Today is the 213th day of 2014 and the 42nd day of summer.
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TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1834, Britain abolished slavery in all of its colonies.
In 1876, Colorado was admitted as the 38th U.S. state.
In 1957, the United States and Canada announced the formation of the North American Air Defense Command (NORAD).
In 1966, ex-Marine Charles Whitman opened fire from a tower at the University of Texas at Austin, killing 14 people and wounding 31.
In 2007, a highway bridge in Minneapolis collapsed over the Mississippi River, killing 13 and injuring 145.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: William Clark (1770-1838), explorer; Francis Scott Key (1779-1843), poet/lawyer; Herman Melville (1819-1891), author; Dom DeLuise (1933-2009), actor/comedian; Yves Saint Laurent (1936-2008), fashion designer; Jerry Garcia (1942-1995), singer-songwriter; Coolio (1963- ), rapper; Sam Mendes (1965- ), film director; Jason Momoa (1979- ), actor; Max Carver (1988- ), actor.
TODAY'S FACT: "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles was the first music video aired on MTV when the network launched on this day in 1981.
TODAY'S SPORTS: The Olympic Games opened in Berlin before a crowd of 100,000 spectators on this day in 1936.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "A man thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things." -- Herman Melville
TODAY'S NUMBER: 14,130 -- final elevation (in feet) of Colorado's Mount Evans Scenic Byway, the highest paved road in North America.
TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (July 26) and first quarter moon (Aug. 3).