16 August: Gold! The Babe Croaks; Bela Lugosi's Dead; Bloated Pigs Presley & Idi Amin Follow Suit; Ramones Debut, & Two Bad B-Days For McDonna

From The Associated Press, 1 hr 6 mins ago, & The Reverend Moon's UPI Almanac. Today is Sunday, Aug. 16, the 228th day of 2009. There are 137 days left in the year. AP A/V.Today's Highlight in History: On Aug. 16, 1977, Elvis Presley died at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tenn., at age 42. Hospital spokeswoman Vickie Shirey makes a grim announcement.On this date: In 1777, American forces won the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington, Vermont. In 1812, Detroit fell to British and Indian forces in the War of 1812. In 1829, Chang and Eng, a pair of conjoined twins from Siam, arrived in Boston to be exhibited to the Western world. (The term Siamese twins became a common phrase for conjoined twins.) In 1858, a telegraphed message from Britain's Queen Victoria to President James Buchanan was transmitted over the recently laid trans-Atlantic cable. In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln prohibited the states of the Union from trading with the seceding states of the Confederacy. In 1888, T.E. Lawrence, the British soldier who gained fame as "Lawrence of Arabia," was born in Tremadoc, Wales.

In 1896, the North Country gold rush began with the discovery of gold in the Klondike region of Canada's Yukon Territory. In 1913, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin was born in Brest-Litovsk in present-day Belarus.

In 1939, New York's famous vaudeville house, the Hippodrome, closed after 34 years. In 1948, baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York at age 53. In 1954, Sports Illustrated was first published by Time Inc. In 1956, Adlai E. Stevenson was nominated for president at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.In 1959, Fleet Adm. William F. Halsey Jr. died on Fishers Island, N.Y. at age 76. In 1960, Britain ceded control of the crown colony of Cyprus. In 1987, 156 people were killed when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed while trying to take off from Detroit. Thousands of people worldwide began a two-day celebration of the "harmonic convergence," which believers called the start of a new, purer age of humankind. [There's a juxtaposition. How's that "new age" of humanity working out for you, hippie-dippy cretins? — Ed.] In 1988, Vice President George H.W. Bush tapped Indiana Sen. Dan Quayle to be his running mate on the Republican ticket.

In 1990, U.S. naval forces were ordered to prevent ships from reaching or leaving the ports of Iraq and Iraqi-occupied Kuwait. Ten years ago: Four months after two gunmen sent them fleeing in horror, students reclaimed Columbine High School in Colorado for the start of the school year. Vladimir Putin won confirmation as Russia's prime minister, the fifth since early 1998. Republican Lamar Alexander folded his presidential campaign. In 2000, delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles nominated Al Gore for president. In 2002, terrorist mastermind Abu Nidal was found shot to death in Baghdad, Iraq. In 2003, Rep. Bill Janklow (R-SD) was involved in an accident that killed a motorcyclist in South Dakota. (He was convicted of manslaughter and resigned from Congress.) [Oh, we love that. "Was involved in." No, AP, a manslaughter conviction means "killed a motorcyclist in an accident." — Ed.] Also, Idi Amin, the former dictator of Uganda, died in Saudi Arabia. [Having escaped anything resembling justice, thanks to America's dear friends, The House of Saud. — Ed.] Five years ago: President George W. Bush announced a plan to return two Army divisions from Cold War-era bases in Germany. Election officials in Venezuela announced that voters had overwhelmingly chosen to keep President Hugo Chavez in office. In 2006, a man was arrested in Thailand as a suspect in the slaying of child beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey. However, his confession was later discredited. In 2007, Jose Padilla, a U.S. citizen held for 3-1/2 years as an enemy combatant, was convicted in Miami of helping Islamic extremists and plotting overseas attacks. (He was sentenced to 17 years, four months in prison.) One year ago: At the Beijing Olympics, Michael Phelps touched the wall a hundredth of a second ahead of Serbia's Milorad Cavic to win the 100-meter butterfly, giving Phelps his seventh gold medal of the Games, tying Mark Spitz's performance in the 1972 Munich Games. Usain Bolt of Jamaica ran the 100-meter dash in a stunning world-record time of 9.69 seconds. Today's Birthdays: Actor Fess Parker is 85. Actress Ann Blyth is 81. Actor Robert Culp is 79. Sportscaster Frank Gifford is 79. Singer Eydie Gorme is 78. Actress Julie Newmar is 76.Actor John Standing is 75. College Football Hall of Famer and NFL player Bill Glass is 74. Actor Gary Clarke is 73. Actress Anita Gillette is 73. Actress Carole Shelley is 70. Country singer Billy Joe Shaver is 70. Movie director Bruce Beresford is 69. R&B singer Robert "Squirrel" Lester (The Chi-Lites) is 67. Actor Bob Balaban is 64. Ballerina Suzanne Farrell is 64. Actress Lesley Ann Warren is 63. Rock singer-musician Joey Spampinato (NRBQ) is 59. Actor Reginald VelJohnson is 57. TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford is 56. R&B singer J.T. Taylor is 56. Movie director James Cameron is 55. Actor Jeff Perry is 54. Rock musician Tim Farriss (INXS) is 52. Singer McDonna is 51. Actress Angela Bassett is 51. Actress Laura Innes is 50. Actor Timothy Hutton is 49. Actor Steve Carell is 46. Former tennis player Jimmy Arias is 45. Actor-singer Donovan Leitch is 42. Actor Andy Milder (TV: "Weeds") is 41. Country singer Emily Robison (The Dixie Chicks) is 37. Actor George Stults is 34. Singer Vanessa Carlton is 29. Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams is 29. Tennessee Titans wide receiver David Givens is 29. Actress Rumer Willis is 21. [Actress. Don't make us laugh. Ugly no-talent spawn of two ugly no-talent jerks who gave her a stupid name is all. Actress? Name one flick she's been in. Or are we talking about her electrifying stage career? Fuck, we hope the stupid hoor Googles herself, finds this, & cries for a wk.! (We'd wish that she'd off herself as a result of reading this, but that might be a little much. And legally actionable.) — Ed.] Today In Entertainment History -- On Aug. 16, 1956, actor Bela Lugosi died at the age of 73. He's best known for playing Dracula in the movies. Thirty-five years ago, in 1974, The Ramones played their first gig in New York. In 1975, Genesis lead singer Peter Gabriel announced to the British press that he was leaving the band. He had actually made the decision months earlier, but decided to wait until the band had completed its tour obligations. In 1977, Elvis Presley was found dead at his Graceland mansion in Memphis. Doctors first said he died of congestive heart failure, but an investigation revealed drugs may have been a factor. In 1983, singer Paul Simon and actress Carrie Fisher got married. They divorced in 1985. In 1985, McDonna and actor Sean Penn got married in Malibu, Calif., as helicopters with photographers hovered overhead. It was McDonna's 27th birthday. She filed for divorce in early 1989. In 1986, MTV began airing the video for "Walk This Way" by Run-DMC featuring Aerosmith.

Twenty tears ago, in 1989, actress Amanda Blake, best known as Miss Kitty on "Gunsmoke," died of cancer in Sacramento, California.

Ten years ago, in 1999, the quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" began a limited two-week run on ABC. In 2005, McDonna was seriously injured while riding a horse at her estate in England. She broke her hand and collarbone and cracked three ribs.

And last year, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and actress Portia de Rossi were married at their Beverly Hills, Calif., home.

Thought for Today: "You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do." — Henry Ford, American auto manufacturer & noted anti-Semite. (1863-1947).