On This Day - August 25
Image credit: The GrayVine
Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Let's look back at some of the most significant events in America and beyond that happened on this day, starting with...
1835: The Great Moon Hoax
New York's The Sun newspaper published a series of fabricated stories claiming that famed astronomer John Herschel had spotted bat-like, winged humans and other fantastic life forms on the Moon. Despite being a complete fabrication, the paper never issued a retraction for what became known as the Great Moon Hoax.
1896: The Death of an Outlaw
Notorious outlaw Bill Doolin was shot and killed by a law enforcement posse in Lawson, Oklahoma, bringing an end to his criminal career.
1916: Founding the National Park Service
President Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act into law, creating the agency tasked with protecting and managing the country's national parks and monuments.
1939: The Wizard of Oz Premiered
The iconic film The Wizard of Oz premiered in theaters across the United States, destined to become one of the most beloved and enduring movies in cinematic history.
1944: The Liberation of Paris
Approximately two months after D-Day, Paris was freed from Nazi occupation as General Jacques-Philippe Leclerc and his Free French 2nd Armoured Division entered the city.
1962: A One-Hit Wonder is Born
Seventeen-year-old Little Eva (born Eva Narcissus Boyd) reached the top of the pop charts with her infectious dance song, "The Loco-Motion", which would remain her only #1 hit.
2009: The Lion of the Senate Roared No More
Edward "Ted" Kennedy, the longtime US senator from Massachusetts and the last of the influential Kennedy brothers, died from brain cancer at his home in Hyannis Port at the age of 77.
2012: A Hero for the Ages
Neil Armstrong, the US astronaut who made history as the first human to walk on the Moon and uttered the legendary phrase, "one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind," passed away at age 82.
Do you have more events (historical or not!) you'd like to share with the community? Post them below and let's reminisce together!
