Wednesday, August 22, 2012

This Week In History

August 22, 565 – St. Columba reports seeing a monster in Loch Ness, Scotland.

August 23, 1799 – Napoleon leaves Egypt for France en route to seize power.
 
August 24, 79 – Mount Vesuvius erupts. The cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae are buried in volcanic ash. 
 
August 25, 1609 – Galileo Galilei demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers. 
 
August 26, 1920 – The 19th amendment to United States Constitution takes effect, giving women the right to vote.
 
August 27, 2003 – Mars makes its closest approach to Earth in nearly 60,000 years, passing 34,646,418 miles (55,758,005 km) distant.
 
August 28, 1833 – The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 receives Royal Assent, abolishing slavery through most the British Empire.