Friday, Aug. 17, is the 230th day of 2012. There are 136 days left in the year.

Today’s birthdays: Actress Maureen O’Hara is 92. Actor Robert De Niro is 69. Tennis Hall of Famer Guillermo Vilas is 60. Gold medal figure skater Robin Cousins is 55. Singer Belinda Carlisle is 54. Author Jonathan Franzen is 53. Actor Sean Penn is 52. Singer-actor Donnie Wahlberg is 43. Tennis Hall of Famer Jim Courier is 42. Former Yankees catcher Jorge Posada is 41.

In 1807, Robert Fulton’s North River Steamboat began heading up the Hudson River on its successful trip between New York and Albany.

In 1943, the Allied conquest of Sicily was completed as US and British forces entered Messina.

In 1969, Hurricane Camille slammed into the Mississippi coast as a Category 5 storm that was blamed for 256 US deaths, three in Cuba.

In 2007, Hurricane Dean roared into the eastern Caribbean, causing at least three deaths.