Today is Wednesday, Aug. 6, the 218th day of 2025. There are 147 days left in the year.
Today in history:
On August 6, 1945, during World War II, the U.S. B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan, resulting in an estimated 140,000 deaths.
Also on this date:
In 1806, Emperor Francis II abdicated, marking the end of the Holy Roman Empire after nearly a thousand years.
In 1825, Upper Peru became the autonomous republic of Bolivia.
In 1890, at Auburn Prison in Auburn, New York, William Kemmler became the first person to be executed via the electric chair.
In 1926, Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim across the English Channel.
In 1942, Queen Wilhemina of the Netherlands became the first reigning queen to address a joint session of Congress, t