Today is Thursday, Aug. 25, the 237th day of 2005. There are 128 days left in the year. On this date

Today is Thursday, Aug. 25, the 237th day of 2005. There are 128 days left in the year. On this date in 1944, during World War II, Paris is liberated by Allied forces after four years of Nazi occupation.
In 1825, Uruguay declares independence from Brazil. In 1875, Capt. Matthew Webb becomes the first person to swim across the English Channel, getting from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in 22 hours. In 1916, the National Park Service is established within the Department of the Interior. In 1921, the United States signs a peace treaty with Germany. In 1943, U.S. forces overrun New Georgia in the Solomon Islands during World War II. In 1944, Romania declares war on Germany. In 1950, President Truman orders the Army to seize control of the nation's railroads to avert a strike. In 1980, the Broadway musical "42nd Street" opens. (Producer David Merrick stuns the cast and audience during the curtain call by announcing that the show's director, Gower Champion, had died earlier that day.) In 1985, Samantha Smith, the schoolgirl whose letter to Yuri V. Andropov resulted in her famous peace tour of the Soviet Union, dies with her father in an airliner crash in Maine
August 25, 1980: Police and federal agents are investigating an explosion that damaged the showroom of a Struthers motorcycle repair shop and rocked State Street. Debris from the Chop Shop was thrown 35 feet.
Seven of eight swimmers attempting to cross Lake Erie at one of its widest points drop out. Only Doug Conrad, 21, of Toledo remains in the water, covering 35 miles of the 55-mile crossing.
Bethlehem Steel Corp., the nation's second largest steel company, is fined $325,000 by a federal judge for bribery and other corrupt practices stretching over four years.
August 25, 1965: A gunman holds up two employees of the McGuffey Plaza A & amp;P store while the employees were taking money to a night depository. The robber escaped with the day's receipts of several thousand dollars.
Angeline Hertzog of New Middletown is selected "Miss Farmer's Daughter" in a contest sponsored by WYTV and leaves for a weekend trip to Washington, D.C. When she returns, she will be the official hostess for 4-H girls at the Canfield Fair.
Clarence "Mickey" Grosso, a former Class "AA" Baseball League player, is named director of health and physical education at the Troy Jewish Community Center in Troy. N.Y. He has been assistant director of physical education at the Youngstown Jewish Community Center for three years.
August 25, 1955: A protest is lodged by the state commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars with the Youngstown Musicians Union over the cancellation of the participation of the Junior Military Band of Warren Post 1090 at a recent Youth on Parade program in Idora Park.
A 35-year-old East Side woman, mother of three children, is jailed by Municipal Judge Robert B. Nevin after she refuses to take the stand during a hearing on a disturbance charge involving a fight with her sister at their parents' home.
A truck will be parked in Central Square for two days collecting clothing, food and furniture for distribution to flooding victims in Pennsylvania. The Mahoning County Chapter of the Red Cross will also be attempting to meet its quota of $14,500 toward flood relief.
August 25, 1930: Steel capacity at the open hearth department of the Republic Steel Corp. will increase from 72,000 tons to 95,000 tons a month after the investment of $1 million for expansion. Work will begin immediately.
Cyrus Eaton testifies that he was shocked when he learned in March that Bethlehem Steel Corp. and Youngstown Sheet and Tube Corp. had reached agreement on terms for a merger. Eaton said that in his opinion there had not been enough time to adequately assess the respective values of the company and reach a fair agreement.
Dancing at Craig Beach, Lake Milton, is halted by Mahoning County Sheriff Adam Stone and a group of deputies after the dance hall advertised Sunday night dancing.