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Today in History: August 19

1493
Maximilian succeeds his father Frederick III as Holy Roman Emperor.

1587
Sigismund III is chosen to be the king of Poland.

1692
Five women are hanged in Salem, Massachusetts after being convicted of the crime of witchcraft. Fourteen more people are executed that year and 150 others are imprisoned.

1772
Gustavus III of Sweden eliminates the rule of parties and establishes an absolute monarchy.


1779
Americans under Major Henry Lee take the British garrison at Paulus Hook, New Jersey.

1812
The USS Constitution earns the nickname "Old Ironsides" during the battle off Nova Scotia that saw her defeat the HMS Guerriere.

1914
The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) lands in France.

1934
38 million Germans vote to make Adolf Hitler the official successor to President von Hindenburg.

1936
Spanish poet Federico Garcia Lorca is shot by Franco's troops after being forced to dig his own grave.

1942
A raid on Dieppe, France by British and Canadian commandos is repulsed by the German Army.

1944
In an effort to prevent a communist uprising in Paris, Charles De Gualle begins attacking German forces all around the city.

1950
Edith Sampson becomes the first African-American representative to the United Nations.

1957
The first balloon flight to exceed 100,000 feet takes off from Crosby, Minnesota.

1965
US forces destroy a Viet Cong stronghold near Van Tuong, in South Vietnam.

1974
US Ambassador to Cyrus Rodger P. Davies assassinated by a sniper of Greek Cypriot paramilitary group EOKA-B during a demonstration outside the embassy in Nicosia.

1976
Gerald R Ford, who had become President of the United States after Richard Nixon resigned, wins Republican Party's presidential nomination at Kansas City convention.

1987
Hungerford Massacre in the UK; armed with semi-automatic rifles and a handgun Michael Ryan kills 16 people before committing suicide. In response, Parliament passed the Firearms (Amendment) Act of 1988 banning ownership of certain classes of firearms.

1988
Cease fire begins in 8-year war between Iran and Iraq.

1991
Communist hard-liners place President Mikhail Gorbachev under house arrest in an attempted coup that failed two days later.

2002
A Russian Mi-26 helicopter carrying troops is hit by a Chechen missile outside of Grozny, killing 118 soldiers.

2003
Shmuel Hanavi bus bombing: suicide attack on a bus in Jerusalem kills 23 Israelis, some of them children, and wounds 130. Islamist militant group Hamas claims responsibility for the attack.

2004
Google Inc. stock begins selling on the Nasdaq Stock Market, with an initial price of $85; the stock ended the day at $100.34 with more than 22 million shares traded.

2005
Toronto Supercell: A series of thunderstorms spawn several tornadoes and cause flash floods in Southern Ontario. Losses exceed $500 million Canadian dollars, the highest ever in the province.

2010
Operation Iraqi Freedom ends; the last US combat brigade, 4th Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, leaves the country. Six brigades remain to train Iraqi troops.

2015
US Food and Drug administration approves Female Viagra libido pill Addyi

2020
Golfing dinner termed #GolfGatet appearing to flout COVID-19 restrictions, attended by Irish political figures, prompts two politicians to later resign

2021
Iran's official COVID-19 death toll passes 100,000 amid its fifth wave of infections, according to its Health Ministry

Today in History: Born on August 19

1870
Bernard Baruch, U.S. representative to the U.N. Atomic Energy Commission.

1871
Orville Wright, aviation pioneer.

1883
Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, fashion designer.

1902
Ogden Nash, humorist.

1919
Malcolm Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine.


1921
Gene Roddenberry, television writer and producer, best known for the series Star Trek.

1931
Willie Shoemaker, record-setting jockey (won 8,833 of 40,350 starts); received Mike Venezia Memorial Award for "extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship" in 1990.

1940
Jill St John, (Jill Arlyn Oppenheim), Los Angeles California, actress (Diamonds are Forever).

1942
Fred Thompson, US Senator (R-Tenn); minority counsel on Senate Watergate Committee, lobbyist; actor (Law and Order)).

1945
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton, 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001); first president from the Baby Boomer generation.


1948
Tipper Gore, wife of US Vice President Al Gore (1993-2001); co-founder, Parents Music Resource Center, which lobbied to have parental advisory labels placed on the packaging of music containing violent, sexual or drug-use lyrics.

1952
Jonathan Frakes, actor (Commander William T Riker, Star Trek: The Next Generation); character given same birth-date but in 2335.

1966
Lee Ann Womack, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter ("I Hope You Dance").

JOTD
One day a man and woman were in their bedroom making love

All of a sudden a bumble bee entered the bedroom window. As the lady parted her legs, the bee entered her vagina. The woman started screaming, "Oh my god, help me, there's a bee in my vagina!"

The husband immediately took her to the local doctor and explained the situation. The doctor thought for a moment and said "Hmm, tricky situation. But I have a solution to the problem if young sir would permit." The husband being very concerned agreed that the doctor could use whatever method to get the bee out of his wife's vagina.

The doctor said "Okay, what I'm going to do is rub some honey over the tip of my penis and insert it into your wife's vagina. When I feel the bee getting closer to the tip of my penis, I shall withdraw it and the bee should hopefully follow my penis out of your wife's vagina. The husband nodded and gave his approval. The lady said, "Yes, whatever, just get on with it."

So the doctor, after covering the tip of his penis with honey, entered the woman. After a few gentle strokes, the doctor said, "I don't think the bee has noticed the honey yet. Perhaps I should try further." The lady began to quiver with excitement, moaning aloud. The doctor, concentrating very hard, looked like he was enjoying himself. The husband became very annoyed and shouted, "Now wait a minute! What the hell do you think you're doing?" The doctor, still concentrating, replied, "Change of plan. I'm gonna drown the bastard!"