MOMENTS IN TIME

• On Aug. 14, 1751, Francis Blandy falls into a coma and dies in his home outside London, a victim of arsenic poisoning at the hand of his daughter, Mary, who wanted his fortune and the freedom to be with her married lover. Mary was hanged from the gallows after being found guilty of murder.

• On Aug. 10, 1776, news reaches London that the Americans had drafted the Declaration of Independence. Until the Declaration of Independence formally transformed the 13 British colonies into states, the conflict centered in Massachusetts was seen as a local uprising.

• On Aug. 13, 1899, Alfred Hitchcock is born in London. His innovative mastery of suspense made him one of the most popular and influential filmmakers of the 20th century. In 1925, he directed his first film, “The Pleasure Garden,” a silent picture.

• On Aug. 11, 1934, a group of federal prisoners classified as “most dangerous” arrives at Alcatraz Island, a 22-acre rocky outcrop located 1 1/2 miles offshore in San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz was designed to hold prisoners with a penchant for escape attempts. Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly were among those housed on “the Rock.”

• On Aug. 12, 1961, East Germany begins building the Berlin Wall to divide East and West Berlin. The completed concrete block wall included sentry towers and minefields. During the lifetime of the wall, nearly 80 people were killed trying to escape from East to West Berlin.

• On Aug. 9, 1974, Vice President Gerald Ford is sworn in as the 38th president of the United States after the resignation of Richard Nixon. After taking the oath of office, President Ford spoke to the nation in a television address, declaring, “My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.”

• On Aug. 8, 1988, the Chicago Cubs host the first night game in the history of Wrigley Field. Because of lack of lighting, for 74 seasons, the Cubs had played only day games at home. Today the Cubs are the only major-league team that still plays the majority of its home games during the day.

(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.