August 3, 2012 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Updated August 2, 2012, 2:28 pm

On Aug. 3, 1958, the nuclear-powered submarine Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the North Pole underwater.

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On Aug. 3, 1900, Ernie Pyle, the famous World War II American war correspondent, was born. Following his death on April 18, 1945, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1778 The opera house La Scala opened in Milan, Italy, with a performance of Antonio Salieri’s “Europa riconosciuta.”

1914 At the outbreak of World War I, British Foreign Secretary Edward Grey remarked: “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.”

1914 Germany declared war on France.

1923 Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as the 30th president of the United States, one day after President Warren G. Harding died of a heart attack.

1943 Gen. George S. Patton slapped a private at an army hospital in Sicily, accusing him of cowardice.

1948 Whittaker Chambers, a former Communist, publicly accused former State Department official Alger Hiss of having been part of a Communist underground, a charge Hiss denied.

1949 The National Basketball Association was formed.

1981 U.S. air traffic controllers went on strike, despite a warning from President Ronald Reagan that they would be fired.

1987 The Iran-Contra congressional hearings ended with none of the 29 witnesses tying President Ronald Reagan directly to the diversion of arms-sales profits to Nicaraguan rebels.

1994 Stephen G. Breyer was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice.

2011 Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak denied all charges against him as he went on trial for alleged corruption and complicity in the deaths of protesters who’d helped drive him from power.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Singer Tony Bennett turns 86 years old today.

AP Photo/Evan Agostini

Actor Martin Sheen (“The West Wing”) turns 72 years old today.

AP Photo/Dan Steinberg

1920 P.D. James, Author, turns 92

1925 Marv Levy, Hall of Fame football coach, turns 87

1941 Martha Stewart, Lifestyle guru, turns 71

1950 John Landis, Director, turns 62

1951 Marcel Dionne, Hockey Hall of Famer, turns 61

1951 Jay North, Actor (“Dennis the Menace”), turns 61

1953 Randy Scruggs, Country musician, turns 59

1959 John C. McGinley, Actor (“Scrubs”), turns 53

1963 James Hetfield, Rock musician (Metallica), turns 49

1963 Isaiah Washington, Actor, turns 49

1977 Tom Brady, Football player, turns 35

1979 Evangeline Lilly, Actress (“Lost”), turns 33

1983 Mamie Gummer, Actress, turns 29

1984 Whitney Duncan, Country singer (“Nashville Star”), turns 28

Historic Birthdays

Ernie Pyle 8/3/1900 – 4/18/1945 American journalist and World War II correspondent.Go to obituary »

63 Sir Joseph Paxton 8/3/1801 – 6/8/1865
English landscape gardener and hothouse designer

85 Hamilton Fish 8/3/1808 – 9/6/1893
American secretary of state (1869-77)

49 Elisha Graves Otis 8/3/1811 – 4/8/1861
American inventor

40 Henry Cuyler Bunner 8/3/1855 – 5/11/1896
English poet

80 Stanley Baldwin 8/3/1867 – 12/14/1947
British Conservative; three times prime minister (1923-1937)

27 Rupert Brooke 8/3/1887 – 4/23/1915
English poet, novelist and editor

89 Maggie Kuhn 8/3/1905 – 4/22/1995
American activist; formed the Gray Panthers

87 Alexandre Trauner 8/3/1906 – 12/5/1993
Hungarian-born French art film director

88 Ernesto Geisel 8/3/1908 – 9/12/1996
Brazilian army general and vice-president (1974- 1979)

1778	The opera house La Scala opened in Milan, Italy, with a performance of Antonio Salieri’s “Europa riconosciuta.”
1914	At the outbreak of World War I, British Foreign Secretary Edward Grey remarked: “The lamps are going out all over Europe; we shall not see them lit again in our lifetime.”
1914	Germany declared war on France.
1923	Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as the 30th president of the United States, one day after President Warren G. Harding died of a heart attack.
1943	Gen. George S. Patton slapped a private at an army hospital in Sicily, accusing him of cowardice.
1948	Whittaker Chambers, a former Communist, publicly accused former State Department official Alger Hiss of having been part of a Communist underground, a charge Hiss denied.
1949	The National Basketball Association was formed.
1981	U.S. air traffic controllers went on strike, despite a warning from President Ronald Reagan that they would be fired.
1987	The Iran-Contra congressional hearings ended with none of the 29 witnesses tying President Ronald Reagan directly to the diversion of arms-sales profits to Nicaraguan rebels.
1994	Stephen G. Breyer was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice.
2011	Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak denied all charges against him as he went on trial for alleged corruption and complicity in the deaths of protesters who’d helped drive him from power.

1920	P.D. James, Author, turns 92
1925	Marv Levy, Hall of Fame football coach, turns 87
1941	Martha Stewart, Lifestyle guru, turns 71
1950	John Landis, Director, turns 62
1951	Marcel Dionne, Hockey Hall of Famer, turns 61
1951	Jay North, Actor (“Dennis the Menace”), turns 61
1953	Randy Scruggs, Country musician, turns 59
1959	John C. McGinley, Actor (“Scrubs”), turns 53
1963	James Hetfield, Rock musician (Metallica), turns 49
1963	Isaiah Washington, Actor, turns 49
1977	Tom Brady, Football player, turns 35
1979	Evangeline Lilly, Actress (“Lost”), turns 33
1983	Mamie Gummer, Actress, turns 29
1984	Whitney Duncan, Country singer (“Nashville Star”), turns 28

63	Sir Joseph Paxton 8/3/1801 – 6/8/1865 English landscape gardener and hothouse designer
85	Hamilton Fish 8/3/1808 – 9/6/1893 American secretary of state (1869-77)
49	Elisha Graves Otis 8/3/1811 – 4/8/1861 American inventor
40	Henry Cuyler Bunner 8/3/1855 – 5/11/1896 English poet
80	Stanley Baldwin 8/3/1867 – 12/14/1947 British Conservative; three times prime minister (1923-1937)
27	Rupert Brooke 8/3/1887 – 4/23/1915 English poet, novelist and editor
89	Maggie Kuhn 8/3/1905 – 4/22/1995 American activist; formed the Gray Panthers
87	Alexandre Trauner 8/3/1906 – 12/5/1993 Hungarian-born French art film director
88	Ernesto Geisel 8/3/1908 – 9/12/1996 Brazilian army general and vice-president (1974- 1979)