On this date in history:

In 1812, Russians set fire to Moscow in an effort to keep out Napoleon and his invading French troops.

In 1954, the famous scene in which Marilyn Monroe is shown laughing as her skirt is blown up by a blast of air from a subway vent was shot during the filming of The Seven Year Itch. The scene infuriated her husband, Joe DiMaggio, who felt it was exhibitionist. The couple divorced a short time later.

In 1959, Nikita Khrushchev became the first Soviet leader to visit the United States after saying he hoped to improve relations with Washington.

In 1963, four Black girls were killed in the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Ala. Two black teenage boys were shot to death later that day as citywide rioting broke out.

In 1971, the environmental organization Greenpeace was founded by 12 members of the Don't Make A Wave committee of Vancouver, British Columbia.

In 1983, an ailing and secluded Menachem Begin resigned as prime minister of Israel.

In 1988, the Museum of the Moving Image dedicated to the history of film, opened in London. At the opening, Britain's Prince Charles condemned those responsible for gratuitous violence on television and video.

In 1993, Katherine Ann Power, a Vietnam War opponent and a fugitive for more than 20 years in the death of a police officer during a bank robbery in Boston, surrendered. She pleaded guilty and spent six years in prison.

In 1999, a 47-year-old man opened fire during a youth service at the Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, killing seven people and wounding seven before killing himself.

In 2000, the 27th Summer Olympic Games opened in Sydney, with a record number of female athletes participating -- and with North and South Korea marching together in the opening procession.

In 2009, U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the recession, which began in December 2007, was very likely over but the economy would appear weak for some time.

In 2011, a widespread U.S. outbreak of listeria food poisoning was traced to contaminated cantaloupes sold by a Colorado company that recalled millions of melons. Officials said about two dozen people had died of listeriosis in 20 states. Two farmers were sentenced to five years probation and each ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution.

In 2019, Norman Lear became the oldest person to win an Emmy award as part of the 71st Primetime Creative Arts Emmys. He won the Outstanding Variety Special award for Live in Front of a Studio Audience.

In 2020, for the first time in Scientific American's 175-year history, the popular science magazine made a presidential endorsement -- Joe Biden.

In 2021, SpaceX launched Inspiration4, the first all-private orbital spaceflight, from Florida, carrying four civilians.

In 2023, thousands of auto workers at three U.S. assembly plants went on strike when their United Auto Workers union and the Big Three automakers failed to come to an agreement on a new contract. The strike ended the last week of October 2023 after the companies largely agreed to the UAW's demands.

Copyright 2024 by United Press International