August 30th, 2008

Today in History

1909:
Burgess Shale fossils discovered by Charles Doolittle Walcott

1941:
Siege of Leningrad begins.

711:
K'inich K'an Joy Chitam, king of the Maya city of Palenque, disappears from history. He was probably taken prisoner by a rivalling city state.

1984:
STS-41-D: The Space Shuttle Discovery takes off on its maiden voyage.

1999:
East Timorese vote for independence in a referendum.