On This Day: August 24, Historical Highlights and Birthdays“
- On August 24, A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in volcanic ash and causing an estimated 20,000 deaths.
Historical Highlights:
- In 1814, British forces invaded Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812, setting fire to the Capitol, White House, and other public buildings.
- In 1932, Amelia Earhart completed a solo, non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Newark, becoming the first woman to achieve this feat.
- The North Atlantic Treaty came into force in 1949.
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Communist Control Act in 1954, outlawing the Communist Party in the United States.
- Hurricane Andrew struck Florida in 1992, causing significant damage and resulting in 43 U.S. deaths.
- The International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto as a “dwarf planet” in 2006.
- A 6.2-magnitude earthquake devastated central Italian towns in 2016, leading to nearly 300 fatalities.
Birthdays:
- Mason Williams, composer-musician (85)
- Anne Archer, actor (76)
- Joe Regalbuto, actor (74)
- Kevin Dunn, actor (68)
- Mike Huckabee, former Arkansas Gov. (68)
- Stephen Fry, actor-writer (66)
- Steve Guttenberg, actor (65)
- Cal Ripken Jr., baseball Hall of Famer (63)
- Jared Harris, actor (62)
- Craig Kilborn, talk show host (61)
- Major Garrett, CBS News correspondent (61)
- John Bush, rock singer (60)
- Marlee Matlin, actor (58)
- Reggie Miller, basketball Hall of Famer (58)
- Ava DuVernay, movie director (51)
- Dave Chappelle, actor-comedian (50)
- James D’Arcy, actor (50)
- Alex O’Loughlin, actor (47)
- Beth Riesgraf, actor (45)
- Chad Michael Murray, actor (42)
- Mika, singer (40)
- Blake Berris, actor (39)
- Rupert Grint, actor (“Harry Potter” films) (35)
