Today is Thursday, August 14, the 227th day of 2008. There are 139 days left in the year.
410 _ Alaric sacks Rome
1248 _ Construction of Cologne Cathedral begun
1457 _ Oldest known exactly dated printed book (c 3 years after Gutenberg)
1862 _ Lincoln receives 1st group of blacks to confer with US president
1880 _ Construction of Cologne Cathedral completed
1893 _ France issues 1st driving licenses, included required test
1900 _ Intl forces including US Marines enter Beijing to put down Boxer Rebellion, which was aimed at ridding China of foreigners
1917 _ China declares war on Germany & Austria at start of WW I
1947 _ India granted independence within British Commonwealth
1947 _ Pakistan gains independence from Britain