Today in History: 1998, Clinton admits to Lewinsky affair

August 17, 2026

Today is Monday, Aug. 17, the 229th day of 2026. There are 136 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 17, 1998, President Bill Clinton gave grand jury testimony via closed-circuit television from the White House concerning his relationship with Monica Lewinsky; he then delivered a TV address in which he admitted his relationship with Lewinsky was "wrong" but denied previously committing perjury (Clinton was subsequently impeached by the House of Representatives, but acquitted in the Senate). Also on this date: In 1807, Robert Fulton's North River Steamboat made its first ...

Today in History: 1969, Woodstock music festival begins

August 15, 2026

Today is Saturday, Aug. 15, the 227th day of 2026. There are 138 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 15, 1969, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair opened in upstate New York; more than 460,000 people attended the three-day festival, which would become a watershed event in ...

Today in History: 1935, FDR signs Social Security Act

August 14, 2026

Today is Friday, Aug. 14, the 226th day of 2026. There are 139 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 14, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Social Security Act into law, ensuring income for elderly Americans and creating a federal unemployment insurance ...

Today in History: August 13, East Germany closes Berlin border

August 13, 2026

Today in History: August 13, East Germany closes Berlin border By The Associated Press Today is Thursday, Aug. 13, the 225th day of 2026. There are 140 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 13, 1961, on what would become known as Barbed Wire Sunday, East Germany sealed the ...

Today in History: August 12, Charlottesville car attack

August 12, 2026

Today in History: August 12, Charlottesville car attack By The Associated Press Today in history: On Aug. 12, 2017, a driver sped into a crowd of people peacefully protesting a white nationalist rally in the Virginia college town of Charlottesville, killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer and ...

Today in History: August 11, Alcatraz takes first federal prisoners

August 11, 2026

Today in History: August 11, Alcatraz takes first federal prisoners By The Associated Press Today is Tuesday, Aug. 11, the 223rd day of 2026. There are 142 days left in the year. Today in history: On Aug. 11, 1934, the first federal prisoners arrived at Alcatraz Island, a former military ...