Today is Saturday, August 25, the 238th day of 2012. There are 128 days left in the year.
1609 ― Galileo demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers
1718 ― Hundreds of French colonists arrive in Louisiana; New Orleans, founded
1804 ― Alice Meynell becomes first woman jockey (England)
1835 ― NY Sun publishes Moon hoax story about John Herschel
1875 ― Matthew Webb becomes first to swim English Channel (21h 45m)
1921 ― U.S. signs peace treaty with Germany
1940 ― First parachute wedding
1944 ― Paris liberated from Nazi occupation
1990 ― U.N. security council authorizes military action against Iraq
1991 ― Carl Lewis runs 100m in 9.86 seconds