Today in history: August 6
In 1973, entertainer Stevie Wonder was seriously injured in a car accident in North Carolina.
1945: “Little Boy”
On Aug. 6, 1945, during World War II, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb code-named “Little Boy” on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths. (Three days later, the United States exploded a nuclear device over Nagasaki; five days after that, Imperial Japan surrendered.)
1965: Lyndon B. Johnson
In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act.
1973: Stevie Wonder
In 1973, entertainer Stevie Wonder was seriously injured in a car accident in North Carolina.
1978: Pope Paul VI
In 1978, Pope Paul VI died at Castel Gandolfo at age 80.
1993: Louis Freeh
In 1993, Louis Freeh won Senate confirmation to be FBI director.
2003: Arnold Schwarzenegger
In 2003, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger used an appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” to announce his successful bid to replace California Gov. Gray Davis.
2009: Sonia Sotomayor
In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice by a Senate vote of 68-31.
2012: Riad Hijab
Ten years ago: Syria’s prime minister, Riad Hijab, defected two months after being forced into the position by President Bashar Assad.
2021: Allyson Felix
American Allyson Felix won her record 10th Olympic track medal at the Tokyo Games with a bronze in the 400 meters, the most medals won by any woman in Olympic history. (She would win an 11th the following day.)
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