Today’s highlight

On August 25, 1916, Woodrow Wilson signed the National Park Service Organic Act, establishing the National Park Service as an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior to maintain the country’s natural and historic wonders and “leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations.”

On this date

1875: Matthew Webb became the first person to swim across the English Channel, crossing from Dover, England, to Calais, France, in under 22 hours.

1928: An expedition led by Richard E. Byrd set sail from Hoboken, N.J., on its journey to Antarctica.

1944: Paris was liberated by Allied forces after four years of Nazi occupation during World War II.

1981: The U.S. spacecraft Voyager 2 came within 63,000 miles of Saturn’s cloud cover, sending back pictures of and data about the ringed planet.

Today’s birthdays

Actor Tom Skerritt is 91. Former U.S. Poet Laureate Charles Wright is 89. Author Frederick Forsyth is 86. Film director John Badham is 85. Baseball Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers is 78. Musician Gene Simmons is 75. Singer Rob Halford (Judas Priest) is 73. Musician Elvis Costello is 70. Film director Tim Burton is 66. Country musician Billy Ray Cyrus is 63. Actor Blair Underwood is 60. NFL Hall of Famer Cornelius Bennett is 59. DJ Terminator X (Public Enemy) is 57. Singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) is 57. Television chef Rachael Ray is 56. Country singer Jo Dee Messina is 54. Model Claudia Schiffer is 54. NFL Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison is 52. Actor Alexander Skarsgard is 48. Actor Kel Mitchell is 46. Actor Rachel Bilson is 43. Actor Blake Lively is 37.