Today in History: August 29, Hurricane Katrina strikes Louisiana

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Today is Saturday, Aug. 29, the 241st day of 2026. There are 124 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck the U.S. Gulf Coast in southeast Louisiana, breaching levees and spurring floods that devastated New Orleans. Katrina caused nearly 1,400 deaths and an estimated $200 billion in damage.

Also on this date:

In 1814, during the War of 1812, Alexandria, Virginia, formally surrendered to British military forces, which occupied the city until Sept. 3.

In 1825, the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro was signed by Portugal and Brazil, officially ending the Brazilian War of Independence.

In 1862, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing began operations at the United States Treasury.

In 1944, 15,000 American troops of the 28th Infantry Division marched down the Champs-Élysées in Paris as the French capital continued to celebrate its liberation from the Nazis.

In 1949, the Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb, ending the U.S. monopoly on atomic weapons.

In 1958, the U.S. Air Force Academy opened in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

In 1966, the Beatles concluded their fourth American tour with their last public concert, held at Candlestick Park in San Francisco.

In 2004, marathoner Vanderlei de Lima was attacked by a spectator during the Olympic marathon in Athens; de Lima, who was leading the race at the time, eventually finished third and received the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship in addition to his bronze medal.

In 2008, Republican presidential nominee John McCain picked Sarah Palin, a maverick conservative who had been governor of Alaska for less than two years, to be his running mate.

In 2013, in a sweeping new policy statement, the Justice Department said it would not stand in the way of states that wanted to legalize, tax and regulate marijuana as long as there were effective controls to keep marijuana away from children, the black market and federal property.

In 2021, Hurricane Ida blasted ashore in Louisiana as one of the most powerful storms ever to hit the U.S., knocking out power to all of New Orleans, blowing roofs off buildings and briefly reversing the flow of the Mississippi River.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Elliott Gould is 88. Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin is 88. Olympic gold medal sprinter Wyomia Tyus is 81. Olympic gold medal long jumper Bob Beamon is 80. Animal behaviorist and autism educator Temple Grandin is 79. Dancer-choreographer Mark Morris is 70. Actor Rebecca De Mornay is 67. Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is 59. Singer Me’Shell NdegeOcello (n-DAY’-gay-OH’-chehl-oh) is 58. Actor Carla Gugino is 55. Actor-singer Lea Michele is 40. Actor Eduardo Franco is 32.