Calendar for August 14th, 2012

2001: Tisha B'Av

1848: Oregon Territory organized by Act of Congress

Born 1863: Ernest Lawrence Thayer (poet)

1888: Oliver B. Shallenberger received patent for an electric meter

Died 1891: Sarah Childress Polk (U.S. First Lady)

Born 1926: Alice Ghostley (actress)

1935: President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act

1941: President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill signed an eight point agreement known as the Atlantic Charter

Born 1941: David Crosby (singer, songwriter)

Born 1945: Steve Martin (actor)

Born 1947: Danielle Steel (author)

Born 1950: Gary Larson (cartoonist, creator of The Far Side)

1959: U.S. satellite Explorer VI transmitted the first picture of Earth from space

Born 1959: Earvin "Magic" Johnson (basketball player)

Born 1961: Susan Olsen (actress)

Born 1966: Halle Berry (actress)

Born 1968: Catherine Bell (actress)

Born 1983: Mila Kunis (actress)

Died 1994: Alice Childress (playwright)

2003: The biggest blackout in U.S. history, affecting some 50 million people, engulfed New York City, Albany, Hartford, Toronto, Ottawa, Detroit, Cleveland and Ontario

2004: An estimated 65,000 fans attended Phish's last concert

2005: First Lady Laura Bush announced that Cristeta Comerford was hired to be executive chef at the White House--the first time that a woman has held the job

Died 2006: Bruno Kirby (actor)

Died 2007: Phil Rizzuto (baseball player & announcer)

2012: Aretha Franklin was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame

Died 2012: Ron Palillo (actor)