1992Hurricane "Andrew" smashes into Florida, causing record damage for that time. 55 deaths in Florida, Louisiana and Bahamas are blamed on the storm. 1814British troops invade Washington during the war of 1812. They burn the White House and the US Capitol, forcing President James Madison to flee the city. 1932Amelia Earhart begins the journey that makes her the first woman to fly solo non-stop from coast to coast. The aviator takes off from Newark, New Jersey and lands in Los Angeles 19 hours later.

2006Astronomers remove Pluto from the solar system’s list of planets, reclassifying it as a dwarf-planet.

And 1989Baseball’s all-time hits leader Pete Rose is banned from the game for life. The move follows allegation that he bet on games while manager the Cincinnati Reds. Years later Rose finally admits his gambling while pressing for his ban to be lifted. “I'm interested in getting back down to the field and teaching the game of baseball, because I don’t think baseball is being played in a right way today.” Today in history, August 24. Sandy Kozel, the Associated Press.