This Day in History

In 1540, King Henry VIII's chief minister, Thomas Cromwell, was executed, the same day Henry married his fifth wife, Catherine Howard.

In 1655, French dramatist and novelist Cyrano de Bergerac, the inspiration for a play by Edmond Rostand, died in Paris.

In 1821, Peru declared its independence from Spain.

In 1868, the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing due process of law, was declared in effect.

In 1896, the city of Miami, Fla., was incorporated.

In 1932, Federal troops forcibly dispersed the so-called Bonus Army of World War I veterans who had gathered in Washington to demand money they weren't scheduled to receive until 1945.

In 1945, the U.S. Senate ratified the United Nations Charter by a vote of 89-2.

In 1965, President Johnson announced he was increasing the number of American troops in South Vietnam from 75,000 to 125,000.

In 1977, Roy Wilkins turned over leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to Benjamin L. Hooks.

In 2002, nine coal miners trapped in the flooded Quecreek Mine in Somerset, Pa., were rescued after 77 hours underground.

Ten years ago: A jury in Union, S.C., rejected the death penalty for Susan Smith, sentencing her instead to life in prison for drowning her two young sons. (Smith will be eligible for parole in 2024).

Five years ago: Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori was sworn in for an unprecedented third term of office, infuriating demonstrators who set government buildings ablaze.

One year ago: The Democratic National Convention in Boston formally nominated John Kerry for president. A car bomb exploded outside a police station used as a recruiting center in Baqouba, Iraq, killing 70 Iraqis. Francis Crick, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who co-discovered the "double-helix" structure of DNA, died in San Diego at age 88.

Today's Birthdays

Movie director Andrew V. McLaglen is 85. Actor Darryl Hickman is 74. The former president of Peru, Alberto Fujimori, is 67. Former Sen. Bill Bradley (D-N.J.) is 62. "Garfield" creator Jim Davis is 60. Rock musician Rick Wright (Pink Floyd) is 60. Singer Jonathan Edwards is 59. Actress Linda Kelsey is 59. Actress Sally Struthers is 57. Actress Georgia Engel is 57. Rock musician Simon Kirke (Bad Company) is 56. Rock musician Steve Morse (Deep Purple) is 51. Actor Michael Hayden is 42. Jazz musician-producer Delfeayo Marsalis is 40. Actress Elizabeth Berkley is 33. Singer Afroman is 31. Country singer Carly Goodwin is 24. Actor Jonathan Osser is 16.