^{“Combat Between USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere,” by Michel Felice Corne}

Today in History

• The Samlesbury Witch trials begin (1612) and five people are executed in the Salem Witch Trials (1692)
• During the War of 1812, the USS Constitution (“Old Ironsides”) defeats the British frigate HMS Guerriere (1812)
• The first auto race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (1909)
• In a referendum, Germany agrees to appoint Adolf Hitler as head of state with the title of Führer (1934)
• The Viet Minh, led by Ho Chi Minh, take power in Hanoi (1945)
• U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to ten years imprisonment by the Soviet government for espionage (1960)
• The first geostationary communications satellite, Syncom 3, is launched (1964)

Birthdays

• John Dryden, poet (1631)
• Samuel Richardson, author and publisher (1689)
• Madame du Barry, royal mistress to Louis XV (1743)
• Orville Wright, aviation pioneer (1871)
• Coco Chanel, fashion designer (1883)
• Ogden Nash, poet (1902)
• Phil Farnsworth, inventor and television pioneer (1906)
• Ring Lardner, Jr., journalist and screenwriter (1915)
• Malcolm Forbes, magazine publisher (1919)
• Gene Roddenberry, creator of Star Trek (1921)
• Bill Shoemaker, jockey (1931)
• Debra Paget, actress (1933)
• Ginger Baker, rock drummer (1939)
• Jill St. John, model and actress (1940)
• Fred Thompson, actor and politician (1942)
• Jack Canfield, motivational speaker and author (1944)
• Bill Clinton, 42nd US President (1946)
• Gerald McRaney, actor (1948)
• Jonathan Frakes, actor and director (1952)
• Mary Matalin, political consultant (1953)
• Adam Arkin, actor (1956)
• John Stamos, actor (1953)
• Kyra Sedgwick, actress (1965)
• Matthew Perry, actress (1969)
• Veronica Roth, author (1988)

Deaths

• Augustus, emperor of Rome (14)
• Blaise Pascal, mathematician and philosopher (1662)
• Vilfredo Pareto, economist (1923)
• Sergei Diaghilev, ballet producer (1929)
• Hugo Gernsback, founded the first science fiction magazine (1967)
• George Gamow, cosmologist (1968)
• Alastair Sim, actor (1978)
• Groucho Marx, comedian and actor (1977)
• Otto Frank, father of Anne Frank (1980)
• Hermione Baddeley, actress (1986)
• Linus Pauling, chemist (1994)

Holidays and Observances

• Afghan Independence Day (Afghanistan)
• August Revolution Commemoration Day (Vietnam)
• Crown Princess’s Birthday (Norway)
• Manuel Luis Quezón Day (Philippines)
• National Aviation Day (US)
• World Humanitarian Day

August 19 is the 231st day of the year (232nd in leap years). There are 134 days remaining until the end of the year.