Falling angle iron hits area pedestrian in 1913 - Almanac Aug. 31, 2013
Pete Brekus | The Express-Times Pete Brekus The Express-Times
Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission set to begin yearlong work on Delaware Water Gap bridge in 1988.
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Today: is the 243rd day of 2013. There are 122 days left in the year.

On this date

^ In 1973, movie director John Ford, 79, died in Palm Desert, Calif.

^ In 1980, Poland's Solidarity labor movement was born with an agreement signed in Gdansk that ended a 17-day-old strike.

Today's birthdays

Baseball Hall-of-Famer Frank Robinson is 78. Violinist Itzhak Perlman is 68. Singer Van Morrison is 68. Actor Richard Gere is 64. Actor Zack Ward is 43.

The sun sets 7:34 p.m. today, rises 6:28 a.m. Sunday.

The moon sets 4:32 p.m. today, rises 2:47 a.m. Sunday. It is four days after the last quarter.

100 years ago today

1913: Wrong place at wrong time: "J.C. Milligan, of High Bridge, N.J., who is visiting his aunt, Mrs. Phoebe Johnson, of 125 Spring Garden St., was painfully injured this morning at Northampton and Sitgreaves streets by being struck by a piece of angle iron. The metal had been dropped from a pole on which employees of the Western Union Telegraph Company were working. The iron was about seven feet long, pointed at one end and blunt at the other. Mr. Milligan, who is about 65 years old, was wearing a straw hat, the rim of which was torn off by the iron. After striking his hat the object scratched his face and chest and went through the top of his trousers. A long gash was cut in his leg and his trousers were split in two places. He was able to proceed to his home and later his injuries were dressed by a doctor."

50 years ago today

1963: Adding insult to injury: "Stephen Vernicek of near Netcong surprised two burglars last night and one of them dashed out and drove off in Vernicek's car. Vernicek told police he was opening his garage door about 9 o'clock last night when he noticed a suitcase containing a set of burglar tools lying outside a cellar door. He went inside and telephoned police. He then realized the intruders were still in the cellar and ran out of his home in confusion, police said. The first intruder picked that moment to dart out of the house and jump into Vernicek's idling car and make good his escape. Police found several drills and other burglary equipment in the suitcase, along with two loaded pistols and two sets of handcuffs."

25 years ago today

1988: A bridge too far: "The summerlong party on Interstate 80 is over. When commuters return to work from the Labor Day weekend, they'll find traffic on the Delaware Water Gap bridge restricted to one lane in each direction. Workers will be out in force to redeck the westbound lanes of the bridge. The construction should be finished by June 9, 1989, according to Joseph Catania, executive director of the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The bridge work is costing the bridge commission $9 million."

Quote of the day

"Fashion can be bought. Style one must possess." — Edna Woolman Chase, American fashion editor (1877-1957).