- 1570: The third Civil War in France ended with the peace of St.
                  Germain-en-Laye, granting the Huguenots amnesty and giving them
                  La Rochelle and Cognac as places of refuge.
                - 1786: Congress adopted the silver dollar and the decimal system of
                  money. In the Alps, the first ascent of Mont Blanc was completed by
                  Dr. Michel-Gabriel Paccard and his porter, Jacques Balmat.
                - 1815: Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena to live the rest
                  of his days in exile.
                - 1844: Brigham Young was chosen the new Mormon leader after Joseph
                  Smith was killed.
                - 1854: Smith & Wesson patented metal bullet cartridges.
                - 1876: Thomas A. Edison patented his mimeograph.
                - 1900: The first Davis Cup tennis competition began at the Longwood
                  Cricket Club in Brookline, Mass., and was won by the U.S. two days
                  later.
                - 1918: The Battle of Amiens during World War I began. Allied forces
                  advanced on a 10-mile front against 20 German divisions and took
                  16,000 prisoners in two hours.
                - 1940: The Battle of Britain began when Nazi warplanes launched air
                  attacks against England.
                - 1945: President Truman signed the United Nations Charter. The
                  Soviet Union declared war on Japan.
                - 1963: Britain's "Great Train Robbery" began when a gang held up
                  the Glasgow to London mail train and stole 2.6 million pounds.
                - 1967: In Bangkok, a declaration signed by foreign ministers of
                  Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand led to
                  the formation of the Association of South East Asian Nations.
                - 1974: President Richard Nixon announced on TV he was resigning
                  for his part in the Watergate scandal, effective midday Aug. 9.
                - 1990: Iraq announced it had annexed Kuwait as its 19th
                  province, and President Bush sent U.S. troops to Saudi Arabia as
                  part of a multi-national force to defend the kingdom.

                *Happy Birthday*
                ----------------
                - Keith Carradine, 49, actor, "Last Stand at Saber River"
                - "Sweet" Lou Dunbar, 45, basketball player of Harlem Globetrotters
                - The Edge, 37, guitarist, of U2 (Real name: David Howell Evans)
                - Dustin Hoffman, 61, actor, "The Graduate," "Tootsie," "Rain Man,"
                  "Outbreak"
                - Nigel Mansell, 45, auto racer, won 1992 Formula One driving
                  championship with record 9 victories and 14 poles
                - Donny Most, 45, actor, "Happy Days'" Ralph Malph
                - Deborah Norville, 40, newscaster, "Today Show," "Inside Edition"
                - Robin Quivers, 46, radio personality with Howard Stern
                - Connie Stevens, 60, actress/singer
                - Jerry Tarkanian, 68, basketball coach
                - Mel Tillis, 66, country music singer
                - Larry Wilcox, 51, actor, "CHiPs'" Officer Jon Baker