August 15th, 1945: What's known as VJ-Day. The United States and its Allies mark the effective end of World War Two after six years of fighting. They celebrate the defeat of the Axis powers, a day after Japan agrees to an unconditional surrender. 1969: In upstate New York, the counterculture comes together for Woodstock, the largest rock concert of the Sixties. Among the acts at the three-day festival: Jimi Hendrix , Janis Joplin , The Who , The Grateful Dead , and Crosby Stills Nash and Young. 1769: Napoleon Bonaparte --- the French general and ruler whose wars reshaped the map of Europe --- is born on the island of Corsica. 1947: In Asia, India gains its independence, a day after neighboring Pakistan is established --- concluding British colonial rule over the entire Indian subcontinent.1998: In Northern Ireland, the deadliest terror attack in decades of sectarian violence takes place in the town of Omagh. That's where a car bomb planted by an IRA splinter group kills 29 people and wounds hundreds of others.1914: In Central America, the Panama Canal opens to shipping traffic, connecting the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. And, 1939: "The Wizard of Oz" --- the movie musical fantasy starring Judy Garland that remains a pop culture classic --- premieres in Hollywood.