Today, Aug 8th in

1588 - The Spanish Armada, numbering 130 massive ships, were defeated by the English sailors with their smaller, easily maneuvered ships. 1945 - President Truman signed the United Nations Charter.

1815 - Napoleon Bonaparte set sail for St. Helena to spend the remainder of his days in exile.


1963 - A group of 15 thieves stole seven million dollars in Britain’s Great Train Robbery. Scotland Yard called the theft, "Britain’s biggest robbery ever attempted." Fingerprints identified all but three of the gang. One of the convicted escaped, and was never again caught.

1974 - Richard Nixon announced on television he was resigning for his part in the Watergate scandal, effective midday on August 9. He was the first United States president to resign from office.

1990 - Iraq announced that it had annexed Kuwait as its 19th province and President Bush sent United States troops to Saudi Arabia as part of a multi-national force to defend the kingdom.