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This day in history

Today is Wednesday, Aug. 24, the 237th day of 2016. There are 129 days left in the year.

Today's birthdays: Composer Mason Williams is 78. Actress Anne Archer is 69. Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee is 61. Actor-writer Stephen Fry is 59. Actor Steve Guttenberg is 58. Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. is 56. Talk show host Craig Kilborn is 54. Actress Marlee Matlin is 51. Basketball Hall of Famer Reggie Miller is 51. Journalist David Gregory is 46. Director Ava DuVernay is 44. Comedian Dave Chappelle is 43. Actor Alex O'Loughlin is 40. Actor Rupert Grint is 28.

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In A.D. 79, Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum in ash, killing about 20,000.

In 1814, during the War of 1812, British forces invaded Washington, setting fire to the Capitol and the White House.

In 1821, the Treaty of Cordoba was signed, granting independence to Mexico from Spanish rule.

In 1932, Amelia Earhart embarked on a 19-hour flight from Los Angeles to Newark, making her the first woman to fly solo, nonstop, from coast to coast.

In 1981, Mark David Chapman was sentenced in New York to 20 years to life in prison for murdering John Lennon. (Chapman remains imprisoned.)

In 1989, Commissioner A. Bartlett Giamatti banned Pete Rose from baseball for betting on his team, the Cincinnati Reds.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew smashed into Florida, causing $30 billion in damage; 43 US deaths were blamed on it.

Last year. MBTA reveals the planned extension of the Green Line could cost $1 billion more than previously estimated.