Today in history 8/26/2021

August 26th, 1920:

The 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution took effect, giving women the right to vote.

Carrie Chapman Catt was one of the leaders of the Women's suffrage movement.

Catt: Women's suffrage is a long story of hard work and heartache. At least 1,000 legal enactments were necessary, and every one was a struggle against ignorant opposition.

2003:

Investigators pinpointed what caused Space Shuttle Columbia to disintegrate on re-entry: damage from fallen debris during a launch.

Here's Scott Hubbard, a member of the shuttle accident investigation board.

Scott Hubbard: We concluded that the falling foam impacting the leading-edge of the wing was the cause of the breach that ultimately led to the destruction of the orbiter.

But NASA's overconfident management and inattention to safety also accounted for that disaster, which resulted in the loss of Columbia and the demise of its 7-member crew.

1974:

Charles A. Lindbergh, who made the first solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean, passed away at his place in Hawaii. He was 72.