August 29th, 2008

Today in History

1261:
Urban IV becomes Pope, the last man to do so without being a Cardinal first.

708:
Copper coins are minted in Japan for the first time (Traditional Japanese date: August 10, 708).

2003:
Ayatollah Sayed Mohammed Baqir al-Hakim, the Shia Muslim leader in Iraq, is assassinated in a terrorist bombing, along with nearly 100 worshippers as they leave a mosque in Najaf.

1842:
The Tokugawa shogunate orders the local daimy? to begin providing foreign ships with fresh water and supplies when requested. (Traditional Japanese date: July 24, 1842).

1907:
The Quebec Bridge collapses during construction, killing 75 workers.