The average Union private in the American Civil War carried about this much weight while on the march

  • 25 pounds
  • 50 pounds
  • 75 pounds
  • 100 pounds

Today in History: Born on August 18

1870

Bernard Baruch, U.S. representative to the U.N. Atomic Energy Commission.

1871

Orville Wright, aviation pioneer.

1883

Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel, fashion designer.

1902

Ogden Nash, humorist.

1919

Malcolm Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine.

1921

Gene Roddenberry, television writer and producer, best known for the series Star Trek.

1931

Willie Shoemaker, record-setting jockey (won 8,833 of 40,350 starts); received Mike Venezia Memorial Award for "extraordinary sportsmanship and citizenship" in 1990.

1940

Jill St John, (Jill Arlyn Oppenheim), Los Angeles California, actress (Diamonds are Forever).

1942

Fred Thompson, US Senator (R-Tenn); minority counsel on Senate Watergate Committee, lobbyist; actor (Law and Order)).

1945

William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton, 42nd President of the United States (1993-2001); first president from the Baby Boomer generation.

1948

Tipper Gore, wife of US Vice President Al Gore (1993-2001); co-founder, Parents Music Resource Center, which lobbied to have parental advisory labels placed on the packaging of music containing violent, sexual or drug-use lyrics.

1952

Jonathan Frakes, actor (Commander William T Riker, Star Trek: The Next Generation); character given same birth-date but in 2335.

1966

Lee Ann Womack, Grammy-winning singer, songwriter ("I Hope You Dance").

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