Today is Tuesday, August 25, the 237th day of 2009. There are 128 days left in the year.
1609 _ Galileo demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers
1814 _ British capture Washington, D.C.
1825 _ Uruguay declares independence from Brazil (National Day)
1830 _ Belgium revolts against Netherlands
1921 _ U.S. signs peace treaty with Germany
1940 _ First parachute wedding
1944 _ Paris liberated from Nazi occupation
1950 _ President Truman orders army to seize control of RR to avert a strike
1981 _ Mark Chapman, John Lennon's murderer, is sentenced to 20 years
1990 _ U.N. Security Council authorizes military action against Iraq