In History, Today on August 22

The United States Navy relieves Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin of his command of the Seventh Fleet following a series of collisions involving its ships, including the USS John S. McCain.

A gunman opens fire on a Thalys train traveling from Amsterdam to Paris, but is subdued by passengers, preventing a potential massacre.

Syrian opposition claims that a chemical weapons attack occurred in the Ghouta region, leading to international condemnation and discussions about military intervention.

The Curiosity rover, part of NASA's Mars Science Laboratory mission, successfully performs its first test drive on the surface of Mars.

Hurricane Dean makes landfall on the Yucatán Peninsula as a Category 5 storm, causing widespread damage in Mexico and the Caribbean.

Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise Flight 612 crashes near Donetsk, Ukraine, killing all 170 people on board.

The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, sees the United States men's basketball team defeated by Lithuania, marking a significant upset in Olympic basketball history.

Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore is suspended for refusing to remove a Ten Commandments monument from the Alabama Judicial Building, sparking a national debate over the separation of church and state.

U.S. President George H. W. Bush called for a stronger embargo against Iraq following its invasion of Kuwait, marking a significant escalation in the international response to the Gulf War conflict.

Nolan Ryan struck out Rickey Henderson to become the first Major League Baseball pitcher to record 5,000 strikeouts.

A fire broke out on a British Airtours flight at Manchester Airport during takeoff, resulting in the deaths of 55 people. The incident led to significant changes in aircraft safety regulations, particularly concerning the use of fire-retardant materials and evacuation procedures.

An assassination attempt was made on French President Charles de Gaulle by the OAS, a French dissident paramilitary organization.

The United States was affected by a highly destructive tornado that occurred in Worcester, Massachusetts, and affected surrounding areas, claiming numerous lives and causing significant property damage.

The French government, led by Prime Minister Antoine Pinay, instructed General Raoul Salan to take ruthless measures if necessary to maintain order in the colony during the escalating crisis in French Indochina.

World War II: Romania switched allegiance from the Axis Powers to the Allies, marking a significant shift in the Eastern European theater of the war.

During World War II, German troops reached Leningrad, beginning the Siege of Leningrad, which would last for 872 days.

Korea was annexed by Japan with the Japan-Korea Annexation Treaty, beginning a period of Japanese rule that lasted until the end of World War II.

The Cadillac Motor Company was founded by Henry Leland and named after the French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac.

The Treaty of Saint Petersburg was signed between Japan and Russia, under which Japan ceded Sakhalin to Russia in exchange for the Kuril Islands. This was an important diplomatic agreement in establishing territorial boundaries in the region.

The First Geneva Convention was adopted, establishing the rules for the treatment of wounded soldiers and the protection of medical personnel during war.

The English Act of Parliament known as Nye Chartism, formally the Metropolitan Police Act, reorganizes and standardizes police functions, principally in London, and lays foundations for modern policing methods.

The Second Federal Republic of Mexico was established after the fall of the First Mexican Republic.

French troops land at Killala Bay as part of an ill-fated attempt to support the Irish Rebellion of 1798.

The Haitian Revolution began as a slave uprising in the French colony of Saint-Domingue, which eventually led to the establishment of Haiti as the first independent black republic.

James Cook claimed the eastern coast of Australia for Great Britain, naming it New South Wales.

King Charles I of England raised his standard at Nottingham, marking the beginning of the English Civil War.

Jacques Cartier landed near Quebec on his third voyage to Canada.

The Battle of Bosworth Field took place, marking the end of the Wars of the Roses. Richard III was defeated by Henry Tudor, who became King Henry VII of England.

Philip VI of France died, marking the end of his reign as the first King of France from the House of Valois. His rule was marked by the beginning of the Hundred Years' War, which began in 1337. Philip VI was succeeded by his son, John II of France.

The Battle of the Standard took place near Northallerton in Yorkshire, England, during the civil war known as The Anarchy. English forces led by William of Aumale defeated the Scottish army under King David I of Scotland.

The Battle of Jengland took place, where the forces of Charles the Bald, King of West Francia, were defeated by the Bretons under Erispoe, leading to the Treaty of Angers.

The Battle of Ajnadayn was fought between the Rashidun Caliphate and the Byzantine Empire, marking a decisive Muslim victory that paved the way for further Islamic expansion into Byzantine territories.

The first known sighting of the Loch Ness Monster was reported by Saint Columba, who allegedly encountered a 'water beast' in the River Ness in Scotland.

The Roman Emperor Valentinian II issued a decree prohibiting pagan worship in the Roman Empire, marking a significant step in the Christianization of the empire.