This Day in History – August 15, 2011

1057 Macbeth, King of Scotland, slain by son of King Duncan 1248 The foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, is laid. (Construction is eventually completed in 1880.) 1461 The Empire of Trebizond surrenders to the forces of Sultan Mehmet II. This is regarded by some historians as the real end of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor David is exiled and later murdered. 1519 Panama City founded 1534 Saint Ignatius of Loyola and six classmates take initial vows, leading to the creation of the Society of Jesus in September 1540. 1620 Mayflower sets sail from Southampton with 102 Pilgrims 1748 United Lutheran Church of US organized 1843 The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii is dedicated. Now the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, it is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States. 1870 Transcontinental Railway actually completed 1914 The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship Ancon. 1918 1st full length cartoon (The Sinking of the Lusitania) 1935 Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed after their aircraft develops engine problems during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska. 1941 Corporal Josef Jakobs is executed by firing squad at the Tower of London at 7:12am, making him the last person to be executed at the Tower for treason. 1945 World War II: Victory over Japan Day Japan surrenders. 1945 US wartime rationing of gasoline & fuel oil ends 1945 World War II: Korean Liberation Day. 1947 India gains Independence from the British Indian Empire and joins the Commonwealth of Nations. 1960 UFO is sighted by 3 California patrolmen 1961 Conrad Schumann flees from East Germany while on duty guarding the construction of the Berlin Wall. 1965 The Beatles play to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City, in an event later seen as marking the birth of stadium rock. 1969 The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opens. 1970 Patricia Palinkas becomes 1st woman pro football player (Orlando) 1971 Pres Nixon announces 90-day freeze on wages, prices & rents 1971 President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the United States dollar into gold by foreign investors. 1977 The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the “Wow! signal” from the notation made by a volunteer on the project. 1986 Pres Reagan decides to support a replacement for the Challenger 1991 750,000 attend Paul Simon’s free concert in Central Park]]]]> ]]>