22 August 1953

The penal colony on Devil’s Island is permanently closed.

Devil’s Island, part of the Îles du Salut (Salvation Islands) off the coast of French Guiana in South America, was one of the most infamous penal colonies in history. Established by the French government in 1852, it was used to exile political prisoners, hardened criminals, and other undesirables from France. The penal colony, often simply referred to as Devil’s Island, included three islands: Île Royale, Île Saint-Joseph, and Île du Diable (Devil’s Island).

Harsh Conditions: The penal colony was notorious for its brutal living conditions. Prisoners faced extreme isolation, harsh tropical weather, disease, and malnutrition. Many died from the harsh conditions, and the chances of survival and escape were slim.

Political Prisoners: The island is perhaps most famously associated with Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a French military officer wrongfully convicted of treason in 1894. He was imprisoned on Devil’s Island for nearly five years before being exonerated in what became known as the Dreyfus Affair, a significant event in French history.

Notable Prisoners: Aside from Dreyfus, Devil’s Island housed other high-profile prisoners, including political dissidents, anarchists, and common criminals. The isolation and the difficulty of the terrain made escape nearly impossible, though there were a few famous attempts.

Closure: The penal colony operated until 1953 when it was officially closed. By then, it had become a symbol of inhumanity and cruelty, and the French government gradually phased out the use of such colonies.

Legacy: Today, Devil’s Island is a historical site, and while the islands are not heavily visited due to their remote location, they remain a powerful reminder of the harsh penal practices of the past.

22 August 1992

FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi shoots and kills Vicki Weaver during an 11-day siege at her home at Ruby Ridge, Idaho.

Lon Horiuchi is a former FBI sniper who gained notoriety for his involvement in the Ruby Ridge standoff incident that took place in August 1992 in Idaho, USA. The incident resulted in the death of Vicki Weaver.

The Ruby Ridge standoff began as a confrontation between the Weaver family and federal law enforcement agents. The Weavers, Randy and Vicki Weaver, were a separatist family who held anti-government views and had a history of legal troubles. The situation escalated when Randy Weaver failed to appear in court for weapons charges, and the U.S. Marshals Service issued a warrant for his arrest.

On August 21, 1992, a team of U.S. Marshals accompanied by other federal agents, including Lon Horiuchi, surrounded the Weaver’s remote cabin on Ruby Ridge. Horiuchi was a member of the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team and was tasked with providing sniper support to the law enforcement operation.

During the standoff, a confrontation occurred between the Weavers and law enforcement agents. Lon Horiuchi, positioned at a distance from the cabin, fired a shot that struck and killed Vicki Weaver. She was standing in the cabin’s doorway while holding her infant daughter. The shot that Horiuchi fired was aimed at Randy Weaver, who was also in the doorway, but it hit Vicki instead. This tragic incident further escalated tensions and outrage surrounding the standoff.

The Ruby Ridge incident sparked significant controversy and led to public debate about the use of deadly force by law enforcement, especially in cases involving civilians and nonviolent suspects. The legal aftermath of the incident included charges against Horiuchi, but he was ultimately not prosecuted due to legal complexities surrounding the case and issues related to jurisdiction and immunity.

The Ruby Ridge incident and Lon Horiuchi’s role in it remain a topic of debate and discussion in discussions about government overreach, the use of force by law enforcement, and the rights of individuals in confrontations with the government.

22 August 1851

The first America’s Cup is won by the yacht America.

On August 22, 1851, the U.S.-built schooner America bests a fleet of Britain’s finest ships in a race around England’s Isle of Wight. The ornate silver trophy won by the America was later donated to the New York Yacht Club on condition that it be forever placed in international competition. Today, the “America’s Cup” is the world’s oldest continually contested sporting trophy and represents the pinnacle of international sailing yacht competition.

The history of the yacht America began with five members of the New York Yacht Club, who decided to build a state-of-the-art schooner to compete against British ships in conjunction with England’s Great Exposition of 1851. Designed by George Steers, the 100-foot, black-hulled America had a sharp bow, a V bottom, and tall masts, making it strikingly different from the traditional yachts of the day. In June 1851, the America set sail from its shipyard on New York City’s East River, bound for England. Manned by Captain William H. Brown and a crew of 12, the America raced and overtook numerous ships during the Atlantic crossing.

After being outfitted and repainted in France, the America sailed to Cowes on the Isle of Wight to challenge the best British sailboats in their own waters. At Cowes, America welcomed all comers for a match race, but no English yacht accepted the challenge. Finally, on August 22, the America joined 14 British ships for a regatta around the Isle of Wight. The prize was the Hundred Guinea Cup, a 2-foot-high silver jug put up by the Royal Yacht Squadron.

In the 53-mile race, the America trounced the competition, beating the cutter Aurora by 22 minutes and finishing nearly an hour ahead of the third boat, the schooner Bacchante. Queen Victoria watched the race from her royal yacht, and at one point asked, “What is second?” after seeing the America come over the horizon. Her attendant reportedly replied, “Your Majesty, there is no second.”

A few weeks after its victory, the America was sold to an Irish lord for about $25,000, giving its owners a slim profit over what they paid for it. It later went through a series of other owners, one of whom changed the America‘s name to Camilla. As the CSS Memphis, it served briefly as a Confederate blockade runner during the Civil War. The Confederate navy sunk it in Florida to keep it from falling into Union hands, but it was found, raised, and rebuilt by the U.S. Navy, which renamed it the America and used it as a Union blockade ship.

Meanwhile, the first owners of the America deeded the Hundred Guinea Cup to the New York Yacht Club in 1857 to be put up as the prize in a perpetual international challenge competition. The first race for the trophy, renamed the America’s Cup, was not held until August 1870, when the British ship Cambria competed against 14 American yachts in Lower New York Bay. The Cambria finished 10th. The schooner Magic won the race, and the America, refitted by the navy for the occasion, finished fourth. After service as a navy training ship, the America fell into disrepair under private owners. Today, it exists only in fragments.

From 1870 until the late 20th century, New York Yacht Club-sponsored U.S. yachts successfully defended the America’s Cup 24 times in races generally spaced a few years apart. Since the 1920s, the America’s Cup race has been between one defending vessel and one challenging vessel, both of which are determined by separate elimination trials. In 1983, the United States lost the trophy for the first time in 132 years when Australia II defeated Liberty off Newport, Rhode Island.

22 August 1972

Rhodesia is expelled by the International Olympic Committee for its racist policies.

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The International’ Olympic Committee withdrew its invitation to Rhodesia to compete in the Olympic Games. The decision followed a week of objections by black athletes from other African nations to Rhodesia’s participation in the Olympics because of that country’s racial policies.

The vote, announced by Avery Brundage, the committee president, was 36 in favor of withdrawal, 31 opposed and abstentions, an indication of the philosophical division that marked the two days of intense deliberation.

The racial issue, however, was not offered by the committee as the reason for the ousting. The Rhodesians’ failure to produce passports and prove they were British subjects as well as Rhodesian citizens, as stated on their Olympic identity cards, was given by Brundage as the technicality for withdrawing the invitation four days before the opening ceremonies.

But the growing concern of a mass withdrawal by black African nations undoubtedly presented a more realistic threat to the competitive aspect of the Games and overshadowed repeated committee support for Rhodesian participation.

The significance of the decision was best symbolized in the exuberance of Jean?Claude Ganga, secretary?general of the Supreme Council for Sport in Africa. He emerged from the meeting waving his arms and flashing the V sign for victory to other black Africans milling around the Bavarian Parliament building that is serving as the site for the I.O.C. sessions.