This Day In History

August 23rd

1305  Scottish Knight and champion of Scotland's independence struggle, Sir William Wallace of Elerslie is hanged, drawn, beheaded, and quartered in London
1863  US Union Navy Admiral David "Damn the Torpedoes" Farragut captures Fort Morgan in Alabama, thus breaking Confederate control of Gulf of Mexico ports
1866  The 7 Week war between Austria and Prussia ended with the signing of the Treaty of Prague
1926  Silent Screen Actor Rudolph Valentino dies suddenly in New York
1927  Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti are executed in Massachusetts in spite of international protests.  They allegedly killing a factory guard seven years ago and there was a lack of evidence and it was suggested the two Italian-born men were killed for their anarchist beliefs
1939  Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop sign a ten-year non-aggression pact, exposing Poland to attack by Soviet and German forces who divide the country
1942  The Battle of Stalingrad, Russia, began after losing 500,000 square miles and millions of men to invading German forces, Soviet resurgence out of the rubble of Stalingrad marks a turning point in World War II.
1944  After an invasion by the Red Army, King Michael of Romania lead a coup that ousted the pro-Axis government of Premier Antonescu, ending Romanian resistance to the Allies in World War II.
1979  Russian Ballet star Alexander Godunov defects to the USA
1982  Militia leader Bashir Gemayel of the Christian Phalangist Party is elected president of Lebanon and killed 3 weeks later by a bombing at their headquarters

1754  King Louis XVI of France (1784-1792)
1785  US Naval Officer Oliver Hazard Perry quoted as saying "We have met the enemy, and they are ours"
1912  Dancer/Actor Gene Kelly
1917  Singer Tex Williams
1934  Actress Barbara Eden (Huffman)
1947  Rock Drummer Keith Moon
1949  Actress Shelley Long
1949  Singer/Actor Rick Springfield
1951  Lisa Najeeb Halaby, Queen Noor, wife of Jordan's King Hussein
1951  Singer Mark Hudson
1970  Actor River Phoenix

Top Hits Courtesy of...

1956

• My Prayer - The Platters

• Hound Dog - Elvis Presley

• Canadian Sunset - Hugo Winterhalter and Eddie Haywood

• The Fool - Sanford Clark

1964

• Where Did Our Love Go - The Supremes

• Under the Boardwalk - The Drifters

• The House of the Rising Sun - The Animals

• Wishin' and Hopin' - Dusty Springfield

1972

• Alone Again (Naturally) - Gilbert O'Sullivan

• Long Cool Woman (In a Black Dress) - The Hollies

• Hold Your Head Up - Argent

• Bless Your Heart - Freddie Hart

1980

• Magic - Olivia Newton-John

• Fame - Irene Cara

• All Out of Love - Air Supply

• Drivin' My Life Away - Eddie Rabbitt

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