Today is Saturday, August 16, the 229th day of 2008. There are 137 days left in the year.
1743 _ Earliest boxing code of rules formulated in England (Jack Broughton)
1863 _ Emancipation Proclamation signed
1876 _ The opera ``Siegfried" is produced (Bayreuth)
1898 _ Roller coaster patented
1936 _ 11th Olympic games close in Berlin
1954 _ Sports Illustrated publishes its first issue
1960 _ Republic of the Congo (Zaire) forms
1960 _ Joseph Kittinger parachutes from balloon at 31,330 meters (84,700 feet)
1985 _ Singer Madonna weds actor Sean Penn
1988 _ IBM introduces software for artificial intelligence