This Week In History

August 17 - In 1896, the Klondike Gold Rush officially began after gold was discovered in a tributary of the Klondike River in Yukon, Canada.

August 18 - In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing women the right to vote.

August 19 - In 1812, the American frigate USS Constitution defeated the British frigate HMS Guerriere off the coast of Nova Scotia, earning the nickname "Old Ironsides."

August 20 - In 1882, Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture debuted in Moscow.

August 21 - In 1959, President Dwight Eisenhower signed an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union.

August 22 - In 1911, staff at the Louvre discovered that the Mona Lisa had been stolen while the museum was closed the previous day.