History for August 2

History for August 2 - On-This-Day.com:
Myrna Loy 1905, James Baldwin 1924, Carroll O'Connor 1924 


Peter O'Toole 1932, Victoria Jackson 1959 - Actress, comdian, Mary-Louise Parker 1964 


1824 - In New York City, Fifth Avenue was opened. 


1861 - The United States Congress passed the first income tax. The revenues were intended for the war effort against the South. The tax was never enacted. 


1887 - Rowell Hodge patented barbed wire. 


1921 - Eight White Sox players were acquitted of throwing the 1919 World Series. 


1939 - U.S. President Roosevelt signed the Hatch Act. The act prohibited civil service employees from taking an active part in political campaigns. 


1943 - The U.S. Navy patrol torpedo boat, PT-109, sank after being attacked by a Japanese destroyer. The boat was under the command of Lt. John F. Kennedy. 


1945 - The Allied conference at Potsdam was concluded. 


1983 - U.S. House of Representatives approved a law that designated the third Monday of January would be a federal holiday in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The law was signed by President Reagan on November 2. 


1990 - Iraq invaded the oil-rich country of Kuwait. Iraq claimed that Kuwait had driven down oil prices by exceeding production quotas set by OPEC.