Sales of new single-family houses in August were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 560,000, according to estimates released jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and

Urban Development. This is 3.4% below the revised July rate of 580,000 and is 1.2% below the August 2016 estimate of 567,000.

Tuesday, the Dow was down 11.77 points (0.05%) at 22,284.32, the NASDAQ was up 9.57 points (0.15%) at 6,380.16, and the S&P 500 was virtually unchanged at 2,496.84. The Russell 2000 increased 4.91 points (0.34%) to 1,456.86, and the Wilshire 5000 was up 10.17 points (0.04%) at 25,967.05.

ON THIS DATE: In 1779, John Adams was elected to negotiate with the British over the American Revolutionary War peace terms. In 1939, after 19 days of resistance, Warsaw, Poland, surrendered to the Germans after being invaded by the Nazis and the Soviet Union during World War II. In 1940, the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo Axis was set up. The military and economic pact was for 10 years between Germany, Italy and Japan. In 1954, the “Tonight!” show made its debut on NBC-TV with Steve Allen as host. In 1979, the Department of Education became the 13th Cabinet in U.S. history after the final approval from Congress. In 1983, Larry Bird signed a seven-year contract with the Boston Celtics worth $15 million. The contract made him the highest paid Celtic in history. In 1986, the Senate approved federal tax code changes that were the most sweeping since World War II. In 1989, Columbia Pictures Entertainment agreed to buyout Sony Corporation for $3.4 billion. In 1989, two men went over the 176-foot-high Niagara Falls in a barrel. Jeffrey Petkovich and Peter Debernardi were the first to ever survive the Horshoe Falls. In 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush eliminated all land-based tactical nuclear arms and removed all short-range nuclear arms from ships and submarines around the world. Bush then called on the Soviet Union to do the same. In 1995, the U.S. government unveiled the redesigned $100 bill. The bill featured a larger, off-center portrait of Benjamin Franklin.