Today is Tuesday, August 6, the 219th day of the yr 2024. There are 147 days left within the yr.

Today in history:

On August 6, 1945, during World War II, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, causing an estimated 140,000 deaths.

Also on this date:

In 1806, Emperor Franz II abdicated, marking the top of the Holy Roman Empire after almost a thousand years.

In 1890, William Kemmler became the primary person to be executed in the electrical chair at Auburn Prison in Auburn, New York.

In 1926, Gertrude Ederle was the primary woman to swim across the English Channel.

In 1942, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands became the primary reigning queen to handle a joint session of Congress, telling members that despite the Nazi occupation, her people's motto remained “No Surrender.”

In 1945, during World War II, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb, code-named “Little Boy,” on Hiroshima, Japan, causing an estimated 140,000 deaths.

In 1962, Jamaica gained independence from the United Kingdom after 300 years of British rule.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act, which banned racial discrimination in elections.

In 1991, the World Wide Web was introduced to the general public as a method of accessing web sites over the Internet.

In 2011, insurgents shot down a U.S. military helicopter during fighting in eastern Afghanistan, killing 30 Americans, most of them from the identical elite Marine unit that killed Osama bin Laden, and 7 Afghan commandos.

Today's birthdays:

• Children’s book creator Ella Jenkins turns 100.
• Actor and director Peter Bonerz is 86.
• Actress Louise Sorel is 84.
• Actor Michael Anderson Jr. is 81.
• Actor Ray Buktenica is 81 years old.
• Actor Dorian Harewood is 74.
• Actress Catherine Hicks is 73.
• Rock singer Pat MacDonald (Timbuk 3) is 72.
• Actress Stepfanie Kramer is 68.
• Actress Faith Prince is 67.
• R&B singer Randy DeBarge is 66.
• Actor Leland Orser is 64.
• Actress Michelle Yeoh is 62.
• Country singers Patsy and Peggy Lynn are 60.
• David Robinson, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, is 59.
• Actor Jeremy Ratchford is 59.
• Actor Benito Martinez is 56.
• Country singer Lisa Stewart is 56.
• The film author and director M. Night Shyamalan (SHAH'-mah-lahn) is 54.
• Actor Merrin Dungey is 53.
• Singer Geri Halliwell Horner is 52.
• Actor Jason O'Mara is 52.
• Actress Vera Farmiga is 51.
• Actor Ever Carradine is 50.
• Actress Soleil (soh-LAY') Moon Frye is 48.
• Actress Melissa George is 48.
• Rock singer Travis “Travie” McCoy is 43.
• Actor Leslie Odom Jr. is 43.
• The actress Romola Garai is 42 years old.
• US Olympic and WNBA basketball star A'ja Wilson is 28.

Originally published: August 6, 2024 at 1:00 am