Today in History

Operation Iraqi Freedom ends; the last US combat brigade, 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, leaves the country. Six brigades remain to train Iraqi troops.

Toronto Supercell: A series of thunderstorms spawn several tornadoes and cause flash floods in Southern Ontario. Losses exceed $500 million Canadian dollars, the highest ever in the province.

Google Inc. stock begins selling on the Nasdaq Stock Market, with an initial price of $85; the stock ended the day at $100.34 with more than 22 million shares traded.

Shmuel Hanavi bus bombing: suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem kills 23 Israelis, some of them children, and wounds 130. Islamist militant group Hamas claims responsibility for the attack.

A Russian Mi-26 helicopter carrying troops is hit by a Chechen missile outside of Grozny, killing 118 soldiers.

Communist hard-liners place President Mikhail Gorbachev under house arrest in an attempted coup that failed two days later.

Cease fire begins in 8-year war between Iran and Iraq.

Hungerford Massacre in the UK; armed with semi-automatic rifles and a handgun Michael Ryan kills 16 people before committing suicide. In response, Parliament passed the Firearms (Amendment) Act of 1988 banning ownership of certain classes of firearms.

Gerald R Ford, who had become President of the United States after Richard Nixon resigned, wins Republican Party’s presidential nomination at Kansas City convention.

US Ambassador to Cyrus Rodger P. Davies assassinated by a sniper of Greek Cypriot paramilitary group EOKA-B during a demonstration outside the embassy in Nicosia.

Lee Ann Womack, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter (“I Hope You Dance”).

US forces destroy a Viet Cong stronghold near Van Tuong, in South Vietnam.

The first balloon flight to exceed 100,000 feet takes off from Crosby, Minnesota.

Jonathan Frakes, actor (Commander William T Riker, Star Trek: The Next Generation); character given same birth-date but in 2335.

Edith Sampson becomes the first African-American representative to the United Nations.

Tipper Gore, wife of US Vice President Al Gore (1993-2001); co-founder, Parents Music Resource Center, which lobbied to have parental advisory labels placed on the packaging of music containing violent, sexual or drug-use lyrics.

William Jefferson “Bill” Clinton, 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001); first president from the Baby Boomer generation.

In an effort to prevent a communist uprising in Paris, Charles De Gualle begins attacking German forces all around the city.

Fred Thompson, US Senator (R-Tenn); minority counsel on Senate Watergate Committee, lobbyist; actor (Law and Order)).

Jill St John, (Jill Arlyn Oppenheim), Los Angeles California, actress (Diamonds are Forever).

Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca is shot by Franco’s troops after being forced to dig his own grave.

38 million Germans vote to make Adolf Hitler the official successor to President von Hindenburg.

Willie Shoemaker, record-setting jockey (won 8,833 of 40,350 starts); received Mike Venezia Memorial Award for “extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship” in 1990.

Gene Roddenberry, television writer and producer, best known for the series Star Trek.

Malcolm Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine.

The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) lands in France.

Ogden Nash, humorist.

Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, fashion designer.

Orville Wright, aviation pioneer.

Bernard Baruch, U.S. representative to the U.N. Atomic Energy Commission.

The USS Constitution earns the nickname “Old Ironsides” during the battle off Nova Scotia that saw her defeat the HMS Guerriere.

Americans under Major Henry Lee take the British garrison at Paulus Hook, New Jersey.

Gustavus III of Sweden eliminates the rule of parties and establishes an absolute monarchy.

Five women are hanged in Salem, Massachusetts after being convicted of the crime of witchcraft. Fourteen more people are executed that year and 150 others are imprisoned.

Sigismund III is chosen to be the king of Poland.

Maximilian succeeds his father Frederick III as Holy Roman Emperor.