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