Day in history

Today is Monday, Aug. 16, the 229th day of 2004. There are 137 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

Fifty years ago, on Aug. 16, 1954, Sports Illustrated was first published by Time Incorporated.

On this date:

In 1777, American forces won the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington, Vt.

In 1812, Detroit fell to British and Indian forces in the War of 1812.

In 1829, the original "Siamese twins," Chang and Eng Bunker, arrived in Boston to be exhibited to the Western world.

In 1858, a telegraphed message from Britain's Queen Victoria to President Buchanan was transmitted over the recently laid trans-Atlantic cable.

In 1861, President Lincoln prohibited the states of the Union from trading with the seceding states of the Confederacy.

In 1894, George Meany, first president of the AFL-CIO, was born in New York City.

In 1948, baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York at age 53.

In 1956, Adlai E. Stevenson was nominated for president at the Democratic national convention in Chicago.

In 1977, Elvis Presley died at Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tenn., at age 42.

In 1987, 156 people were killed when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed while trying to take off from Detroit.

Ten years ago: President Clinton and other top Democrats were scouring the House of Representatives for converts in hopes of reviving a stalled anti-crime bill.

Five years ago: Four months after two gunmen sent them fleeing in horror, students reclaimed Columbine High School in Colorado for the start of the school year. Vladimir Putin won confirmation as Russia's prime minister, the fifth since early 1998. Republican Lamar Alexander folded his presidential campaign. The quiz show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" began a limited two-week run on ABC.

One year ago: The Midwest and Northeast were almost fully recovered from the worst power outage in U.S. history. A car driven by U.S. Representative Bill Janklow ran a stop sign on a rural road in South Dakota and collided with motorcyclist Randy Scott, who died in the accident. Idi Amin, the former dictator of Uganda, died in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia; he was believed to have been 80.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Fess Parker is 80. Actress Ann Blyth is 76. Actor Robert Culp is 74. Sportscaster Frank Gifford is 74. Actress Julie Newmar is 71. Actor John Standing is 70. Actor Gary Clarke is 68. Actress Anita Gillette is 68. Actress Carole Shelley is 65. Country singer Billy Joe Shaver is 65. Movie director Bruce Beresford is 64. Rhythm and blues singer Robert "Squirrel" Lester (The Chi-Lites) is 62. Actor Bob Balaban is 59. Ballerina Suzanne Farrell is 59. Actress Lesley Ann Warren is 58. Rock singer-musician Joey Spampinato (NRBQ) is 54. Actor Reginald VelJohnson is 52. T.V. personality Kathie Lee Gifford is 51. Rhythm and blues singer J.T. Taylor is 51. Movie director James Cameron is 50. Actor Jeff Perry is 49. Rock musician Tim Farriss (INXS) is 47. Singer Madonna is 46. Actress Angela Bassett is 46. Actress Laura Innes is 45. Actor Timothy Hutton is 44. Actor Donovan

Leitch is 36. Country singer Emily Robison (The Dixie Chicks) is 32. Singer Vanessa Carlton is 24.

Thought for Today: "If a man wants his dreams to come true, he must wake up." - Anonymous.