Aug. 15 (UPI) -- On this date in history:
In 1914, a U.S. ship sailed from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean, officially opening the Panama Canal.
In 1935, humorist Will Rogers and pilot Wiley Post were killed when their plane crashed in Alaska.
In 1947, India gains independence from Britain after 200 years of rule. The Indian Independence Act also partitioned British India into modern-day India and Pakistan.
In 1969, the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival, often described as a landmark counterculture event, opened on Max Yasgur's farm near Bethel, N.Y., drawing an estimated 400,000 people for three days of music.
