Today in History

Today is Sunday, August 31, the 243rd day of 2014. There are 122 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On August 31, 1954, Hurricane Carol hit the northeastern Atlantic states; Connecticut, Rhode Island and part of Massachusetts bore the brunt of the storm, which resulted in some 70 deaths.

On this date:

In 1886, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.3 devastated Charleston, South Carolina, killing at least 60 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In 1888, Mary Ann Nichols, apparently the first victim of "Jack the Ripper," was found slain in London's East End.

In 1934, the first Chicago Charities College All-Star Game took place at Soldier Field as a team of graduated All-American players from the previous season played the NFL champion Chicago Bears to a scoreless tie.

In 1941, the radio program "The Great Gildersleeve," a spinoff from "Fibber McGee and Molly" starring Harold Peary, debuted on NBC.

In 1962, the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago became independent of British colonial rule.

In 1972, at the Munich Summer Olympics, American swimmer Mark Spitz won his fourth and fifth gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly and 800-meter freestyle relay; Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut won gold medals in floor exercise and the balance beam.

In 1980, Poland's Solidarity labor movement was born with an agreement signed in Gdansk that ended a 17-day-old strike.

In 1986, 82 people were killed when an Aeromexico jetliner and a small private plane collided over Cerritos, California. The Soviet passenger ship Admiral Nakhimov collided with a merchant vessel in the Black Sea, causing both to sink; up to 448 people reportedly died.

In 1988, 14 people were killed when a Delta Boeing 727 crashed during takeoff from Dallas-Fort Worth Airport.

In 1989, Britain's Princess Anne and her husband, Capt. Mark Phillips, announced they were separating after 15 years of marriage.

In 1994, the Irish Republican Army declared a cease-fire. Russia officially ended its military presence in the former East Germany and the Baltics after half a century.

In 1997, Prince Charles brought Princess Diana home for the last time, escorting the body of his former wife to a Britain that was shocked, grief-stricken and angered by her death in a Paris traffic accident hours earlier.

Ten years ago: At the Republican National Convention in New York, First Lady Laura Bush and California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger praised President George W. Bush as a man of strength and compassion. Palestinian suicide bombers blew up two buses in Beersheba, Israel, killing 16 passengers. A woman strapped with explosives blew herself up outside a busy Moscow subway station, killing 10 people.

Five years ago: Extremely dangerous and strengthening Hurricane Jimena roared toward Mexico's resort-studded Baja California Peninsula. Walt Disney Co. announced it was acquiring comic book giant Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion.

One year ago: Short of support at home and allies abroad, President Barack Obama stepped back from a missile strike against Syria and instead asked Congress to support a strike against President Bashar Assad's regime for suspected use of chemical weapons. British television interviewer David Frost, 74, died aboard a cruise ship bound for the Mediterranean.

Today's Birthdays: Japanese monster movie actor Katsumi Tezuka is 102. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Frank Robinson is 79. Actor Warren Berlinger is 77. Rock musician Jerry Allison (Buddy Holly and the Crickets) is 75. Actor Jack Thompson is 74. Violinist Itzhak Perlman is 69. Singer Van Morrison is 69. Rock musician Rudolf Schenker (The Scorpions) is 66. Actor Richard Gere is 65. Olympic gold medal track and field athlete Edwin Moses is 59. Rock singer Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze) is 57. Rock musician Gina Schock (The Go-Go's) is 57. Singer Tony DeFranco (The DeFranco Family) is 55. Rhythm-and-blues musician Larry Waddell (Mint Condition) is 51. Actor Jaime P. Gomez is 49. Baseball pitcher Hideo Nomo is 46. Rock musician Jeff Russo (Tonic) is 45. Singer-composer Deborah Gibson is 44. Rock musician Greg Richling (Wallflowers) is 44. Actor Zack Ward is 44. Golfer Padraig Harrington is 43. Actor Chris Tucker is 42. Actress Sara Ramirez is 39. Rhythm-and-blues singer Tamara (Trina & Tamara) is 37.

Thought for Today: "Good people are good because they've come to wisdom through failure. We get very little wisdom from success, you know." -- William Saroyan, American author and playwright (born this date in 1908, died 1981).

Copyright 2014, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.