This Day In History: 08/14/2003 - Blackout Hits Northeast US
In a This Day in History video, host Russ Mitchell takes us through the history of August 14th. On this day in 1848, the Oregon Territory was established by Congress. On this day in 1941, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Atlantic Charter, which became the basis for the creation of the United Nations. On this day in 1996, in Zurich, a woman set a new record for the women's mile: 4 minutes, 12.56 seconds. Also, on this day in 2003, a tree branch tangled with a power line which caused an explosion that shut down an Ohio power plant. The problem spread throughout the grid, causing 50 million people to lose power, some for four days.
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