Today is the 202nd day of 2012 and the 31st day of summer.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1881, Sioux Chief Sitting Bull surrendered to federal troops.

In 1944, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt won the Democratic presidential nomination for the fourth and final time.

In 1969, Neil Armstrong, commander of Apollo 11, became the first person to set foot on the moon, followed by Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin.

In 1976, Viking 1 landed on Mars and transmitted the first photos of the planet's surface.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Petrarch (Francesco Petrarca) (1304-1374), poet; Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), explorer/mountaineer; Cormac McCarthy (1933- ), writer; Natalie Wood (1938-1981), actress; Carlos Santana (1947- ), musician; Gisele Bundchen (1980- ), model; Julianne Hough (1988- ), dancer/singer.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1976, Hank Aaron of the Milwaukee Brewers hit his record 755th and final home run in a 6-2 win over the California Angels.

TODAY'S FACT: The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) honored Neil Armstrong and associates with its Best Foreign Television Award in 1969 for their telecast from the moon.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Books have led some to learning, and others to madness, when they swallow more than they can digest." -- Petrarch

TODAY'S NUMBER: 29,029 -- official elevation (in feet) of the Mount Everest summit, according to China and Nepal. Other sources recognize an official elevation of 29,035 feet.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (July 19) and first quarter moon (July 26).

Today is the 201st day of 2012 and the 30th day of summer.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1848, a seminal women's rights convention opened in Seneca Falls, N.Y.

In 1941, Winston Churchill launched his V for Victory campaign.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton announced a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell, Don't Pursue" policy for gay men and women serving in the U.S. military.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Samuel Colt (1814-1862), inventor; Edgar Degas (1834-1917), painter; Lizzie Borden (1860-1927), alleged murderer; A.J. Cronin (1896-1981), writer; George McGovern (1922- ), U.S. senator/presidential candidate; Ilie Nastase (1946- ), tennis player; Brian May (1947- ), musician.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1980, the Olympic Games began in Moscow, though many nations were absent in protest of the Soviet presence in Afghanistan.

TODAY'S FACT: In 1963, former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill became the first person ever named an honorary American citizen.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "You know, sometimes, when they say you're ahead of your time, it's just a polite way of saying you have a real bad sense of timing." -- George McGovern

TODAY'S NUMBER: 1 -- state (Massachusetts) from which Democratic Sen. George McGovern of South Dakota won electoral votes in the 1972 presidential election, along with Washington, D.C.

TODAY'S MOON: New moon (July 19).

Today is the 200th day of 2012 and the 29th day of summer.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1863, Union troops attacked Fort Wagner in South Carolina, led by Col. Robert Gould Shaw and the African-American soldiers in the 54th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry.

In 1925, Adolf Hitler published his manifesto, Mein Kampf.

In 1936, Spanish army officials revolted, led by Gen. Francisco Franco, starting the Spanish Civil War.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed the Presidential Succession Act, designating the speaker of the House and the president pro tempore of the Senate as next in line after the vice president.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Nelson Mandela (1918- ), South African president; John Glenn (1921- ), astronaut/U.S. senator; Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005), journalist; James Brolin (1940- ), actor; Joe Torre (1940- ), baseball player/manager; Steve Forbes (1947- ), publisher; Sir Richard Branson (1950- ), entrepreneur; Vin Diesel (1967- ), actor; Torii Hunter (1975- ), baseball player; Kristen Bell (1980- ), actress.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1999, New York Yankee David Cone pitched the 14th perfect game in Major League Baseball's modern era (1900 to present).

TODAY'S FACT: Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo opened the first black-owned South African law practice in 1952.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism." -- Hunter S. Thompson

TODAY'S NUMBER: 153 -- height (in feet) of the tower from which the late Hunter S. Thompson's ashes were launched by cannon, mixed with fireworks, in a private ceremony.

TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (July 10) and new moon (July 19).