Today is Monday, Aug. 29, the 241st day of 2005. There are 124 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Aug. 29, 1944, 15,000 American troops marched down the Champs Elysees in Paris as the French capital continued to celebrate its liberation from the Nazis.

On this date:

In 1533, the last Incan King of Peru, Atahualpa, was murdered on orders of Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro.

In 1632, English philosopher John Locke was born in Somerset.

In 1877, the second president of the Mormon Church, Brigham Young, died in Salt Lake City, Utah.

In 1943, responding to a clampdown by Nazi occupiers, Denmark managed to scuttle most of its naval ships.

In 1957, South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond (then a Democrat) ended a filibuster against a civil rights bill after talking for more than 24 hours.

In 1965, Gemini Five, carrying astronauts Gordon Cooper and Charles (“Pete”) Conrad, splashed down in the Atlantic after eight days in space.

In 1966, the Beatles concluded their fourth American tour with their last public concert, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

In 1975, Irish statesman Eamon de Valera died near Dublin at age 92.

In 1981, broadcaster and world traveler Lowell Thomas died in Pawling, N.Y., at age 89.

In 1987, Academy Award-winning actor Lee Marvin died in Tucson, Arizona, at age 63.

Ten years ago: At the O.J. Simpson murder trial in Los Angeles, without the jury present, tape recordings of police detective Mark Fuhrman were played in which Fuhrman could be heard spouting racial invectives.

Five years ago: President Clinton ended a four-day trip to Africa with a brief visit to Cairo, where he sought the help of President Hosni Mubarak in pursuing a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians. Pope John Paul the Second laid down moral guidelines for medical research in the 21st century, endorsing organ donation and adult stem cell study, but condemning human cloning and embryo experiments.

One year ago: Tropical Storm Gaston made landfall in South Carolina at near-hurricane strength. Protesters filling 20 city blocks peacefully swarmed Manhattan’s streets on the eve of the Republican National Convention to demand that President Bush be turned out of office. A car bomb at the office of a U.S. security contractor in Afghanistan killed about ten people, including three Americans. Closing ceremonies were held in Athens, Greece, for the Olympic games.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor-director Lord Richard Attenborough is 82. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is 69. Actor Elliott Gould is 67. Movie director William Friedkin is 66. Movie director Joel Schumacher is 66. TV personality Robin Leach is 64. Actress Deborah Van Valkenburgh is 53. Dancer-choreographer Mark Morris is 49. Country musician Dan Truman (Diamond Rio) is 49. Singer Michael Jackson is 47. Actress Rebecca DeMornay is 43. Singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello is 36. Rhythm-and-blues singer Carl Martin (Shai) is 35. Actress Carla Gugino is 34. Actor John Hensley is 28. Rock musician David Desrosiers (Simple Plan) is 25. Rapper A+ is 23. Actor Jeffrey Licon is 20.

Thought for Today: “It ain’t enough to get the breaks. You gotta know how to use ’em.” – Huey P. Long, American politician (1893-1935).