On this day: August 16

POSTED: 09:42 PM PDT Aug 13, 2012    UPDATED: 11:00 PM PDT Aug 15, 2012 

Politics get ugly on the White House lawn, Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation, the Bambino and The King both die, and the Beatles find a new drummer, all on this day.

OTD August 16 - Transatlantic Cable
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Public domain

1858: President James Buchanan inaugurates the new transatlantic telegraph cable by exchanging greetings with Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, a weak signal forces a shutdown of the service in a few weeks.

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