Daily Calendar for August 15th, 2017

The Old Farmer's Almanac daily calendar gives you quick reference for the significant events on any day throughout the year.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Catholic churches in the United States mark the feast of the Assumption on August 15 each year to celebrate the assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary's body into heaven upon her death. Assumption Day is considered a Holy Day of Obligation, but if it falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, it is not obligatory by the church to attend mass.

Every Year

• Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

1500s

• 1502: Christopher Columbus first saw cacao beans

1760s

• Born 1769: Napoleon Bonaparte (Emperor of France)

1770s

• Born 1771: Walter Scott (Scottish novelist and poet)

1860s

• Born 1860: Florence Kling Harding (U.S. First Lady)

1870s

• 1877: Thomas Edison suggested using "Hello" when answering phones

• Born 1879: Ethel Barrymore (actress)

1880s

• Born 1887: Edna Ferber (author)

1910s

• Born 1912: Julia Child (culinary expert)

• 1914: First ship passed through the Panama Canal

1920s

• Born 1923: Rose Marie (actress)

• Born 1925: Oscar Peterson (jazz pianist)

1930s

• Died 1935: Wiley Post (first pilot to fly solo around the world)

• Died 1935: Will Rogers (humorist)

1940s

• Born 1944: Linda Ellerbee (journalist)

• 1947: The colony of British India was divided into two independent nations, India and Pakistan

1950s

• Born 1950: Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise Windsor (Princess Anne)

1960s

• 1965: The Beatles opened their United States tour at Shea Stadium In New York City. Over 50,000 fans attended the concert. At the time, this was a world record attendance for a rock concert

• Born 1968: Debra Messing (actress)

• 1969: The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opened on a field near Yasgur's Farm at Bethel, NY. The three day concert drew a crowd of more than 400,000 people

1970s

• Born 1972: Ben Affleck (actor)

• 1977: On duty at the Big Ear Radio Observatory at The Ohio State University, Dr. Jerry Ehman heard radio noise that lasted 37 seconds and came from the direction of a star nearly 220 light-years away. The signal traveled at a frequency whose use is prohibited by international agreement and that is unlike those of most natural radio sources. It is known as the Wow signal and hasn't been heard since

2000s

• 2001: Discovery of second planet orbiting a star in Big Dipper announced

• 2007: A magnitude-8.0 earthquake struck Peru and at least 15 aftershocks followed, some as strong as magnitude-6.3

• 2008: American gymnast Nastia Liukin won an Olympic gold medal in the women's gymnastics individual all-around competition. Her teammate, Shawn Johnson, won the silver medal.

• 2008: Nils Olav, a penguin at Edinburgh Zoo in Scotland, was knighted by British Maj. Gen. Euan Loudon on behalf of Norway's King Harald V

• 2009: A 1,224-pound cupcake, baked by Ryan Abood, from Manchester, New Hampshire, was entered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's largest cupcake/fairy cake. Guinness representative Carl Saville inspected the cupcake, making sure that it met several criteria: it must be edible, cooked throughout, and resemble a cupcake. The cupcake was 4 feet tall and 10 feet wide. About 200 pounds of flour, 200 pounds of sugar, 200 pounds of butter and oil, and 1,000 eggs were used. It was baked in a specially designed 8 ft. x 8 ft. x 10 ft. oven for about 8 1/2 hours. The cupcake judging took place at an event in Royal Oak, Michigan. The attempt had been for a 7,000-pound cupcake, but due to a malfunction in baking equipment, a smaller version was hurriedly put together overnight for the Guinness event.

2010s

• 2018: Rare Eliasberg 1913 Liberty Head nickel sold for $4,560,000 at a Philadelphia auction, making it the most valuable non-precious metal coin. It was one of only five known to be made, with this one being of the finest grade.