On this day, Aug. 31
1886 An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 7.3 devastated Charleston, S.C., killing at least 60 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
1947 The Allegheny County Free Fair drew the largest one-day crowd in its history — roughly estimated at 450,000 persons.
1972 At the Munich Summer Olympics, American swimmer Mark Spitz won his fourth and fifth gold medals in the 100-meter butterfly and 800-meter freestyle relay; Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut won gold medals in floor exercise and the balance beam.
1980 The 28-year old Carlton House, one of the city’s great hotel buildings, was demolished to make way for the Dravo skyscraper, which later was named One Mellon Center and is now known as the BNY Mellon Center.
1987 Seventeen months after opening the county jail annex, the jail and the annex were filled to capacity.
2018 Aretha Franklin, the “Queen of Soul,” was laid to rest after an eight-hour funeral at a Detroit church, where guests included Bill and Hillary Clinton, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Smokey Robinson.
Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology).
— Compiled by Rick Nowlin
Today’s birthdays: Rock musician Jerry Allison (Buddy Holly and the Crickets), 82. Actor Jack Thompson, 81. Violinist Itzhak Perlman, 76. Singer Van Morrison, 76. Rock musician Rudolf Schenker (The Scorpions), 73. Actor Richard Gere, 72. Actor Stephen Henderson, 72. Olympic gold medal track and field athlete Edwin Moses, 66. Rock singer Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), 64. Rock musician Gina Schock (The Go-Go’s), 64. Singer Tony DeFranco (The DeFranco Family), 62. R&B musician Larry Waddell (Mint Condition), 58. Actor Jaime P. Gomez, 56. Rock musician Jeff Russo (Tonic), 52. Singer-composer Deborah Gibson, 51. Actor Zack Ward, 51. Golfer Padraig Harrington, 50. Actor Chris Tucker, 49. Actor Sara Ramirez, 46. R&B singer Tamara (Trina & Tamara), 44.
Thought for today: “Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess.”
— Edna Woolman Chase, American fashion editor (1877-1957)