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Today in History: August 9

1483 Pope Sixtus IV celebrates the first mass in the Sistine Chapel, which is named in his honor.

1862 At Cedar Mountain, Virginia, Confederate General "Stonewall" Jackson repels an attack by Union forces.

1944 Fictional character Smokey Bear ("Only you can prevent forest fires") created by US Forest Service and the Ad Council.

1945 The B-29 bomber Bock's Car drops a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.

1965 Singapore expelled from Malaysia following economic disagreements and racial tensions; becomes independent republic.

1969 Charles Manson's followers kill actress Sharon Tate and her three guests in her Beverly Hills home.

1974 Gerald Ford is sworn in as president of the United States after the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

1975 First NFL game in Louisiana Superdome; Houston Oilers defeat New Orleans Saints 13-7.

1979 England's first major nude beach established, at the seaside resort of Brighton.

1999 Russian president Boris Yeltsin fires his prime minister and, for the fourth time, fires the entire cabinet.


Today in History: Born on August 9

1899 P.L. Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books.

1945 Ken Norton, heavyweight boxing champ.

1963 Whitney Houston, model, singer ("Saving All My Love for You"), actress (The Bodyguard); listed in 2009 Guinness World Records as most awarded female act of all time.


JOTD
A Marine boarded a train on his way home from deployment...

The train was quite crowded, and the Marine walked the entire length looking for a seat. There seemed to be one next to a well-dressed middle-aged French woman, but when he got there he saw it was taken by the woman's poodle. The war-weary Marine asked, "Ma'am, may I have that seat?"
The French woman sniffed and said to no one in particular, "Americans are so rude.. My little Fifi is using that seat.."
The Marine walked the entire train again, but the only seat available was under that dog. "Please, Ma'am. May I sit down? I'm very tired." She snorted, "Not only are you Americans rude, you are also arrogant!" This time the Marine didn't say a word; he just picked up the little dog, tossed it out the train window and sat down.
The woman shrieked, "Someone must defend my honor! Put this American in his place!" An English gentleman sitting nearby spoke up.
"Sir, you Americans seem to have a penchant for doing the wrong thing. You hold the fork in the wrong hand. You drive your autos on the wrong side of the road. And now, sir, you seem to have thrown the wrong bitch out the window."