Today in history

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 9, the 221st day of 2006. There are 144 days left in the year. On this date in 1945, three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, the United States explodes a nuclear device over Nagasaki, killing an estimated 74,000 people.
In 1842, the United States and Canada resolve a border dispute by signing the Webster-Ashburton Treaty. In 1848, the Free-Soil Party convenes in Buffalo, N.Y., where it nominates Martin Van Buren for president. In 1854, Henry David Thoreau publishes "Walden," which describes his experiences while living near Walden Pond in Massachusetts. In 1902, Edward VII is crowned king of England following the death of his mother, Queen Victoria. In 1930, a forerunner of the cartoon character Betty Boop makes her debut in Max Fleischer's animated short "Dizzy Dishes." In 1936, Jesse Owens wins his fourth gold medal at the Berlin Olympics as the United States takes first place in the 400-meter relay. In 1965, Singapore proclaims its independence from the Malaysian Federation. In 1969, actress Sharon Tate and four other people are found brutally murdered in Tate's Los Angeles home; cult leader Charles Manson and a group of his disciples are later convicted of the crime. In 1974, President Nixon's resignation takes effect. Vice President Gerald R. Ford becomes the nation's 38th chief executive. In 1995, Jerry Garcia, lead singer of the Grateful Dead, dies in San Francisco of a heart attack at age 53.
August 9, 1981: Justice Paul W. Brown of Columbus, a member of the Ohio Supreme Court and a former Youngstown attorney, announces that he will step down from the court after 15 years on the bench and will become a partner in a Columbus law firm. He is 67.
The periodic reappraisal of Mahoning County real estate has been completed, and most property owners can expect to pay higher taxes in 1982.
A Gallup poll shows that 57 percent of Americans approve of President Reagan's handling of the strike by air traffic controllers, including the firing of the strikers.
August 9, 1966: Youngstown traffic officials urge motorists entering the city on the Market Street Bridge to use alternate routes to reduce mounting rush hour traffic congestion near Front Street.
Pfc. Newman D. Long, 18, of Youngstown, a member of Company A, 1st Battalion of the 9th Infantry, has been reported missing in Korea. He disappeared June 13 after taking part in an aggressor detail for evasion and escape training.
Nineteen girls, beautifully attired in wedding gowns and white veils, go through an impressive ceremony at St. Columba Cathedral during which they received the habit of the Ursuline order. The Ursuline sisters have increased from six years to eight years the time of preparation for final vows.
August 9, 1956: Youngstown Sheet & amp; Tube Co. buys 112 acres in New Middletown-Struthers Road, Poland Township, to provide room for a huge future expansion of finishing facilities.
A population gain of 57,575 people is reported for Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties since 1950. Youngstown grew by 12,309, from 168,330 to 180,639, a gain of 7.3 percent.
The Youngstown Municipal Railway Co. reveals that its purchase of 15 diesel buses is part of a long-range plan to eliminate all electric-powered trolley buses.
August 9, 1931: A jury of nine men and three women deliberating the fate of gangster Louis Vitullo, charged with first-degree murder in the death of his mistress, are deadlocked and will spend the night in the Warner Hotel in Warren.
With city funds for unemployment relief nearing depletion, Youngstown city officials and Community Chest officials will meet to discuss what community projects might provide work for the unemployed and how those projects can be financed.
An estimated 100,000 people see the nation's first lady, Mrs. Herbert Hoover, christen the airship "Akron" in Akron.