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Today in history: Aug. 11
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Usain Bolt capped his perfect London Olympics by leading Jamaica to victory in a world-record 36.84 seconds in the 4x100 meters, and more events that happened on this day in history.
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1934: Alcatraz Island
In 1934, the first federal prisoners arrived at Alcatraz Island (a former military prison) in San Francisco Bay.
AP1949: Omar N. Bradley
In 1949, President Harry S. Truman nominated General Omar N. Bradley to become the first chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
AP1964: "A Hard Day's Night"
In 1964, the Beatles movie “A Hard Day’s Night” had its U.S. premiere in New York.
AP1965: Watts
In 1965, rioting and looting that claimed 34 lives broke out in the predominantly Black Watts section of Los Angeles.
AP1992: The Mall of America
In 1992, the Mall of America, the nation’s largest shopping-entertainment center, opened in Bloomington, Minnesota.
AP1993: John Shalikashvili
In 1993, President Bill Clinton named Army Gen. John Shalikashvili (shah-lee-kash-VEE’-lee) to be the new chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, succeeding the retiring Gen. Colin Powell.
AP1997: Bill Clinton
In 1997, President Bill Clinton made the first use of the historic line-item veto, rejecting three items in spending and tax bills. (However, the U.S. Supreme Court later struck down the veto as unconstitutional.)
AP2010: Dan Rostenkowski
Ten years ago: Dan Rostenkowski, a former Illinois congressman who’d wielded enormous power on Capitol Hill for more than 30 years, died at his Wisconsin summer home at age 82.
AP2012: Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan
In 2012, Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney announced his choice of Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin to be his running mate.
AP2012: Usain Bolt
In 2012, Usain Bolt capped his perfect London Olympics by leading Jamaica to victory in a world-record 36.84 seconds in the 4x100 meters.
AP2014: Robin Williams
In 2014, Academy Award-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams, 63, died in Tiburon, California, a suicide.
AP2015: China
Five years ago: China rattled global financial markets by devaluing its currency in an effort in part to revive economic growth.
AP2017: Charlottesville
In 2017, a federal judge ordered Charlottesville, Virginia, to allow a weekend rally of white nationalists and other extremists to take place at its originally planned location downtown. (Violence erupted at the rally, and a woman was killed when a man plowed his car into a group of counterprotesters.)
APRelated to this collection
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