Moments in Time – August 10, 2022

#Middlebury

• On Aug. 24, 1814, during the War of 1812 between the United States and England, British troops enter Washington, D.C., and burn the White House in retaliation for the American attack on the city of York in Ontario, Canada, in June 1813. When the British arrived at the White House, they found that President James Madison and his first lady Dolley had already fled to safety in Maryland.
• On Aug. 22, 1851, the U.S.-built schooner America bests a fleet of Britain’s finest ships in a race around England’s Isle of Wight. In the 53-mile race, the America trounced the competition, beating the cutter Aurora by 22 minutes.
• On Aug. 27, 1908, future President Lyndon B. Johnson is born on a farm near Stonewall, Texas. As president, Johnson pushed through the creation of Medicare/Medicaid, Head Start, the Voting Rights Act, the Civil Rights Act and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
• On Aug. 25, 1939, “The Wizard of Oz,” which will become one of the best-loved movies in history, opens in theaters. Though the scenes in Kansas were shot in traditional black and white, Oz appears in vivid Technicolor, a relatively new film process at the time.
• On Aug. 23, 1947, the first Little League World Series championship game – the culmination of a three-day tournament in Williamsport, Pennsylvania – features teams from Pennsylvania. Maynard, a team from Williamsport, defeated Lock Haven, 16-7, to win the title at Original Field. Although it was called the World Series, 11 of the 12 teams in the tournament were from Pennsylvania.
• On Aug. 26, 1959, the British Motor Corporation (BMC) launches its newest car, the small and affordable – at a price tag of less than $800 – Mark I Mini. At only 10 feet long, the Mini could sit four adults and had a trunk big enough for luggage.
• On Aug. 28, 1972, the U.S. Air Force gets its first ace designation since the Korean War when Capt. Richard S. Ritchie and his “backseater” (radar intercept officer), Captain Charles B. DeBellevue, shoot down his fifth MiG near Hanoi.

© 2022 Hearst Communications, Inc.
All Rights Reserved