Today in History

Today is Friday, Aug. 30, the 242nd day of 2019. There are 123 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On August 30, 1967, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

On this date:

In 1862, Confederate forces won victories against the Union at the Second Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Virginia, and the Battle of Richmond in Kentucky.

In 1945, U.S. Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrived in Japan to set up Allied occupation headquarters.

In 1963, the "Hot Line" communications link between Washington and Moscow went into operation.

In 1983, Guion S. Bluford Jr. became the first black American astronaut to travel in space as he blasted off aboard the Challenger.

In 1986, Soviet authorities arrested Nicholas Daniloff, a correspondent for U.S. News and World Report, as a spy a week after American officials arrested Gennadiy Zakharov, a Soviet employee of the United Nations, on espionage charges in New York. (Both men were later released.)

In 1989, a federal jury in New York found "hotel queen" Leona Helmsley guilty of income tax evasion, but acquitted her of extortion. (Helmsley ended up serving 18 months behind bars, a month at a halfway house and two months under house arrest.)

In 1997, Americans received word of the car crash in Paris that claimed the lives of Princess Diana, her boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, and their driver, Henri Paul. (Because of the time difference, it was Aug. 31 where the crash occurred.)

In 2002, With just hours to spare, baseball averted a strike; it was the first time since 1970 that players and owners had agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement without a work stoppage.

In 2005, a day after Hurricane Katrina hit, floods were covering 80 percent of New Orleans, looting continued to spread and rescuers in helicopters and boats picked up hundreds of stranded people.

In 2007, in a serious breach of nuclear security, a B-52 bomber armed with six nuclear warheads flew cross-country unnoticed; the Air Force later punished 70 people.

In 2012, Mitt Romney launched his fall campaign for the White House with a rousing, personal speech to the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Florida, proclaiming that America needs "jobs, lots of jobs."

In 2017, the former Hurricane Harvey completed a U-turn in the Gulf of Mexico and rolled ashore for the second time in six days, hitting southwestern Louisiana as a tropical storm with heavy rains and winds of 45 miles an hour. Floodwaters began to recede in Houston, where thousands of homes were flooded.

Ten years ago: Voters in Japan ousted the country's conservatives after more than a half century of rule and put the untested Democratic Party of Japan in control. The space shuttle Discovery docked at the international space station, delivering a full load of gear and science experiments. Chula Vista, California, came up big late to win the Little League World Series, defeating Taoyuan, Taiwan, 6-3.

Five years ago: The U.S. military said fighter aircraft and unmanned drones had struck Islamic State militants near Iraq's Mosul Dam. Under cover of darkness, 40 Filipino peacekeepers escaped their besieged outpost in the Golan Heights after a seven-hour gunbattle with Syrian rebels. The St. Louis Rams cut Michael Sam, the first openly gay player drafted in the NFL.

One year ago: A Los Angeles man was arrested and charged with making a series of phone calls threatening to kill journalists at The Boston Globe for what he allegedly called "treasonous" attacks on President Donald Trump. (Robert Chain later pleaded guilty to seven counts of making threatening communications; he is scheduled for sentencing in September.) The president told Congress that he would be canceling pay raises that were due in January for most civilian federal employees, citing budget constraints.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Elizabeth Ashley is 80. Actor Ben Jones is 78. Actor John Kani is 77. Cartoonist R. Crumb is 76. Olympic gold medal skier Jean-Claude Killy is 76. Comedian Lewis Black is 71. Actor Timothy Bottoms is 68. Actor David Paymer is 65. Jazz musician Gerald Albright is 62. Actor Michael Chiklis is 56. Actress Michael Michele is 53. Country musician Geoff Firebaugh is 51. Country singer Sherrie Austin is 48. Rock singer-musician Lars Frederiksen (Rancid) is 48. Actress Cameron Diaz is 47. Rock musician Leon Caffrey (formerly w/Space) is 46. TV personality Lisa Ling is 46. Rock singer-musician Aaron Barrett (Reel Big Fish) is 45. Actor Raul Castillo is 42. Actor Michael Gladis is 42. Rock musician Matt Taul (Tantric; Days of the New) is 41. MLB pitcher Adam Wainwright is 38. Tennis player Andy Roddick is 37. Singer Rachael Price (Lake Street Dive) is 34. Rock musician Ryan Ross is 33. Actress Johanna Braddy is 32. Actor Cameron Finley is 32.

Thought for Today: "Greatness is not measured by what a man or woman accomplishes, but by the opposition he or she has overcome to reach his goals." -- Dorothy Height, American civil rights activist (1912-2010).

Copyright 2019, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.