By The Associated Press

Today is Wednesday, July 29, the 211th day of 2020. There are 155 days left in the year.

Todayís Highlight in History:

On July 29, 1967, an accidental rocket launch on the deck of the supercarrier USS Forrestal in the Gulf of Tonkin resulted in a fire and explosions that killed 134 servicemen. (Among the survivors was future Arizona senator John McCain, a U.S. Navy lieutenant commander who narrowly escaped with his life.)

On this date:

In 1856, German composer Robert Schumann died in Endenich at age 46.

In 1914, transcontinental telephone service in the U.S. became operational with the first test conversation between New York and San Francisco. Massachusettsí Cape Cod Canal, offering a shortcut across the base of the peninsula, was officially opened to shipping traffic.

In 1957, the International Atomic Energy Agency was established. Jack Paar made his debut as host of NBC’s ìTonight Show.î

In 1958, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, creating NASA.

In 1965, The Beatlesí second feature film, ìHelp!,î had its world premiere in London.

In 1968, Pope Paul the Sixth reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Churchís stance against artificial methods of birth control.

In 1975, President Gerald R. Ford became the first U.S. president to visit the site of the Nazi concentration camp Auschwitz in Poland.

In 1980, a state funeral was held in Cairo, Egypt, for the deposed Shah of Iran, who had died two days earlier at age 60.

In 1981, Britainís Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in a glittering ceremony at St. Paulís Cathedral in London.

In 1997, members of Congress from both parties embraced compromise legislation designed to balance the budget while cutting taxes.