Today is Monday, Aug. 6, the 219th day of 2012. There are 147 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On August 6, 1962, Jamaica, formerly ruled by Britain, became an independent dominion within the Commonwealth of Nations.

On this date:

In 1825, Upper Peru became the autonomous republic of Bolivia.

In 1862, the Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas was scuttled by its crew on the Mississippi River near Baton Rouge, La., to prevent capture by the Union.

In 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel, arriving in Kingsdown, England, from France in 14 1/2 hours.

In 1930, New York State Supreme Court Justice Joseph Force Crater went missing after leaving a Manhattan restaurant; his disappearance remains a mystery to this day.

In 1932, the first Venice Film Festival opened with a screening of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" starring Fredric March.

In 1942, Queen Wilhemina of the Netherlands became the first reigning queen to address a joint session of Congress, telling lawmakers that despite Nazi occupation, her people's motto remained, "No surrender."

In 1945, during World War II, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths.

In 1956, the DuMont television network went off the air after a decade of operations.

In 1961, Soviet cosmonaut Gherman Titov became the second man to orbit Earth as he flew aboard Vostok 2.

In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act.

In 1978, Pope Paul VI died at Castel Gandolfo at age 80.

In 1997, Korean Air Flight 801 crashed into a hillside a short distance from Guam International Airport, killing 228 of the 254 aboard the Boeing 747.

Ten years ago: Maria de Jesus and Maria Teresa Quiej-Alvarez, one-year-old Guatemalan twins born joined at the head, were separated at the University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. President George W. Bush signed legislation restoring to U.S. presidents broad authority in negotiating trade pacts.

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