The Washington Star ceases all operations after 128 years of publication

The Washington Star was a newspaper based in Washington, D.C., that operated from 1852 to 1981. It was known for its coverage of national and local news, as well as its role in shaping public opinion in the United States. However, due to various factors, including financial difficulties and declining circulation, the Washington Star ceased publication in August 1981.

The decline of the newspaper industry as a whole, coupled with increased competition from other media outlets, contributed to the demise of the Washington Star. The newspaper faced challenges in adapting to new technologies and changing reader preferences. As a result, it struggled to maintain profitability and maintain its relevance in an evolving media landscape.

Ultimately, the Washington Star was unable to overcome these challenges and was forced to cease operations. Its closure marked the end of an era for a publication that had played a significant role in American journalism and had been a prominent fixture in the nation’s capital for nearly 130 years.

The Treaty of Åbo ended the 1741–1743 Russo-Swedish War

The Chechnya-based Islamic International Brigade invades neighboring Dagestan

The first Australian rules football match is played between Melbourne Grammar and Scotch College in Melbourne, Australia.

Australian rules football, often simply called “footy” or “Aussie rules,” is a unique and popular sport in Australia. Its history dates back to the 19th century, and it has evolved into a beloved and highly competitive sport in the country.

Early Influences (18th and 19th centuries):
Various forms of football were played in Australia during the 18th and 19th centuries, including rugby and soccer. However, these games were often played with different rules and lacked standardized regulations.

Emergence of a New Game:
In the 1850s and 1860s, several variations of football were being played in different parts of Australia. One of the key catalysts for the development of Australian rules football was the desire to create a distinctively Australian sport.
In 1858, the first recorded match of what would become Australian rules football took place between Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College in Melbourne, Victoria.
Tom Wills, one of the participants in this early game, is often credited with co-developing the initial rules and shaping the sport. He drew inspiration from various indigenous Australian games and rugby.

Establishment of Rules:
In 1859, members of the Melbourne Football Club codified the first set of rules for Australian rules football. These rules laid the foundation for the modern game.
The sport quickly gained popularity and began to spread to other parts of Australia.

Formation of the Victorian Football League (VFL):
In 1897, the Victorian Football League (VFL) was established, marking the birth of a formalized and organized league. The VFL later expanded to become the Australian Football League (AFL).

National Growth:
Australian rules football continued to grow in popularity throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It spread beyond Victoria to other states, including South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania.
Different regions adopted the sport, leading to variations in rules and playing styles. These regional differences eventually contributed to the diverse styles seen in today’s Australian rules football.

Evolution of the Game:
The sport has undergone rule changes and refinements over the years. It has grown in popularity both domestically and internationally.
Today’s Australian rules football features a fast-paced and dynamic game, characterized by high-scoring matches, an oval-shaped field, and a unique combination of skills, including kicking, handballing, and marking.

The Australian Football League (AFL):
In 1990, the VFL was renamed the Australian Football League (AFL). The AFL is the highest level of competition in the sport and consists of teams from various Australian states.
The AFL has continued to expand and has gained a significant following both domestically and abroad.

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Popularity:
Australian rules football remains one of the most popular sports in Australia. The AFL Grand Final is one of the country’s most-watched sporting events, drawing huge television audiences.

International Exposure:
In recent years, efforts have been made to promote Australian rules football internationally. Exhibition matches and leagues have been established in countries like Ireland and the United States, leading to some global interest in the sport.

Coronation of King Otto I of Germany.
[rdp-wiki-embed url=’https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otto_I,_Holy_Roman_Emperor’]

The Ivory Coast gets its independence from France.

IVORY COAST – August 7. A referendum in 1958 resulted in the Ivory Coast becoming an autonomous republic. In June of 1960, the pro-French Félix Houphouët-Boigny proclaimed the country’s independence, but maintaining close ties between Abidjan and Paris. The Ivory Coast became one of the most prosperous West African nations.

President Félix Houphouët-Boigny and First Lady Marie-Thérèse Houphouët-Boigny in the White House Entrance Hall with President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy in 1962.
Félix Houphouët-Boigny, the son of a Baoulé chief, became Ivory Coast’s father of independence. In 1944, he formed the country’s first agricultural trade union for African cocoa farmers like himself. Angered that colonial policy favoured French plantation owners, the union members united to recruit migrant workers for their own farms. Houphouët-Boigny soon rose to prominence and within a year was elected to the French Parliament in Paris. A year later, the French abolished forced labour. Houphouët-Boigny established a strong relationship with the French government, expressing a belief that the Ivory Coast would benefit from the relationship, which it did for many years. France appointed him as a minister, the first African to become a minister in a European government.

A turning point in relations with France was reached with the 1956 Overseas Reform Act, which transferred a number of powers from Paris to elected territorial governments in French West Africa and also removed the remaining voting inequities. In 1958, Ivory Coast became an autonomous member of the French Community, which had replaced the French Union.

At independence 1960, the country was easily French West Africa’s most prosperous, contributing over 40% of the region’s total exports. When Houphouët-Boigny became the first president, his government gave farmers good prices for their products to further stimulate production, which was further boosted by a significant immigration of workers from surrounding countries. Coffee production increased significantly, catapulting Ivory Coast into third place in world output, behind Brazil and Colombia. By 1979, the country was the world’s leading producer of cocoa. It also became Africa’s leading exporter of pineapples and palm oil. French technicians contributed to the “Ivoirian miracle”. In other African nations, the people drove out the Europeans following independence, but in Ivory Coast, they poured in. The French community grew from only 30,000 prior to independence to 60,000 in 1980, most of them teachers, managers, and advisors. For 20 years, the economy maintained an annual growth rate of nearly 10%—the highest of Africa’s non-oil-exporting countries.

The building of Mauthausen concentration camp begins.

The Iraqi government kils over 3000 Assyrians in the village of Simele. The day becomes Assyrian Martyrs Day.

The first match of Australian Rules Football was played between Melbourne Football Club and Scotch Grammar