Aug. 24 (UPI) -- On this date in history:
In 79 A.D., thousands died and the Roman cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in Italy.
In 1814, the British captured Washington and burned the Capitol and the White House.
In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly non-stop across the United States.
In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Communist Control Act outlawing the Communist Party. Though the act has never been repealed, the party exists to this day.
