Today is Thursday, Aug. 25, the 238th day of 2016. There are 128 days left in the year.
On this date:
In 1718, hundreds of French colonists arrived in Louisiana, with some settling in present-day New Orleans.
In 1825, Uruguay declared independence from Brazil.
In 1921, the United States signed a peace treaty with Germany.
In 1944, during World War II, Paris was liberated by Allied forces after four years of Nazi occupation. Romania declared war on former ally Germany.
In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a measure providing pensions for former U.S. presidents and their widows.
In 1960, opening ceremonies were held for the Summer Olympics in Rome.
In 1975, the Bruce Springsteen album “Born to Run” was released by Columbia Records.
In 1981, the U.S. spacecraft Voyager 2 came within 63,000 miles of Saturn’s cloud cover, sending back pictures of and data about the ringed planet.
In 1989, Voyager 2 made its closest approach to Neptune, its final planetary target.
In 2001, Rhythm-and-blues singer Aaliyah was killed with eight others in a plane crash in the Bahamas; she was 22.
In 2009, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy died at age 77 in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, after a battle with a brain tumor.
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