On This Day: Tuesday August 16, 2005 This is the 228th day of the year, with 137 days remaining in 2005. Fact of the Day: reiki "Reiki is a complementary therapy based on an ancient healing system rediscovered in the 20th century by a Buddhist monk, Mikao Usui, in Japan. It involves a therapist putting his or her hands on or very close to a patient to boost the patient's natural invisible energy fields (reiki means 'universal life force'). It is often used as an adjunct to other therapies and is said to be helpful for many conditions. It is pronounced RAY-kee." Holidays Feast day of St. Stephen of Hungary, St. Armel, and St. Arsacius. Dominican Republic: Restoration of the Republic (1863). Events 1777 - American forces won the Revolutionary War's Battle of Bennington (Vermont). 1777 - France declared bankruptcy. 1812 - Detroit fell to British and Indian forces in the War of 1812. 1858 - U.S. President James Buchanan and Britain's Queen Victoria exchanged messages inaugurating the first transatlantic telegraph line. 1896 - Gold was discovered in the Klondike region of Canada's Yukon Territory, setting off the Klondike Gold Rush. 1906 - Earthquakes erupted in San Francisco, California, and Valparaiso, Chile. 1954 - "Sports Illustrated" was first published by Time Incorporated. 1960 - Britain granted independence to the crown colony of Cyprus. 1962 - Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles, handed drummer Pete Best his walking papers. 1965 - The Watts riots ended in south-central Los Angeles after six days. 1984 - The U.S. Jaycees voted to admit women to full membership in the organization. Births 1862 - Amos Alonzo Stagg, American basketball and football Hall-of-Famer, coach. 1894 - George Meany, American, first president of the AFL-CIO. 1913 - Menachem Begin, Israeli Prime Minister. 1958 - Madonna (Louise Veronica Ciccone), American entertainer, singer. Deaths 1948 - George Herman "Babe" Ruth, Hall of Fame and popular professional baseball player. 1977 - Elvis Presley, popular American singer died at Graceland Mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. 2003 - Idi Amin, former dictator of Uganda.