Moments in Time: Old Ironsides
The History Channel
On Aug. 19, 1812, the U.S. Navy frigate Constitution, known as "Old Ironsides," catches the British warship Guerriere 600 miles east of Boston where the Constitution delivered its first broadside. The British man-of-war was de-masted and rendered a wreck while the Constitution escaped with only minimal damage.
On Aug. 20, 1911, a dispatcher in The New York Times office sends the first telegram around the world to determine how fast a commercial message could be sent. After it traveled more than 28,000 miles, relayed by 16 different operators, the reply was received by the same operator 16.5 minutes later.
On Aug. 18, 1940, Walter Percy Chrysler, the founder of the American automotive corporation that bears his name, dies in New York. Chrysler was also known for financing the 77-story Art Deco Chrysler building skyscraper in midtown Manhattan. When completed in 1930, it was the tallest building in the world.
On Aug. 16, 1954, Sports Illustrated, a new magazine dedicated to covering sports, appears on American newsstands with a cover photo of Milwaukee Braves third baseman Eddie Mathews. Sports Illustrated did not make money for most of its first decade but eventually became the undisputed leader in American sports media.
On Aug. 15, 1961, two days after sealing off free passage between East and West Berlin with barbed wire, East German authorities begin building a wall -- the Berlin Wall -- to permanently close off access to the West. For the next 28 years, the wall was a literal "iron curtain" dividing Europe.
On Aug. 21, 1980, animal rights advocates Ingrid Newkirk and Alex Pacheco found People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Rising from humble beginnings, PETA will soon become the world's foremost and most controversial animal rights organization.
On Aug. 17, 1993, Random House agrees to pay Gen. Colin Powell an advance of about $6 million for the rights to his autobiography, "My American Journey." Powell's book became the fastest-selling book in Random House history.
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