Today is Thursday, Aug. 16, the 229th day of 2012. There are 137 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Aug. 16, 1962, The Beatles fired their original drummer, Pete Best, replacing him with Ringo Starr.

On this date:

In 1777, American forces won the Revolutionary War Battle of Bennington.

In 1812, Detroit fell to British and Indian forces in the War of 1812.

In 1861, President Abraham Lincoln issued Proclamation 86, which prohibited the states of the Union from engaging in commercial trade with states in rebellion — i.e., the Confederacy.

In 1858, a telegraphed message from Britain's Queen Victoria to President James Buchanan was transmitted over the recently laid trans-Atlantic cable.

In 1920, Ray Chapman of the Cleveland Indians was struck in the head by a pitch thrown by Carl Mays of the New York Yankees; Chapman died the following morning.

In 1937, the American Federation of Radio Artists was chartered.

In 1948, baseball legend Babe Ruth died in New York at age 53.

In 1954, Sports Illustrated was first published by Time Inc.

In 1956, Adlai E. Stevenson was nominated for president at the Democratic national convention in Chicago.

In 1977, Elvis Presley died at his Graceland estate in Memphis, Tenn., at age 42.

In 1987, 156 people were killed when Northwest Airlines Flight 255 crashed while trying to take off from Detroit; the sole survivor was 4-year-old Cecelia Cichan (SHEE'-an). People worldwide began a two-day celebration of the "harmonic convergence," which heralded what believers called the start of a new, purer age of humankind.

In 1991, Pope John Paul II began the first-ever papal visit to Hungary.

Ten years ago: Major League Baseball players set a strike deadline of Aug. 30. (Both sides finally reached an agreement with just six hours to spare.) Terrorist mastermind Abu Nidal reportedly was found shot to death in Baghdad, Iraq; he was 65. Former United Auto Workers president Stephen P. Yokich died in Detroit at age 66.

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