By The Associated Press

Today in History

Today is Friday, Sept. 7, the 250th day of 2018. There are 115 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Sept. 7, 1940, Nazi Germany began its eight-month blitz of Britain during World War II with the first air attack on London.

On this date:

In 1901, the Peace of Beijing ended the Boxer Rebellion in China.

In 1927, American television pioneer Philo T. Farnsworth, 21, succeeded in transmitting the image of a line through purely electronic means with a device called an “image dissector” at his San Francisco laboratory.

In 1936, rock-and-roll legend Buddy Holly was born Charles Hardin Holley in Lubbock, Texas.

In 1963, the National Professional Football Hall of Fame was dedicated in Canton, Ohio.

In 1972, the International Olympic Committee banned Vince Matthews and Wayne Collett of the U.S. from further competition for talking to each other on the victory stand in Munich during the playing of the “Star-Spangled Banner” after winning the gold and silver medals in the 400-meter run.

In 1977, the Panama Canal treaties, calling for the U.S. to eventually turn over control of the waterway to Panama, were signed in Washington by President Jimmy Carter and Panamanian leader Omar Torrijos (toh-REE’-hohs). Convicted Watergate conspirator G. Gordon Liddy was released from prison after more than four years.

In 1979, the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN) made its cable TV debut.

In 1987, the syndicated TV talk show “Geraldo,” hosted by Geraldo Rivera, began an 11-season run.

In 1996, rapper Tupac Shakur was shot and mortally wounded on the Las Vegas Strip; he died six days later.

In 2001, Venus Williams and Serena Williams reached the finals of the U.S. Open, defeating Jennifer Capriati and Martina Hingis respectively, becoming the first sisters to play for a Grand Slam championship in more than 100 years.

In 2002, President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, meeting at Camp David, said the world had to act against Saddam Hussein, arguing that the Iraqi leader had defied the United Nations and reneged on promises to destroy weapons of mass destruction.

In 2007, Osama bin Laden appeared in a video for the first time in three years, telling Americans they should convert to Islam if they wanted the war in Iraq to end.

Ten years ago: Troubled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were placed in government conservatorship. Hurricane Ike roared across low-lying islands in the Atlantic as a Category 4 storm. Serena Williams outlasted Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 to win her third U.S. Open championship and ninth Grand Slam title. Hall of Fame basketball coach Don Haskins died in El Paso, Texas, at age 78. Mystery author Gregory Mcdonald (cq) died in Pulaski, Tenn., at age 71. Astroland, New York City’s world famous amusement park at Coney Island, closed after 46 years. Britney Spears won three MTV Video Music Awards, including video of the year for “Piece of Me.”

Five years ago: Tony Abbott’s conservative Liberal-led party won a crushing victory in Australia against the center-left Labor Party which had ruled for six years. Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Summer Olympics, defeating Istanbul in the final round of secret voting by the International Olympic Committee.