Today in History: August 29, Hurricane Katrina hits Louisiana

Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Aug. 29, the 241st day of 2023. There are 124 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast near Buras, Louisiana, bringing floods that devastated New Orleans. More than 1,800 people in the region died.

On this date:

In 1632, English philosopher John Locke was born in Somerset.

In 1814, during the War of 1812, Alexandria, Virginia, formally surrendered to British military forces, which occupied the city until September 3.

In 1862, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began operations at the United States Treasury.

In 1944, 15,000 American troops of the 28th Infantry Division marched down the Champs Elysees in Paris as the French capital continued to celebrate its liberation from the Nazis.

In 1957, the Senate gave final congressional approval to a Civil Rights Act after South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond ended a filibuster that had lasted 24 hours.

In 1958, pop superstar Michael Jackson was born in Gary, Indiana.

In 1966, the Beatles concluded their fourth American tour with their last public concert, held at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

In 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain picked Sarah Palin, a maverick conservative who had been governor of Alaska for less than two years, to be his running mate.

In 2009, funeral services were held in Boston for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, who was eulogized by President Barack Obama. He was buried hours later at Arlington National Cemetery outside Washington.

In 2019, President Donald Trump said the United States planned to withdraw more than 5,000 troops from Afghanistan, and would then determine future drawdowns.

Ten years ago: In a sweeping new policy statement, the Justice Department said it would not stand in the way of states that wanted to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana as long as there were effective controls to keep marijuana away from kids, the black market and federal property. The NFL agreed to pay $765 million to settle lawsuits from thousands of former players who developed dementia or other concussion-related health problems they say were caused by the on-field clashes.

Five years ago: Sen. John McCain was remembered as a “true American hero” at a crowded service at the North Phoenix Baptist Church after a motorcade carried McCain’s body from the state Capitol. Kanye West apologized on a Chicago radio station for calling slavery a “choice.” The government reported that the economy had grown at a strong 4.2 percent annual rate in the April-June quarter, the best showing in nearly four years. Paul Taylor, a towering figure in American modern dance, died at a New York hospital at the age of 88.

One year ago: A United Nations nuclear watchdog team set off on an urgent mission to safeguard the endangered Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia atomic power plant at the heart of fighting in Ukraine, with hopes of avoiding a nuclear catastrophe. At least 15 protesters were killed after an influential Shiite cleric announced that he would resign from Iraqi politics, prompting hundreds of his angry followers to storm the government palace and sparking clashes with security forces and between rival militias. NASA called off the debut launch of its powerful new moon rocket after a last-minute cascade of problems, including unexplained trouble related to an engine. (The rocket would not take flight until November.)

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Elliott Gould is 85. Actor Deborah Van Valkenburgh is 71. Former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is 68. Dancer-choreographer Mark Morris is 67. Country musician Dan Truman (Diamond Rio) is 67. Actor Rebecca DeMornay is 64. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is 56. Singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello (n-DAY’-gay-OH’-chehl-oh) is 55. Actor Carla Gugino is 52. Rock musician Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty) is 48. Actor John Hensley is 46. Actor Kate Simses is 44. Actor Jennifer Landon is 40. Actor Jeffrey Licon is 38. Actor-singer Lea Michele is 37. Actor Charlotte Ritchie is 34. Actor Nicole Gale Anderson is 33. MLB pitcher Noah Syndergaard (SIHN’-dur-gahrd) is 31. Rock singer Liam Payne (One Direction) is 30.