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Weather
Hazards and Tropical Weather
Almanac
Macon Calendar
National News Roundup
COVID-19 News and Updates
On This Day
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OUTLOOK
A cold front arriving from the north will stall out across our region on Sunday bringing cooler temperatures. Abundant tropical moisture will be across our area through much of the week as we can expect numerous afternoon showers and thunderstorms with occasional heavy rainfall.
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Local News
Franklin Town Council, August 2021
The Franklin Town Council met last night. The public agenda and agenda packet are posted on [MaconMedia.com]
Macon County Board of Education, July 2021
For more information, visit [MaconMedia.com].
Macon County Board of Commissioners, July 2021
Supporting documents can be found at [MaconMedia.com]
Franklin Town Council - July 2021
Supporting documents posted online at [MaconMedia.com]
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Local Weather
National Weather Map for Today
General forecast through Tuesday Night
Franklin area
Today
A chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 10am. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with highs in the lower 80s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday
A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Mostly cloudy, with highs near 80. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Light winds out of the southeast. Chance of rain is 60%.
Tuesday
Showers. High in the mid-to-upper 70s. Chance of rain is 80%.
Tuesday Night
Showers likely before 9pm, then rain likely, mainly between 9pm and 5am. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Chance of rain is 70%.
Highlands Plateau
Today
A chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after noon. Areas of fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with highs in the mid-70s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 9pm, then showers likely. Patchy fog after 11pm. Low around 60. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 7 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible.
Monday
Showers likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 11am. Areas of fog before 8am. Highs near 70. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 6 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday Night
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Lows around 60. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 5 mph. Chance of rain is 80%.
Tuesday
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Highs in the upper 60s. Chance of rain is 90%.
Tuesday Night
Showers before 9pm, then rain, mainly after 9pm. Lows around 60. Chance of rain is 80%.
Otto area
A chance of showers, then showers and thunderstorms likely after 11am. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with highs near 80. Calm winds early increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph by midmorning. Chance of rain is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tonight
Showers and thunderstorms likely. Patchy fog after midnight. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph becoming calm before midnight. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Monday
Showers likely, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Mostly cloudy, with highs in the upper 70s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday Night
Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Light winds out of the southeast. Chance of rain is 70%.
Tuesday
Showers. Highs in the mid-70s. Chance of rain is 80%.
Tuesday Night
Showers likely before 9pm, then rain likely after 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Chance of rain is 70%.
Nantahala area
Today
Showers and thunderstorms likely, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 5pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Highs near 80. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 5 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tonight
Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 9pm, then showers likely. Patchy fog after midnight. Low in the mid-60s. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 5 mph. Chance of rain is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday
A chance of showers, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after noon. Partly sunny, with highs in the mid-70s. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon. Chance of rain is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Monday Night
Showers likely, mainly before 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with lows in the mid-60s. Light winds out of the southeast. Chance of rain is 60%.
Tuesday
Showers. Highs in the mid-70s. Chance of rain is 80%.
Tuesday Night
Showers before 9pm, then rain likely, mainly between 9pm and 3am. Low in the mid-60s. Chance of rain is 80%.
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Hazards and Tropical Weather
Scattered to numerous thunderstorms will develop across the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia this afternoon and linger into the evening. A few of these storms could become quite strong and produce large hail, heavy rainfall, and damaging winds.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. Deep tropical moisture associated with the remnants of tropical storm Fred will interact with an old front and the mountains to produce periodic heavy rainfall through the middle part of the week. The flood threat will steadily increase on Monday as showers and thunderstorms wet the soil. At this time, the greatest potential for excessive rain appears to be Tuesday and Tuesday night as a remnant circulation from Fred moves northward to the west of the region. This could result in a flash flooding threat, especially in areas that receive multiple rounds of heavy rainfall.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
TROPICAL TIDBITS
Tropical Tidbits is a website run by Macon Media's favorite no-nonsense tropical forecaster, Levi Cowan. He does not post material just to get clicks or to sensationalize the storms he covers to "make them more exciting." He is reliable and sober, unlike The Weather Channel crowd of Drama Queen Meteorologists.
Levi typically posts videos late in the afternoon or early before midnight on Youtube. [Youtube Channel]
[Sat / Aug 14] Fred Tracking Farther West; Grace Moving toward Puerto Rico
Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Sun Aug 15 2021
For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Grace, located over the northeastern Caribbean Sea just to the southeast of Puerto Rico.
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on the Remnants of Fred, which are expected to re-generate into a tropical cyclone over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico later today.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...high...90 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...high...90 percent.
1. A small but well-defined low pressure system located about 200 miles north-northeast of Bermuda is producing disorganized showers and thunderstorms mainly to the south and southwest of the center. Some gradual development is possible over the next couple of days while the system moves slowly southward near or to the east of Bermuda. By Tuesday, however, environmental conditions are forecast to become less conducive for tropical cyclone formation.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...low...30 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...low...30 percent.
Remnants Of Fred Discussion Number 22
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL062021
1100 PM EDT Sat Aug 14 2021
Deep convection has increased in association with the remnants of Fred this evening with some lose banding noted in both satellite imagery and radar data from Key West. Satellite imagery and surface observations also indicate that the circulation has become a little better defined since this afternoon, but the system still lacks a well-defined center. Therefore, the system has not regained tropical cyclone status yet. The initial intensity remains 30 kt and is based on a few buoy and C-MAN observations over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico and the Lower Florida Keys which have reported peak winds of 25-30 kt over the past several hours. The C-MAN site on Sand Key has reported slightly stronger winds, but that site is elevated.
The system has moved little during the past several hours, and since it lacks a well-defined center, the initial motion estimate is a highly uncertain 300/08 kt. The disturbance is expected to begin a more definitive northwestward motion overnight or Sunday morning as it moves around the western extent of a subtropical ridge over the western Atlantic. The system is forecast to turn northward on Monday as it nears the northern Gulf of coast. Although the track guidance is in good agreement on the overall motion scenario, there is some cross-track spread that appears to be related to where the center re-forms in the short term. Overall there was some eastward shift to the guidance envelope and the official forecast was nudged in that direction, but it still lies to the west of the consensus aids. The NHC track forecast is closest to the GFEX track, which is a consensus of the typically reliable GFS and ECMWF models.
The upper-level trough over the eastern Gulf of Mexico is forecast to weaken and move northward during the next 12-24 hours. This should allow for a somewhat more conducive environment for the system to regain tropical cyclone status and strengthen on Sunday. However, continued moderate southwesterly vertical wind shear is likely to hinder significant development, and the NHC intensity forecast only calls for gradual strengthening through 36-48 hours. After landfall, the system is forecast to weaken rapidly and the global models indicate the circulation will dissipate by 96 hours.
Although no coastal watches or warnings are currently in effect, the National Hurricane Center will continue 6-hourly advisories on the remnants of Fred in anticipation of re-development. Watches are very likely to be required for a portion of the northern Gulf coast early Sunday, and warnings may be required later in the day.
KEY MESSAGES:
1. Today through Monday, heavy rainfall could lead to areal, urban, and small stream flooding impacts, and cause new and renewed river flooding across southern Florida, the Big Bend, and Panhandle. From Monday onward, heavy rain and flood impacts could extend into other portions of the Southeast and into the southern and central Appalachians and Piedmont as Fred interacts with a front in the area.
2. Fred is forecast to regenerate as a tropical cyclone over the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday, and bring a risk of tropical storm conditions to portions of the northern Gulf coast, especially from coastal Mississippi to the Florida Panhandle beginning on Monday. Watches will likely be required for a portion of this area early Sunday, and warnings may be required later in the day.
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
INIT 15/0300Z 23.8N 84.3W 30 KT 35 MPH
12H 15/1200Z 25.3N 85.7W 35 KT 40 MPH...TROPICAL CYCLONE
24H 16/0000Z 26.8N 86.9W 40 KT 45 MPH
36H 16/1200Z 28.3N 87.8W 45 KT 50 MPH
48H 17/0000Z 29.7N 88.0W 45 KT 50 MPH
60H 17/1200Z 31.4N 87.9W 30 KT 35 MPH...INLAND
72H 18/0000Z 33.1N 87.6W 20 KT 25 MPH...INLAND
96H 19/0000Z...DISSIPATED
Tropical Storm Grace Discussion Number 7
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL AL072021
1100 PM AST Sat Aug 14 2021
Grace is a poorly organized tropical cyclone. Trying to pinpoint the center of the storm over the last 6-12 hours has been a challenge, even with the help of earlier NOAA aircraft, surface observations, and radar data from Guadalupe. Earlier data from the NOAA aircraft reconnaissance Twin Doppler Radar showed that the mid-level center was tilted significantly further southeast relative to the poorly-defined low-level circulation. Around 0000 UTC, multiple reporting stations in Guadalupe showed a wind shift to the west, and there were some skeletal bands seen on the nearby Guadalupe radar ahead of a convective squall propagating ahead, which is currently producing the coldest cloud tops with Grace. Given all of these data, the center of Grace is estimated to have passed by just north of Guadalupe over the last few hours. Despite the higher subjective and objective Dvorak estimates, the initial intensity was kept at 35 kt for this advisory given the lackluster wind data from the earlier NOAA aircraft reconnaissance mission.
Grace appears to have reformed a bit further North tonight, and also now appears to be on a somewhat slower west-northwest heading, at 285/17 kt. There remains a large amount of spread in the guidance, even in the short-term, which is likely related to the current disorganized nature of Grace. In general, Grace is expected to maintain a west-northwestward motion and gradually slow down over the next 24-36 hours. A strong low- to mid-level ridge poleward of Grace should then maintain this west-northwest heading through the remainder of the forecast. A lot of the track uncertainty in the latter part of the forecast appears to be related to the future intensity of the storm, and both the ECMWF and GFS ensembles show a large north-to-south spread with stronger members tracking further north and weaker members tracking further south. For now, the NHC track forecast has been shifted north of the previous track, mostly related to the further north initial position, and is in close agreement with the HFIP corrected-consensus approach (HCCA) model.
Grace appears to finally be slowing down a bit this evening, but will still need to slow down a bit more in order to allow the low- to mid-level centers to become better aligned. Because of this disjointed structure, only slow intensification is anticipated. The latest intensity guidance is a bit lower, and the NHC intensity guidance follows suit, with a peak intensity of 45-kt in 24 hours. Thereafter, it appears likely that Grace will have to deal with significant land interaction over Hispaniola and weakening is indicated by 48 hours. If Grace survives, it is possible some modest intensification could occur in the latter part of the forecast period. The intensity forecast remains closely tied to the track forecast, and any deviations to the north or south could allow Grace to stay stronger than indicated in this forecast. However, it also remains distinctly possible that Grace could dissipate before the end of this 5-day forecast due to the forecasted land interaction.
As previously mentioned, the exact track of the center and the intensity of the system will likely not be as important as the heavy rainfall that is forecast to fall across the Leeward Islands and the Greater Antilles during the next few days.
Key Messages:
1. Tropical storm conditions are expected over the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Sunday. Tropical storm conditions are possible over eastern parts of the Dominican Republic Sunday night and Monday.
2. Heavy rainfall could lead to flash and urban flooding over the Leeward and Virgin Islands, Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Across Puerto Rico, heavy rainfall may lead to flash, urban and small stream flooding, along with the potential for mudslides.
3. There is a risk of wind and rainfall impacts across the rest of the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Turks and Caicos Islands, the Bahamas, Cuba, and Florida next week, but forecast uncertainty remains higher than usual. Interests in those areas should monitor the progress of Grace and updates to the forecast.
FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS
INIT 15/0300Z 16.8N 62.4W 35 KT 40 MPH
12H 15/1200Z 17.3N 64.6W 40 KT 45 MPH
24H 16/0000Z 18.1N 67.0W 45 KT 50 MPH...NEAR PUERTO RICO
36H 16/1200Z 18.7N 69.1W 45 KT 50 MPH...INLAND OVER HISPANIOLA
48H 17/0000Z 19.3N 70.9W 35 KT 40 MPH...INLAND OVER HISPANIOLA
60H 17/1200Z 20.2N 73.2W 35 KT 40 MPH...OVER WATER
72H 18/0000Z 21.2N 75.8W 35 KT 40 MPH
96H 19/0000Z 23.7N 81.0W 40 KT 45 MPH
120H 20/0000Z 25.6N 84.6W 45 KT 50 MPH
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Almanac
Air Quality
Air quality is in the extreme upper range of green for most of the county, with the ridges and other higher elevations today being in the extreme upper range of green.
Fire and Smoke Map
(There is haze from the wildfires out on the west coast.)
Pollen levels are expected to be in the medium range (4.9 out of 12) today with Ragweed, Chenopods, and Grasses being the main culprits. Tomorrow is expected to be in the low-medium range (3.4 out of 12).
Weather Extremes for Macon County on August 12th
Highest Temperature 96°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1943
Lowest Temperature 47°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station in 1963
Greatest Rainfall 6.32 inches in Highlands in 1928
Greatest Snowfall (No snowfall recorded on this date since records started being kept in 1872)
August Weather Extremes for Macon County
Highest Temperature 99°F in Franklin on 08-09-1980 Lowest Temperature 40°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 08-29-1968 Greatest Rainfall 9.68 inches in Highlands on 08-13-1940
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of August
Data available from 1870 to 2020
Highest Temperature 110°F Fayetteville, Cumberland County 08-21-1983
Lowest Temperature 31°F Banner Elk, Avery County 08-23-1930
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 13.08 in Idlewild, Ashe County 08-14-1930
Monthly Averages for North Carolina
Warmest Weather Station 79.7°F Wilmington, New Hanover County
Coldest Weather Station 59.6°F Mount Mitchell, Yancey County
Wettest Weather Station 7.74 in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County
Driest Weather Station 3.12 in Lexington, Davidson County
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Macon Calendar
(send your event to calendar@maconmedia.com)
The Macon County Art Association (a not for profit member organization) is offering classes in encaustic painting on Specified Fridays from 10AM-12PM at the Uptown Gallery 30 E Main St Franklin NC. Specific class dates are Friday July 9 and 23, August 3 and 27, September 3 and 17, October 29.
For more information contact the instructor, Karen Smith, at karen@programservices.org
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National News Roundup
NBC Nightly News, August 14th, 2021
PBS NewsHour full episode, August 14th, 2021
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COVID-19 News and Updates
Since it looks like we may be in for a new wave of infections, here is a section on COVID-19. It will include local, regional, state, national, and global items.
COVID-19 Numbers for Macon County: [August 13, 2021]
We should not dismiss the possibility of eradicating COVID-19: comparisons with smallpox and polio [BMJ Global Health]
Coronavirus vaccine development: from SARS and MERS to COVID-19 [Journal of Biomedical Science]
Advice to the National Public Health Emergency Team: Reduction of the minimum age for the application of mask wearing requirements and recommendations [Health Information and Quality Authority]
Evaluation of mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Adolescents [New England Journal of Medicine]
Poliovirus Vaccination Induces a Humoral Immune Response That Cross Reacts With SARS-CoV-2 [Frontiers in Science]
Coronavirus Briefing: NC Gov. Roy Cooper (August 4th, 2021)
PRESS RELEASE (08-04-2021)
GOVERNOR ROY COOPER
Governor Cooper Announces Third COVID-19 Cash Drawing Winner and Highlights HOPE Program for Rental and Utility Assistance
HOPE Program has increased cap on awards and is now accepting landlord referrals
Today, amid higher COVID-19 numbers statewide, Governor Roy Cooper again urged North Carolinians to get vaccinated. He also announced the third winner of North Carolina’s Your Shot at $1 Million Summer Cash Drawing. Winston-Salem resident and incoming Fayetteville State University freshman Audrey Chavous received the $1 million prize as part of the cash drawing that includes North Carolinians 18 and over who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.
“The highly contagious Delta variant makes vaccination all the more important,” said Governor Cooper. “We can’t afford for people to wait any longer. Cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 are up. Simply put, get your shot.”
Kody Kinsley, Chief Deputy Secretary for Health at the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS), said he hopes Chavous will inspire other young adults to get vaccinated right away and take advantage of the state’s new $100 Summer Cards for people who get their first dose of the vaccine.
“New cases of COVID-19 are on the rise and most of these cases are among young adults,” said Kinsley. “Vaccination is our way out of this pandemic and putting masks behind us. Our $1 Million Summer Cash drawings might be over, but you can still get a $100 Summer Card through the end of August. Don’t wait to vaccinate.”
In the last couple of weeks, North Carolina has seen a 42% increase in first shots.
“Facts about COVID-19 vaccines are key,” said Chavous, the cash drawing winner. “If you take your time and do the research, you’ll see that it’s backed by science and that the benefits of COVID-19 vaccines far outweigh any short-term side effects or rare risks.”
Governor Cooper was also joined by Laura Hogshead, Director of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency to update on the progress of emergency rental assistance.
The North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) stood up the HOPE program last year and it is helping people across the state stay in their homes with the lights on. The average turnaround from application to payment on claims is 14-18 days. Since the HOPE Program opened last fall, more than $328 million has been awarded to help North Carolina families, with over $234 million already paid to landlords and utility providers statewide.
The HOPE Program has recently implemented program changes that will expand landlord participation and increase the amount of assistance going to families across the state. As of August 1, HOPE is accepting landlord referrals of tenants who need assistance. If you are a landlord whose tenant is struggling to pay rent, you can submit their name and contact information at the HOPE website.
In addition, the HOPE Program has increased the cap on financial awards to applicants The monthly rent award limit has increased by 30 percent and the utility award limit has increased a full 100 percent for all new applications as of August 1.
For more information on the HOPE program visit WWW.HOPE.NC.GOV or call 888-9ASK HOPE to get help.
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On This Day
August 15th is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar; 138 days remain until the end of the year.
It is the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. It is also known as the "Glorious Twelfth" in the United Kingdom, as it marks the traditional start of the grouse shooting season.
Historical Events
(Please note that the Wikipedia articles often contain a bibliography and links to where you can learn more about a historical event)
636 – Arab–Byzantine wars: The Battle of Yarmouk between Byzantine Empire and Rashidun Caliphate begins.
• [Battle of the Yarmuk]
• [Battle of Yarmouk, 636 AD (Part 1/2) ⚔️ Storm gathers in the Middle East]
• [Battle of Yarmouk, 636 AD (Part 2/2) ⚔️ Byzantine - Rashidun Clash at Yarmouk]
717 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Maslama ibn Abd al-Malik begins the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople, which will last for nearly a year.
718 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Raising of the Second Arab Siege of Constantinople.
747 – Carloman, mayor of the palace of Austrasia, renounces his position as majordomo and retires to a monastery near Rome. His brother Pepin the Short becomes the sole ruler (de facto) of the Frankish Kingdom.
778 – The Battle of Roncevaux Pass takes place between the army of Charlemagne and a Basque army.
805 – Noble Erchana of Dahauua grants the Bavarian town of Dachau to the Diocese of Freising
927 – The Saracens conquer and destroy Taranto.
982 – Holy Roman Emperor Otto II is defeated by the Saracens in the Battle of Capo Colonna, in Calabria.
1018 – Byzantine general Eustathios Daphnomeles blinds and captures Ibatzes of Bulgaria by a ruse, thereby ending Bulgarian resistance against Emperor Basil II's conquest of Bulgaria.
1038 – King Stephen I, the first king of Hungary, dies; his nephew, Peter Orseolo, succeeds him.
1057 – King Macbeth is killed at the Battle of Lumphanan by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada.
• [Wikipedia: Battle of Lumphanan]
• [Macbeth, King of Scotland]
• [Shakespeare: Macbeth]
• [Shakespeare's Macbeth Films - Welles - Polanski - Kurosawa - Kurzel - Paul Duncan]
1070 – The Pavian-born Benedictine Lanfranc is appointed as the new Archbishop of Canterbury in England.
1096 – Starting date of the First Crusade as set by Pope Urban II.
1185 – The cave city of Vardzia is consecrated by Queen Tamar of Georgia.
1237 – The Battle of the Puig takes place in the context of the Spanish Reconquista pitting the forces of the Taifa of Valencia against the Kingdom of Aragon. The battle resulted in an Aragonese victory.
• [Battle of the Puig]
• [Epic Battles of Medieval Spain]
1248 – The foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, is laid. (Construction is eventually completed in 1880.)
1261 – Michael VIII Palaiologos is crowned as the first Byzantine emperor in fifty-seven years.
1281 – Mongol invasion of Japan: The Mongolian fleet of Kublai Khan is destroyed by a "divine wind" for the second time in the Battle of Kōan.
• [Second invasion (1281)]
• [Mongol Invasions of Japan 1274 and 1281 - Full History]
• [Mongols: Invasions of Japan 1274 and 1281 DOCUMENTARY]
1310 – The city of Rhodes surrenders to the forces of the Knights of St. John, completing their conquest of Rhodes. The knights establish their headquarters on the island and rename themselves the Knights of Rhodes.
1430 – Francesco Sforza, lord of Milan, conquers Lucca.
1461 – The Empire of Trebizond surrenders to the forces of Sultan Mehmed II. This is regarded by some historians as the real end of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor David is exiled and later murdered.
1483 – Pope Sixtus IV consecrates the Sistine Chapel.
1511 – Afonso de Albuquerque of Portugal conquers Malacca, the capital of the Malacca Sultanate.
1517 – Seven Portuguese armed vessels led by Fernão Pires de Andrade meet Chinese officials at the Pearl River estuary.
1519 – Panama City, Panama is founded.
1534 – Ignatius of Loyola and six classmates take initial vows, leading to the creation of the Society of Jesus in September 1540.
1537 – Asunción, Paraguay is founded.
1540 – Arequipa, Peru is founded.
1549 – Jesuit priest Francis Xavier comes ashore at Kagoshima (Traditional Japanese date: 22 July 1549).
1592 – Imjin War: At the Battle of Hansan Island, the Korean Navy, led by Yi Sun-sin, Yi Eok-gi, and Won Gyun, decisively defeats the Japanese Navy, led by Wakisaka Yasuharu.
1599 – Nine Years' War: Battle of Curlew Pass: Irish forces led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell successfully ambush English forces, led by Sir Conyers Clifford, sent to relieve Collooney Castle.
1695 – French forces end the bombardment of Brussels.
1760 – Seven Years' War: Battle of Liegnitz: Frederick the Great's victory over the Austrians under Ernst Gideon von Laudon.
1824 – The Marquis de Lafayette, the last surviving French general of the American Revolutionary War, arrives in New York and begins a tour of 24 states.
• [Visit of the Marquis de Lafayette to the United States]
• [The Lafayette Trail: Mapping General Lafayette’s Farewell Tour in the United States (1824-1825)]
• [Andrew Jackson's Hermitage: Marquis de Lafayette]
1843 – The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii is dedicated. Now the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, it is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States.
1843 – Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest still intact amusement parks in the world, opens in Copenhagen, Denmark.
1863 – The Anglo-Satsuma War begins between the Satsuma Domain of Japan and the United Kingdom (Traditional Japanese date: July 2, 1863).
1893 – Ibadan area becomes a British Protectorate after a treaty signed by Fijabi, the Baale of Ibadan with the British acting Governor of Lagos, George C. Denton.
1899 – Fratton Park football ground in Portsmouth, England is officially first opened.
1907 – Ordination in Constantinople of Fr. Raphael Morgan, the first African-American Orthodox priest, "Priest-Apostolic" to America and the West Indies.
1914 – A servant of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright murders seven people and sets fire to the living quarters of Wright's Wisconsin home, Taliesin.
1914 – The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship SS Ancon.
1914 – World War I: The First Russian Army, led by Paul von Rennenkampf, enters East Prussia.
1914 – World War I: Beginning of the Battle of Cer, the first Allied victory of World War I.
• [Battle of Cer]
• [Serbian campaign]
• [Serbian Field Marshal Stepa Stepanovic I WHO DID WHAT IN WW1?]
1915 – A story in New York World newspaper reveals that the Imperial German government had purchased excess phenol from Thomas Edison that could be used to make explosives for the war effort and diverted it to Bayer for aspirin production.
1920 – Polish–Soviet War: Battle of Warsaw, so-called Miracle at the Vistula.
• [Battle of Warsaw (1920)]
• [Battle of Warsaw - Turning Point of Polish-Soviet War I THE GREAT WAR 1920]
• [Polish–Soviet War]
1935 – Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed after their aircraft develops engine problems during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska.
• [Remembering Wiley Post and Will Rogers]
1939 – Twenty-six Junkers Ju 87 bombers commanded by Walter Sigel meet unexpected ground fog during a dive-bombing demonstration for Luftwaffe generals at Neuhammer. Thirteen of them crash and burn.
1939 – The Wizard of Oz premieres at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Los Angeles, California.
1940 – An Italian submarine torpedoes and sinks the Greek cruiser Elli at Tinos harbor during peacetime, marking the most serious Italian provocation prior to the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War in October.
1941 – Corporal Josef Jakobs is executed by firing squad at the Tower of London at 07:12, making him the last person to be executed at the Tower for espionage.
1942 – World War II: Operation Pedestal: The oil tanker SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island's defenses.
1943 – World War II: Battle of Trahili: Superior German forces surround Cretan partisans, who manage to escape against all odds.
1944 – World War II: Operation Dragoon: Allied forces land in southern France.
1945 – Jewel Voice Broadcast by the Emperor Showa following effective surrender of Japan in the World War II, Korea gains Independence from the Empire of Japan.
1947 – India gains Independence from British rule after near 190 years of British company and crown rule, and joins the Commonwealth of Nations.
1947 – Founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah is sworn in as first Governor-General of Pakistan in Karachi.
1948 – The First Republic of Korea (South Korea) is established in the southern half of the peninsula.
1950 – Measuring Mw 8.6, the largest earthquake on land occurrs in the Assam-Tibet-Myanmar border, killing 4,800.
1952 – A flash flood drenches the town of Lynmouth, England, killing 34 people.
1954 – Alfredo Stroessner begins his dictatorship in Paraguay.
1960 – Republic of the Congo (Brazzaville) becomes independent from France.
1961 – Border guard Conrad Schumann flees from East Germany while on duty guarding the construction of the Berlin Wall.
1962 – James Joseph Dresnok defects to North Korea after running across the Korean Demilitarized Zone. Dresnok died in 2016.
1963 – Execution of Henry John Burnett, the last man to be hanged in Scotland.
1963 – President Fulbert Youlou is overthrown in the Republic of the Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital.
1965 – The Beatles play to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City, an event later regarded as the birth of stadium rock.
1969 – The Woodstock Music & Art Fair opens in upstate New York, featuring some of the top rock musicians of the era.
1970 – Patricia Palinkas becomes the first woman to play professionally in an American football game.
1971 – President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the United States dollar into gold by foreign investors.
• [Wikipedia: Nixon Shock]
• [Nixon Ends Convertibility of US Dollars to Gold and Announces Wage/Price Controls]
• [The End of the Gold-backed US-$ - Nixon Shock in August 1971]
• [The Challenge of Peace - President Nixon's Address to the Nation on A New Economic Policy]
• [The Nixon Shock: The Closing of the Gold Window in 1971 (HOM 35-C)]
• [What if the DOLLAR Was Still Pegged to GOLD | Gold Standard | ENDEVR Explains]
• [How Nixon Killed the U.S. Dollar]
• [End of the Road: How Money Became Worthless | Gold | Financial Crisis | ENDEVR Documentary]
1971 – Bahrain gains independence from the United Kingdom.
1973 – Vietnam War: The USAF bombing of Cambodia ends.
1974 – Yuk Young-soo, First Lady of South Korea, is killed during an apparent assassination attempt upon President Park Chung-hee.
1975 – Bangladeshi leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is killed along with most members of his family during a military coup.
1975 – Takeo Miki makes the first official pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine by an incumbent prime minister on the anniversary of the end of World War II.
1977 – The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the "Wow! signal" from the notation made by a volunteer on the project.
• [The Wow! Signal: Actual Recording]
• [Wikipedia: Wow! signal]
• [Wow! mystery signal from space finally explained]
• [The Mystery of the Wow! Signal]
1984 – The Kurdistan Workers' Party in Turkey starts a campaign of armed attacks upon the Turkish military with an attack on police and gendarmerie bases in Şemdinli and Eruh
1985 – Signing of the Assam Accord, an agreement between representatives of the Government of India and the leaders of the Assam Movement to end the movement.
1995 – In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel (she drops out less than a week later).
1998 – Northern Ireland: Omagh bombing takes place; 29 people (including a woman pregnant with twins) killed and some 220 others injured.
1999 – Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria: Some 29 people are killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco.
2005 – Israel's unilateral disengagement plan to evict all Israelis from the Gaza Strip and from four settlements in the northern West Bank begins.
2005 – The Helsinki Agreement between the Free Aceh Movement and the Government of Indonesia was signed, ending almost three decades of fighting.
2007 – An 8.0-magnitude earthquake off the Pacific coast devastates Ica and various regions of Peru killing 514 and injuring 1,090.
2013 – At least 27 people are killed and 226 injured in an explosion in southern Beirut near a complex used by Lebanon's militant group Hezbollah in Lebanon. A previously unknown Syrian Sunni group claims responsibility in an online video.
2013 – The Smithsonian announces the discovery of the olinguito, the first new carnivorous species found in the Americas in 35 years.
2015 – North Korea moves its clock back half an hour to introduce Pyongyang Time, 81⁄2 hours ahead of UTC.
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Published at 5:00am on Sunday, August 15, 2021
Resources used to compile the information in this article include, but are not limited to the following websites or books: MaconMedia.com, youtube.com, weather.gov, airnow.gov, wikipedia.com, onthisday.com, ncdcr.gov, ncsu.edu, utah.edu, https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/, wolfram.com, biorxiv.org, aps.org, nejm.org, plos.org, cell.com, researchsquare.com, cureus.com, spc.noaa.gov, nhc.noaa.gov, ncdenr.org, medrxiv.org, archive.org, ncpedia.org, nasa.gov, https://ww2days.com, nih.gov, carolinapublicpress.org, microbe.tv, smokymountainnews.com, psypost.org, blogspot.com, pollen.com, franklinnc.com, maconnc.org, spaceweather.com, solarham.com, loc.gov, ncleg.net, senate.gov, house.gov, whitehouse.gov, drudgereport.com, politico.com, realclearpolitics.com, ushmm.org, This Day in North Carolina History, World War II Day By Day, The Holocaust Encyclopedia, The Timetables of History, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, The World History and Book of Facts (multiple years), On This Day In History: Over 4,000 facts, The NASA Archives. 60 Years in Space, This Day in North Carolina History, The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration: From the Ancient World to the Extraterrestrial Future, Spaceflight, 2nd Edition: The Complete Story from Sputnik to Curiousity, The Story of Civilization (11 volumes), The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, American History, Volume 1: 1492-1877, American History, Volume 2: 1877 - Present, A Complete Chronolgy of the Second World War. Weather and Almanac data and information sources: Sources (except where otherwise credited): heavens-above.com, Ian Webster's Github, National Centers for Environmental Prediction, The National Weather Service, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center, Penn State University Electronic Wall Map, The State Climate Office of North Carolina, Storm Prediction Center, U.S. Naval Observatory, University of Utah Department of Atmospheric Sciences, and the Weather Prediction Center. Back to Top
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