TODAY IN HISTORY

Friday, August  09, 2013 AP Highlight in History:  On Aug. 9, 1945, the United States exploded a nuclear device over Nagasaki, Japan, instantly killing an estimated 39,000 people. The explosion came three days after the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.   AP Photo
On this date in: 1854 Henry David Thoreau published "Walden," which described his experiences living near Walden Pond in Massachusetts. 1902 Britain's Edward VII was crowned king following the death of his mother, Queen Victoria. 1936 Jesse Owens won his fourth gold medal at the Berlin Olympics as the United States took first place in the 400-meter relay. AP Photo 1969 Actress Sharon Tate and four other people were found murdered in Los Angeles; cult leader Charles Manson and a group of his followers were later convicted of the crime. 1974 Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States following the resignation of Richard M. Nixon. Ford: "our long national nightmare is over" AP Photo/Chick Harrity 1985 A federal judge in Norfolk, Va., found retired Navy officer Arthur J. Walker guilty of seven counts of spying for the Soviet Union. 1995 Rock musician Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead died at age 53. 2001 President George W. Bush approved federal funding for existing lines of embryonic stem cells. 2002 Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants hit his 600th home run, becoming the fourth major leaguer to reach the mark. 2004 Terry Nichols was sentenced to 161 consecutive life sentences on state murder charges in the Oklahoma City bombing. 2010 Former Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, 86, the longest serving Republican in the U.S. Senate, was killed in a plane crash in southwestern Alaska.		Video HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS DAY IN HISTORY Today's Birthdays: Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders turns 46 years old today. AP Photo/David J. Phillip Name Profession Age Bob Cousy Basketball Hall of Famer 85 Rod Laver Tennis Hall of Famer 75 David Steinberg Comedian 71 Ken Norton Boxing Hall of Famer 70 Sam Elliott Actor 69 Melanie Griffith Actress 56 Amanda Bearse Actress ("Married...With Children") 55 Kurtis Blow Rapper 54 Brett Hull Hockey player 49 Hoda Kotb TV host ("Today") 49 Gillian Anderson Actress ("The X Files") 45 Eric Bana Actor 45 Juanes Rock singer 41 Liz Vassey Actress ("CSI") 41 Jessica Capshaw Actress 37 Jason Heyward Baseball player 24 Actress Anna Kendrick ("Up in the Air," "Twilight" movies) turns 28 years old today. AP Photo/Evan Agostini