Today is Wednesday, August 20, the 233rd day of 2008. There are 133 days left in the year.
1866 _ President Andrew Johnson formally declares Civil War over
1895 _ Start of Sherlock Holmes ``Adventure of Norwood Builder" (BG)
1896 _ Dial telephone patented
1940 _ Leon Trotsky, assassinated in Mexico City by Stalin agents
1948 _ U.S. expels Soviet Consul General in New York, Jacob Lomakin
1953 _ Russia publicly acknowledges hydrogen bomb test detonation
1955 _ Hundreds killed in anti-French rioting in Morocco and Algeria
1965 _ Rolling Stones release ``Satisfaction" (their first No. 1 U.S. hit)
1974 _ Nolan Ryan pitch measured at record 161.6 kph (100.4 mph)
1980 _ Reinhold Messner of Italy is first to solo ascent Mt. Everest