| On this date in: |
| 1666 |
The Great Fire of London broke out. It destroyed nearly 400 acres, including some 13,000 houses and the old St. Paul’s Cathedral. |
| 1789 |
The U.S. Treasury Department was established. |
| 1864 |
Union Gen. William T. Sherman’s forces occupied Atlanta during the Civil War. |
| 1901 |
Vice President Theodore Roosevelt offered the advice, “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” in a speech at the Minnesota State Fair. |
| 1935 |
A hurricane slammed into the Florida Keys, claiming 423 lives. |
| 1944 |
Navy pilot George H.W. Bush was shot down by Japanese forces as he completed a bombing run over the Bonin Islands. |
| 1945 |
Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam an independent republic. |
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| AP Photo |
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| 1963 |
“The CBS Evening News” was lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes. |
| 1969 |
North Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh died. |
| 1969 |
The first automatic teller machine to use magnetic-striped cards opened to the public at Chemical Bank in Rockville Centre, New York. |
| 1983 |
Tom Brokaw took over as anchor of NBC’s “Nightly News.” |
| 2004 |
President George W. Bush accepted his party’s nomination for a second term at the Republican National Convention in New York City. |
| 2005 |
President George W. Bush told Michael Brown, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, “Brownie, you’re doing a heck of a job” during a tour of Hurricane Katrina damage in Alabama. |
