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August 06, 2007
Today in History: August 1st
The following information comes from: History.com - This Day in History
1498: Columbus lands in South America
Italian explorer Christopher Columbus sets foot on the American mainland for the first time, at the Paria Peninsula in present-day Venezuela. Thinking it an island, he christened it Isla Santa and claimed it for Spain. Read the complete article.Cite this article: Columbus lands in South America. (2007). The History Channel website. Retrieved 01:43, Aug 6, 2007, from http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5224.
1910: New York issues first license plates
The state of New York issued its first license plates on this day in 1910. Massachusetts, the first state in the nation to issue plates, had been doing so since 1893, when it introduced iron plates with the registration number etched on top. The current New York plate, which features the Statue of Liberty, has been in use since 1986.Cite this article: New York issues first license plates. (2007). The History Channel website. Retrieved 01:45, Aug 6, 2007, from http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7536.
1914: First World War erupts
Four days after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, Germany and Russia declare war against each other, France orders a general mobilization, and the first German army units cross into Luxembourg in preparation for the German invasion of France. During the next three days, Russia, France, Belgium, and Great Britain all lined up against Austria-Hungary and Germany, and the German army invaded Belgium. The "Great War" that ensued was one of unprecedented destruction and loss of life, resulting in the deaths of some 20 million soldiers and civilians. Read the complete article.Cite this article: First World War erupts. (2007). The History Channel website. Retrieved 01:45, Aug 6, 2007, from http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6976.
1943: PT-109 sinks; Lieutenant Kennedy is instrumental in saving crew
On this day in 1943, a Japanese destroyer rams an American PT (patrol torpedo) boat, No. 109, slicing it in two. The destruction is so massive other American PT boats in the area assume the crew is dead. Two crewmen were, in fact, killed, but 11 survived, including Lt. John F. Kennedy. Read the complete article.Cite this article: PT-109 sinks; Lieutenant Kennedy is instrumental in saving crew. (2007). The History Channel website. Retrieved 01:49, Aug 6, 2007, from http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6537.
1973: American Graffiti opens
On this day in 1973, American Graffiti, directed and co-written by George Lucas and starring Richard Dreyfuss and Ron Howard, opens in Los Angeles. Lucas, age 29, made the film for only $700,000. Graffiti, a film about West Coast teenagers in the 1960s, was a huge success, later earning more than $55 million in rentals alone. While not a financial success for Lucas himself, who received only $20,000 to make the film, the movie nevertheless firmly established his reputation and paved the way for 1977's Star Wars, one of the biggest box office blockbusters of all time.Cite this article: American Graffiti opens. (2007). The History Channel website. Retrieved 01:55, Aug 6, 2007, from http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=3497.
Posted by d-nadler at August 6, 2007 10:47 AM