Today In History: Soap Leaves the Bar

August 22. On this day in history, innovation, sports, music, and cultural milestones took center stage. In 1865, William Sheppard was granted a patent for liquid soap, changing hygiene practices forever. Fast forward to 1950, Althea Gibson broke barriers by becoming the first African-American to compete in the U.S. Tennis Tour. In 1983, Kenny Rogers released his 15th album Eyes That See in the Dark, featuring the chart-topping duet “Islands in the Stream.” Just a year later, in 1984, the last Volkswagen Rabbit rolled off the assembly line. In 1990, Vanilla Ice dropped his iconic hit "Ice Ice Baby." The Martin Luther King Jr. National Memorial opened in Washington, D.C., in 2011, drawing visitors from around the world. Then in 2022, HBO premiered House of the Dragon, reigniting the fantasy world of Westeros. Just last year, in 2024, a massive 2,500-carat diamond was unearthed in Botswana—the largest in over a century.  That’s your Almanac for today on Northwest Newsradio.