CAMILLE BOHANNON

On this day in 1945, the Allies proclaimed V-J Day a day after
Japan agreed to surrender unconditionally.

It began on this day in 1969.

India became independent from Britain and was divided into the countries of India and Pakistan. India had been under British
about 200 years.

It was on this day in 1998.

On this day in 1914, the Panama Canal was officially opened to commercial traffic as an American ship sailed from the Atlantic
to the Pacific Ocean. The first vessel to pass through the canal
was the American cargo and passenger ship SS Ancon.
 

"The Wizard of Oz" premiered in Hollywood, CA. on this day in 1939
and Judy Garland became famous for the movie’s song “Somewhere
Over the Rainbow.” 

The Hollywood premiere of the movie was at Grauman’s Chinese
Theatre (above).

Judy Garland performing the song “Over the Rainbow” for the film
The Wizard of Oz.

MIKE GRACIA

It was on this day in 2005.

John Wilkes Booth

Public testimony at the Iran-Contra hearing began on this day in
1987 with National Security Council staff member Oliver North
testifying before a Congressional committee.  He was ultimately
indicted on 16 felony counts.

It was on this day in 1981, President Ronald Reagan announced
he was nominating Arizona Judge Sandra Day O’Connor to
become the first female justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Sandra Day O’Connor turned 81 in March.

Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) is 77 years old today.

Ringo Starr was asked to join The Beatles after their drummer
Pete Best had a falling out with the band.

CAMILLE BOHANNON

The Golden Gate Bridge was opened to pedestrian traffic on this
day in 1937. The bridge connected San Francisco and Marin
County in California.

In The Hague, Netherlands, on this day in 1999, a war crimes tribunal indicted Slobodan Milosevic and four others for atrocities in Kosovo.

It was the first time that a sitting head of state had been charged with such a crime.

On this day in 1941. the German battleship Bismarck was sunk by
British naval and air forces. 2,300 people were killed.

Queen Mary sailed on her maiden voyage on this day in 1936 captured the
Blue Riband in August of that year; she lost the title to SS Normandie in 1937
and recaptured it in 1938, holding it until 1952 when she was beaten by the
new SS United States. With the outbreak of the Second World War, she was
converted into a troopship and ferried Allied soldiers for the duration of the
war.

It was on this day in 1995.

SANDY KOZEL

Central Pacific and Union Pacific Rail Roads meet in Promontory,
UT on this day in 1869. A golden spike was driven in the track at
the celebration of the first transcontinental railroad in the U.S.

            
                The identical twin of  the Last Spike.

The Nazis staged massive public book burnings in Germany on
this day in 1933.

Nelson Mandela was sworn in as South Africa’s first black president
on this day in 1994.

Bono (Paul David Hewson) is 57 years old today.

Bono is the front man of U2, known for such hits as "Sunday
Bloody Sunday" and "Beautiful Day." The band has earned
over 20 Grammy Awards and has sold over 150 million
records. He is also a well-known philanthropist who has
championed causes in his native Ireland, in Africa, and all
over the world.

He spent his childhood singing. Growing up on O’Connell
Street in a suburb of Dublin, he earned his nickname "Bono"
from the phrase "Bono Vox of O’Connell Street," which means
"good voice of O’Connell Street."  He was named the Time
Person of the Year in 2005, along with Bill and Melinda Gates.

(FoxNews) – The Vespa scooter was designed as an affordable way to put
Italians back on the road after World War II, but this one’s not cheap.

The oldest-known existing Vespa is being auctioned online at Catawiki.com
and as of this writing it’s closing in on $175,000, with bidding set to end on
March 28.

The fully-documented “Serie 0” was actually the third Vespa built, the first two
having been lost to history. It’s been fully restored, with the paint carefully
stripped off to highlight its early construction methods, which include a hand-
hammered and soldered steel unibody. About 60 of these pre-production
models were manufactured before a formal assembly line was established.

Vespa is an Italian brand of scooter manufactured by Piaggio. The name
means “wasp” in Italian. The Vespa has evolved from a single model motor
scooter manufactured in 1946 by Piaggio & Co. S.p.A. of Pontedera, Italy
to a full line of scooters and one of seven companies today owned by
Piaggio.