Today is Wednesday, August 31, the 243rd day of 2011. There are 122 days left in the year.

1535 ― Pope Paul II deposed and excommunicated King Henry VIII

1887 ― Thomas A. Edison patents kinetoscope, (produces moving pictures)

1907 ― England, Russia and France form the Triple Entente

1919 ― Communist Labor Party of America formed in Chicago

1955 ― First microwave TV station operated (Lufkin, Texas)

1955 ― First sun-powered automobile demonstrated, Chicago, Ill.

1957 ― Malaysia gains independence from Britain (National Day)

1968 ― Private Eye magazine reports a John Lennon and Yoko Ono album will have a picture of them nude on the cover

1971 ― Dave Scott becomes first person to drive a car on the Moon

1980 ― Poland's Solidarity labor union founded