Today is Wednesday, August 19, the 231st day of 2009. There are 134 days left in the year.
1099 _ Crusaders beat Saracens in Battle of Ascalon
1787 _ W. Herschel discovers Enceladus, a moon of Saturn
1888 _ First beauty contest (Spa, Belgium), 18-year-old West Indian wins
1909 _ First race at the Indianapolis 500 Speedway
1934 _ Plebiscite in Germany approved sole executive power to Adolph Hitler
1960 _ Sputnik 5 carries two dogs, three mice into orbit (later recovered alive)
1978 _ 422 die in an arson fire at a movie theater in Iran
1985 _ Japan launches its second probe of Halley's Comet, Suisei
1988 _ Iran-Iraq begin a ceasefire in their 8-year-old war (11 p.m. EDT)
1991 _ Coup in Russia deposes Mikhail Gorbachev