AUGUST 5 | Birthdays and Events
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Notable Birthdays for August 5
Gertrude Rush (1880-1962) - The first Black female lawyer in Iowa.
Neil Armstrong (1930-2012) - Astronaut who was the first man to walk on the Moon.
Joe Boyd (1942-Still Living) - Founder Hannibal Records.
Loni Anderson (1945-2025) - Actress who is widely recognized for her role as Jennifer Marlowe on the WKRP in Cincinnati.
Maureen McCormick (1956-Still Living) - Actress who played Marcia on The Brady Bunch.
Reid Hoffman (1967-Still Living) - Co-founder of LinkedIn.
Memorable Events for August 5
1861 - President Lincoln signs the first income tax in to law (Revenue Act of 1861) to help fund the war effort (Civil War).
1861 - Enlistment in the Union Army increases from 3 months to 2 years.
1861 - The U.S. Army abolished flogging, considering it cruel.
1882 - The Standard Oil Company of New Jersey (ExxonMobil) is established.
1884 - The cornerstone for the Statue of Liberty is laid.
1891 - American Express issues the first world's first traveler's cheques.
1914 - The first electric traffic light is installed in Cleveland, OH.
1957 - American Bandstand debuts on the ABC.
1974 - Joan Jett forms her rock group the Runaways.
1998 - Whose Line Is It Anyway? premiers on ABC.