WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 1, 2007

Today is Wednesday, August 1, the 212th day of 2007. There are 153 days left in the year.

1291 _ Everlasting League forms, basis of Swiss Confederation (National Day)

1619 _ First black Americans (20) land at Jamestown, Virginia

1774 _ Priestly discovers oxygen

1785 _ Caroline Herschel becomes the first woman discoverer of a comet

1790 _ The first U.S. census (population of 3,939,214)

1794 _ Whiskey Rebellion begins

1831 _ London Bridge opens

1834 _ Slavery abolished in the U.K.

1838 _ Emancipation of British slaves on Bahamas

1861 _ Brazil recognizes Confederacy

1863 _ Cavalry action near Brandy Station-End of Gettysburg Campaign

1867 _ Blacks vote for the first time in a state election in South (Tenn.)

1896 _ George Samuelson completes rowing the Atlantic (NY to England)

1914 _ Germany declares war on Russia in WW I

1936 _ Adolph Hitler opens Berlin Olympic Games

1943 _ Race riot in Harlem NYC

1950 _ King Leopold of Belgium abdicates, Baudouin becomes king

1950 _ The territory of Guam created

1960 _ Benin (Dahomey) gains independence from France

1960 _ Dahomey gains independence

1963 _ The Beatles Book is sold out on its 1st day of sale

1971 _ George Harrison's concert for Bangladesh takes place in NYC

1972 _ The first article exposing Wategate scandal (Bernstein-Woodward)

1975 _ The Helsinki Pact guaranteeing boundaries, rights signed by 35 nations

1987 _ Mike Tyson beats Tony Tucker to become undisputed boxing champ

1990 _ Iraq pulls out of talks with Kuwait

1992 _ NBC's ``Saturday Today" premieres