Today's Highlight in History:
On August fifth, 1962, actress Marilyn Monroe, 36, was found dead in her Los Angeles home; her death was ruled a probable suicide from an overdose of sleeping pills.

On this date:
In 1861, the federal government levied¹ an income tax for the first time.

In 1864, during the Civil War, Union Admiral David G. Farragut is said to have given his famous order, "Damn the torpedoes², full speed ahead!" as he led his fleet against Mobile Bay, Alabama.

In 1884, the cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty was laid on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor.

In 1914, the first electric traffic lights were installed, in Cleveland, Ohio.

In 1924, the comic strip "Little Orphan³ Annie," by Harold Gray, made its debut⁴.

In 1957, "American Bandstand," hosted by Dick Clark, made its network debut on ABC.

In 1963, the United States, Britain and the Soviet⁵ Union signed a treaty in Moscow banning nuclear tests in the atmosphere, in space and underwater.

In 1980, Hurricane "Allen" battered⁶ the southern peninsula of Haiti, leaving more than 200 dead in its wake.

In 1984, actor Richard Burton died at a hospital in Geneva, Switzerland, at the age of 58.

In 1994, a three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals in Washington chose Kenneth W. Starr to take over the Whitewater investigation⁷ from Robert Fiske.

Ten years ago: An angry President Bush again denounced the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, telling reporters, "This will not stand. This will not stand, this aggression⁸ against Kuwait."

Five years ago: Secretary of State Warren Christopher arrived in Hanoi, Vietnam, to "build a bridge of cooperation." (Christopher was the first US secretary of state to visit Vietnam since the war and the first ever to go to Hanoi.)

One year ago: Republicans overcame solid Democratic opposition⁹ to narrowly win passage of a ten-year, $792 billion tax cut, first in the House, then in the Senate; President Clinton denounced the bill and promised a veto. Richard Holbrooke won Senate confirmation¹⁰ as UN ambassador after a grueling 14-month battle. Mark McGwire became the 16th member of the 500-home run club, hitting two homers -- numbers 500 and 501 -- in the St. Louis Cardinals¹¹' loss to San Diego.