Today is Tuesday, August 4, the 216th day of 2009. There are 149 days left in the year.
1181 _ Supernova seen in Cassiopeia
1693 _ Dom Perignon invents champagne
1753 _ George Washington becomes a master mason
1944 _ Anne Frank, 15, (Diary of Anne Frank) is arrested by Nazis
1948 _ Five-day southern filibuster succeeds in maintaining poll tax
1971 _ U.S. launches first satellite into lunar orbit from manned spacecraft
1984 _ Prince's ``Purple Rain," album goes to No. 1 and stays No. 1 for 24 weeks
1987 _ FCC vote 4-0 to rescind fairness doctrine for broadcasters
1988 _ Congress votes $20,000 to each Japanese-American interned in WW II
1990 _ European community proposes a boycott of Iraq