| 1790 |
The Coast Guard had its beginnings as the Revenue Cutter Service. |
| 1792 |
Poet Percy Bysshe Shelley was born in Field Place, England. |
| 1830 |
Plans for the city of Chicago were laid out. |
| 1892 |
Andrew and Abby Borden were axed to death in their home in Fall River, Mass. (Lizzie Borden, Andrew Borden’s daughter from a previous marriage, was accused of the killings, though she was later acquitted.) |
| 1914 |
Britain declared war on Germany while the United States proclaimed its neutrality in World War I. |
| 1964 |
The bodies of three missing civil rights workers were found buried in an earthen dam in Mississippi. |
| 1977 |
President Jimmy Carter signed a measure establishing the Department of Energy. |
| 1987 |
The Federal Communications Commission voted to rescind the Fairness Doctrine, which required radio and TV stations to present balanced coverage of controversial issues. |
| 1994 |
Serb-dominated Yugoslavia withdrew its support for Bosnian Serbs, sealing the 300-mile border between Yugoslavia and Serb-held Bosnia. |
| 2002 |
A Palestinian suicide bomber blew up a bus in northern Israel during rush hour, killing nine passengers. |
| 2005 |
A mini-submarine carrying seven Russians became caught on an underwater antenna 600 feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean; the men were rescued three days later with help from a British vessel. |
| 2007 |
Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants tied Hank Aaron’s 755 career home runs. |
| 1920 |
Helen Thomas, Journalist, turns 92 |
| 1944 |
Richard Belzer, Actor, comedian (“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”), turns 68 |
| 1949 |
John Riggins, Football Hall of Famer, turns 63 |
| 1955 |
Alberto Gonzales, Former attorney general, turns 57 |
| 1955 |
Billy Bob Thornton, Actor, turns 57 |
| 1958 |
Kym Karath, Actress (“The Sound of Music”), turns 54 |
| 1962 |
Roger Clemens, Baseball player, turns 50 |
| 1965 |
Dennis Lehane, Author, turns 47 |
| 1969 |
Michael DeLuise, Actor, turns 43 |
| 1971 |
Jeff Gordon, Race car driver, turns 41 |
| 1985 |
Crystal Bowersox, Country singer (“American Idol”), turns 27 |
| 1992 |
Dylan Sprouse, Actor, turns 20 |
| 1992 |
Cole Sprouse, Actor, turns 20 |
| 40 |
Richard de Clare Gloucester 8/4/1222 – 7/15/1262
English nobleman |
| 30 |
Percy Bysshe Shelley 8/4/1792 – 7/8/1822
English Romantic poet |
| 90 |
Russell Sage 8/4/1816 – 7/22/1906
American financier |
| 55 |
Walter Pater 8/4/1839 – 7/30/1894
British critic, essayist and humanist |
| 70 |
Sir Pherozeshah Mehta 8/4/1845 – 11/5/1915
Indian politician and newspaper publisher |
| 78 |
Sir Osbert Lancaster 8/4/1908 – 7/27/1986
English cartoonist, stage designer and writer |
| 79 |
Glenn Cunningham 8/4/1909 – 3/10/1988
American champion middle-distance runner |
| 82 |
William Schuman 8/4/1910 – 2/15/1992
American composer and educator |
| 35 |
Raoul Wallenberg 8/4/1912 – 7/17/1947
Swedish businessman and diplomat; rescued thousands of Hungarian Jews during World War II |
Louis Armstrong 8/4/1901 – 7/6/1971 American jazz trumpeter.
