• In 30 B.C. (by some estimates), the seventh and most famous queen of ancient Egypt known as “Cleopatra” committed suicide.

• In 1797, the creator of “Frankenstein,” Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, was born in London.

• In 1862, Union forces were defeated by Confederate troops at the Second Battle of Bull Run in Manassas, Va.

• In 1905, Ty Cobb made his major-league debut as a player for the Detroit Tigers, hitting a double in his first at-bat in a game against the New York Highlanders.

• In 1918, Baseball hall-of-famer Ted Williams was born in San Diego.

• In 1945, Gen. Douglas MacArthur arrived in Japan, and set up Allied occupation headquarters.

• In 1967, the Senate confirmed the appointment of Thurgood Marshall as the first black justice on the Supreme Court.

• In 1983, Guion S. Bluford Jr. became the first black American astronaut to travel in space, blasting off aboard the Challenger.

• In 1991, Azerbaijan declared its independence, joining the stampede of republics seeking to secede from the Soviet Union.

• In 1993, ”The Late Show with David Letterman” premiered on CBS.

• In 1997, Americans learned of the car crash in Paris that claimed the lives of Princess Diana, Dodi Fayed and their driver, Henri Paul.

Notable Birthdays

• 23 Andy Roddick

• 30 Keith Geeding

• 32 Lisa Ling

• 33 Cameron Diaz

• 42 Michael Chiklis

• 57 Lewis Black