most runs scored by a team in modern MLB history.
Today in 2017,Missouri Governor Eric Greitens granted a stay of execution for Marcellus Williams in light of possible new DNA evidence. While thatDNA supports his innocence, Williams remains in prison– as Greitens’ tenure was cut short by scandal – and he didn’t pardon Williams before stepping down.