Great Scot
August 5, 1305 - William Wallace, the Scottish knight known for
leading a resistance during the Wars of Scottish Independence, was captured by
English soldiers after being betrayed by a fellow Scot. Wallace had been dubbed the Guardian of Scotland after defeating an English army at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Following his capture Wallace was found guilty of
treason by King Edward I and was executed by being hanged, drawn and quartered. The story of William Wallace is portrayed in the film Braveheart.
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Strike Out
August 5, 1981 - President Ronald Reagan fired 11,345 federal air-traffic controllers who were on strike, after they refused his order to return to work. The
strike was in violation of a federal law that forbids strikes by government
unions. Calling the strike a "peril to national safety" Reagan demanded that the
controllers return to jobs within 48 hours. Of the nearly 13,000 controllers on
strike, only 1,300 resumed their duties. The striking controllers were not
only terminated but also banned from federal service for life.
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Let There Be Light
August 8, 1988 - The first night game was played at
Wrigley Field in Chicago
between the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies. Wrigley Field was the last
Major League Baseball stadium to install lighting, and did so only
after baseball officials refused to allow Wrigley to host any post-season games
without lights. As if in protest of the new lights, rain forced the game to be
canceled after only three and a half innings. The
first official game under the lights was played the following night against the
New York Mets.
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I'm Not a Crook
August 9, 1974 - Richard Nixon resigned as President of
the United States
rather than face impeachment charges for his involvement in the cover up of the
Watergate scandal. Gerald Ford, who had been appointed Vice President after the
resignation of Spiro Agnew, succeeded Nixon in office, becoming the only
President who was never elected to either the office of President or Vice
President.
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We're Back!
After a two-week hiatus that included 1,400 miles in the car, four states, three
nights of camping, one broken windshield, and a sunburn, This Week
in History has returned to share more stories of the past.
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Moby Dick
by Herman Melville
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