Today in history - July 15

By The Associated PressFri Jul 14, 8:01 PM ET

Today is Saturday, July 15, the 196th day of 2006. There are 169 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

400 years ago, on July 15, 1606, Dutch painter Rembrandt was born in Leiden, Netherlands.

On this date:

In 1870, Georgia became the last Confederate state readmitted to the Union.

In 1916, Boeing Co., originally known as Pacific Aero Products, was founded in Seattle.

In 1948, President Truman was nominated for another term of office by the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia.

In 1964, Sen. Barry M. Goldwater of Arizona was nominated for president by the Republican national convention in San Francisco.

In 1965, U.S. scientists displayed close-up photographs of the planet Mars taken by Mariner 4.

In 1971, in a surprise announcement, President Nixon said he would visit the People's Republic of China.

In 1975, three American astronauts blasted off aboard an Apollo spaceship hours after two Soviet cosmonauts were launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft for a mission that included a linkup of the two ships in orbit.

In 1976, a 36-hour kidnap ordeal began for 26 schoolchildren and their bus driver as they were abducted near Chowchilla, Calif., by three gunmen and imprisoned in an underground cell. (The captives escaped unharmed.)

In 1979, President Carter delivered his "malaise" speech in which he lamented what he called a "crisis of confidence" in America.

In 1985, a gaunt-looking Rock Hudson appeared at a news conference with actress Doris Day (it was later revealed Hudson was suffering from AIDS).

Ten years ago: Republican presidential candidate Bob Dole tapped New York congresswoman Susan Molinari to deliver the keynote address at the upcoming GOP convention. MSNBC, a 24-hour all-news network, made its debut on cable and the Internet.

Five years ago: China's President Jiang Zemin arrived in Russia to sign a friendship treaty — the first between the former Communist rivals in more than 50 years.

One year ago: A federal appeals court ruled that a Guantanamo detainee who once was Osama bin Laden's driver could be tried by military tribunal. (However, the Supreme Court in June 2006 struck down the tribunals, saying they violated U.S. and international law.) Bankrupt energy company Enron Corp. agreed to pay $47.5 million in a settlement that could eventually top $1.5 billion to resolve claims that it had gouged California and other Western states during the 2000-2001 energy crisis.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Philip Carey is 81. Actor Alex Karras is 71. Actor Ken Kercheval is 71. Sen. George V. Voinovich (news, bio, voting record), R-Ohio, is 70. Actor Patrick Wayne is 67. Actor Jan-Michael Vincent is 62. Rhythm-and-blues singer Millie Jackson is 62. Rock singer-musician Peter Lewis (Moby Grape) is 61. Singer Linda Ronstadt is 60. Rock musician Artimus Pyle is 58. Actor Terry O'Quinn is 54. Rock musician Marky Ramone is 50. Rock musician Joe Satriani is 50. Country singer-songwriter Mac McAnally is 49. Model Kim Alexis is 46. Actor Willie Aames is 46. Actor-director Forest Whitaker is 45. Actress Lolita Davidovich is 45. Actress Brigitte Nielsen is 43. Actor Kristoff St. John is 40. Rock musician Phillip Fisher is 39. Actor-comedian Eddie Griffin is 38. Actor Stan Kirsch is 38. Rock musician John Dolmayan is 34. Actor Scott Foley is 34. Actor Brian Austin Green is 33. Rhythm-and-blues singer Kia Thornton (Divine) is 25.

Thought for Today: "He who tells the truth must have one foot in the stirrup." — Armenian proverb.

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