AUGUST 7 – 1990 Bush Sr. orders Operation: Desert Shield; 1886 Happy Birthday Louis Hazeltine, invents Neutrodyne circuit; 1888 Happy Birthday Van Kannel, patented revolving door; 1782 George Washington establishes Purple Heart; 1927 Alderman booze smuggling intercepted by U.S. Coast Guard; 1956 Ted Williams fined for spitting on fans; 2008 Happy Anniversary Jewel/Ty Murray
AUGUST 7
1990 – President Bush ordered Operation Desert Shield. On August 2nd, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded his oil rich neighbors to the south. 140,000 Iraqi troops and 850 poured into Kuwait without warning and overwhelmed Kuwaiti forces. It looked like Hussein wouldn’t stop there and head to Saudi Arabia, while sending SCUD missiles to Israel. Kuwait turned to the United Nations Security Council, and US President George HW Bush ordered American air, sea and ground forces to Saudi Arabia on August 7, 1990. Bush gave Saddam and ultimatum to get out of Kuwait, but the Iraqi leader scoffed at bush. Finally on January 17 1991, an international coalition led by US General Storming Norman Schwarzkopf, ranging from Argentina to Bangladesh, as well as Iraq’s very own neighbors Qatar and Egypt joined the fight. It didn’t last long. The US began using smart bombs, which are precision bombing devices aimed primarily at destroying infrastructure and minimizing civilian casualties. Then the ground troops came in and the Iraqi army, the fourth largest in the world, surrendered instantly. By March 3rd 1991 it was over.
1886 – Happy birthday Louis Hazeltine, founder of the Hazeltine Corporation. He invented thee Neutrodyne circuit, which is a type of tuned radio frequency radio receiver which limited howling and squealing noises in early radio receivers.
1888 – In Philadelphia, Theophilus Van Kannel patents the revolving door.
1782 – George Washington creates the Purple Heart. The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the armed forces of the U.S. who are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy and posthumously to the next of kin in the name of those who are killed in action or die of wounds received in action. It is specifically a combat decoration. The first three recipients that Washington awarded the Purple Heart to were Elijah Churchill, William Brown and Daniel Biossell, Jr. In booze news…
1927 – Alcohol smuggler Horace Alderman gets intercepted by the US Coast Guard. Also known as King of the Rum Runners and the Gulf Stream Pirate, Alderman smuggled booze from Cuba during the Prohibition. In Florida on August 7 1927, Alderman got in a fire fight with the coast guard, killing three people Alderman was subsequently sentenced to death. He was hanged on August 17, 1929, the first time the Coast Guard ever did an execution by hanging. The first hanging in Ft. Lauderdale, and the only legal execution in Broward County. These days it is the site of Bahia Mar Marina.
1956 – Boston Red Sox fine Ted Williams $5,000 for spitting at Boston fans.
2008 – Happy anniversary singer Jewel and rodeo cowboy Ty Murray