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Today in History - Oct. 27

The Associated Press

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 27, 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the U.S. Constitution, was published in New York.

On this date:

In 1795, the United States and Spain signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo (also known as "Pinckney's Treaty"), which provided for free navigation of the Mississippi River.

In 1858, the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was born in New York City.

In 1880, Theodore Roosevelt married his first wife, Alice Lee.

In 1904, the first rapid transit subway, the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT), was inaugurated in New York City.

In 1907, Union Station in Washington, D.C., opened.

In 1922, the first annual celebration of Navy Day took place.

In 1938, Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn: "nylon."

In 1954, Walt Disney's first television program, entitled "Disneyland" after the yet-to-be completed theme park, premiered on ABC.

In 1969, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake shook Banja Luka, Yugoslavia, killing some 20 people.

In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord.

Ten years ago: In the first debate of the Democratic presidential race, Al Gore sought to stem his decline in the polls by attacking rival Bill Bradley's health care and spending plans. The U.S. federal budget surplus was put at $123 billion in 1998, marking the first back-to-back surpluses since the 1950's. The New York Yankees captured their second straight World Series sweep, defeating the Atlanta Braves in Game 4, 4-1.

Five years ago: The Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4, 3-0. New York City's subway system marked its 100th anniversary. Bandleader Lester Lanin died in New York at age 97.

One year ago: Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted in Washington of seven corruption charges for lying about free home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy oil contractor. (A judge later dismissed the case, saying prosecutors had withheld evidence that might have been favorable to Stevens at trial.) The body of singer-actress Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found in an SUV three days after Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in the Chicago home they'd shared. (The estranged husband of Hudson's sister, William Balfour, is charged in the killings.) Umpires haltedplay in Game 5 of the World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays tied at 2 because of rain. (The game was completed two days later, at which time the Phillies beat the Rays 4-3 to win the Series.)

Today's Birthdays: Actress Nanette Fabray is 89. Baseball Hall-of-Famer and sportscaster Ralph Kiner is 87. Actress Ruby Dee is 85. Former Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher is 84. Actor-comedian John Cleese is 70. Author Maxine Hong Kingston is 69. Country singer Lee Greenwood is 67. Producer-director Ivan Reitman is 63. Country singer-musician Jack Daniels is 60. Rock musician Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen&the E Street Band) is 60. Author Fran Lebowitz is 59. Rock musician K.K. Downing (Judas Priest) is 58. TV personality Jayne Kennedy is 58. Actor-director Roberto Benigni is 57. Actor Peter Firth is 56. Actor Robert Picardo is 56. World Golf Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan is 53. Singer Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran) is 51. Musician J.D. McFadden is 45. Rock musician Jason Finn (Presidents of the United States of America) is 42. Rock singer Scott Weiland is 42. Actor Sean Holland is 41. Actress Sheeri Rappaport is 32. Violinist Vanessa-Mae is 31. Actress-singer Kelly Osbourne is 25.

Thought for Today: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." — President James Madison (1751-1836).

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Oct 26, 2009 - 12:01 p.m. EDT

Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed

Today In History October 26, 2009NEW YORK (AP) ― Click to enlarge1 of 1 Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is 62. Karen Bleier/AFP/Getty Images Close numSlides of totalImages Today is Monday, Oct. 26, the 299th day of 2009. There are 66 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Oct. 26, 1979, South Korean President Park Chung-hee was shot to death during a dinner party along with his chief bodyguard by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Kim Jae-kyu, who was later executed. On this date: In 1774, the First Continental Congress adjourned in Philadelphia. In 1825, the Erie Canal opened in upstate New York, connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River. In 1881, the "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" took place in Tombstone, Ariz., as Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and "Doc" Holliday confronted Ike Clanton's gang. Three members of Clanton's group were killed; Earp's brothers and Holliday were wounded. In 1909, former Japanese Prime Minister Ito Hirobumi was assassinated during a visit to Harbin, China by Korean nationalist An Jung-geun, who was later hanged. In 1942, Japanese planes badly damaged the aircraft carrier USS Hornet in the Battle of Santa Cruz Islands during World War II. (The Hornet sank early the next morning.) In 1958, Pan American Airways flew its first Boeing 707 jetliner from New York to Paris in 8 hours, 41 minutes. In 1967, the Shah of Iran crowned himself and his queen after 26 years on the Peacock Throne. In 1972, national security adviser Henry Kissinger declared that "Peace is at hand" in Vietnam. In 1984, "Baby Fae," a newborn with a severe heart defect, was given the heart of a baboon in an experimental transplant in Loma Linda, Calif. (Baby Fae lived 21 days with the animal heart.) In 1994, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and Prime Minister Abdel Salam Majali of Jordan signed a peace treaty during a ceremony at the Israeli-Jordanian border attended by President Bill Clinton. In 2001, President George W. Bush signed the USA Patriot Act, giving authorities unprecedented ability to search, seize, detain or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists. Ten years ago: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a study which said the number of Americans considered obese had soared from about one in eight in 1991 to nearly one in five in 1998. The New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves, 6-5, to take a 3-0 lead in the World Series. Five years ago: The FCC gave its approval to Cingular Wireless LLC's $41 billion acquisition of AT&T Wireless Services Inc. Israel's parliament approved Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's plan for withdrawing from the Gaza Strip and parts of the West Bank. The final vote count in the Afghan presidential election gave a resounding victory to interim leader Hamid Karzai. The Boston Red Sox won Game 3 of the World Series in St. Louis, defeating the Cardinals 4-1. One year ago: U.S. military helicopters launched a rare attack on Syrian territory, killing eight people in a strike Damascus condemned as "serious aggression." Tony Hillerman, author of the acclaimed Navajo Tribal Police mystery novels, died in Albuquerque, N.M., at age 83. The Philadelphia Phillies romped over the Tampa Bay Rays 10-2 to move within one win of their first World Series championship since 1980. Today's Birthdays: Former Sen. Edward Brooke III is 90. Actress Shelley Morrison is 73. Actor Bob Hoskins is 67. Author Pat Conroy is 64. Actress Jaclyn Smith is 64. TV host Pat Sajak is 63. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is 62. Singer Maggie Roche (The Roches) is 58. Musician Bootsy Collins is 58. Actor James Pickens Jr. ("Grey's Anatomy") is 57. Rock musician Keith Strickland (The B-52's) is 56. Actor D.W. Moffett is 55. Actress Rita Wilson is 53. The president of Bolivia, Evo Morales, is 50. Actor Dylan McDermott is 48. Actor Cary Elwes is 47. Singer Natalie Merchant is 46. Country singer Keith Urban is 42. Actor Tom Cavanagh is 41. Actress Rosemarie DeWitt is 38. Actor Anthony Rapp is 38. Writer-producer Seth MacFarlane ("Family Guy") is 36. Actress Lennon Parham is 34. Actor Hal Ozsan is 33. Actor Jon Heder is 32. Singer Mark Barry (BBMak) is 31. Olympic silver medal figure skater Sasha Cohen is 25. Thought for Today: "Youth is a blunder; manhood a struggle; old age a regret." - Benjamin Disraeli, British statesman (1804-1881). (© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Today in History - Oct. 25

The Associated Press

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 25, 1859, radical abolitionist John Brown went on trial in Charles Town, Va., for his failed raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. (Brown was convicted of treason against Virginia, murder and conspiracy, and was hanged.)

On this date:

In 1760, Britain's King George III succeeded his late grandfather, George II.

In 1854, the "Charge of the Light Brigade" took place during the Crimean War as an English brigade of more than 600 men, facing hopeless odds, charged the Russian army and suffered heavy losses.

In 1918, the Canadian steamship Princess Sophia foundered off the coast of Alaska; some 350 people perished.

In 1929, former Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall was convicted in Washington, D.C., of accepting a $100,000 bribe from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny as part of the Teapot Dome scandal. (Fall was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100,000; he ended up serving nine months.)

In 1939, the drama "The Time of Your Life," by William Saroyan, opened in New York.

In 1957, mob boss Albert Anastasia of "Murder Inc." notoriety was shot to death in a barber shop inside the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York.

In 1962, U.S. ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson presented photographic evidence of Soviet-built missile bases in Cuba tothe U.N. Security Council.

In 1971, the U.N. General Assembly voted to admit mainland China and expel Taiwan.

In 1983, a U.S.-led force invaded Grenada at the order of President Ronald Reagan, who said the action was needed to protect U.S. citizens there.

In 1994, Susan Smith of Union, S.C., claimed that a black carjacker had driven off with her two young sons (Smith later confessed to drowning the children in John D. Long Lake, and was convicted of murder).

Ten years ago: Golfer Payne Stewart and five others were killed when their Learjet flew uncontrolled for four hours before crashing in South Dakota; Stewart was 42. Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan bolted the GOP to mount a bid for the Reform Party nomination.

Five years ago: The U.S. Supreme Court announced that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist had thyroid cancer. At least 85 Muslim detainees suffocated or were crushed to death in southern Thailand after the police rounded up 1,300 people and packed them into trucks following a riot.

One year ago: Arkansas television anchorwoman Anne Pressly, 26, died five days after she was found beaten in her home. Game 3 of the World Series began in Philadelphia at 10:06 p.m. Eastern time after being delayed by rain; the Phillies went on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-4, for a 2-1 Series lead in a matchup that finished at 1:47 a.m. Raven's Pass won the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic in an upset, stunning defending champion Curlin on the new synthetic surface at Santa Anita.

Today's Birthdays: Former baseball player Bobby Thomson is 86. Former American League president Dr. Bobby Brown is 85. Actress Jeanne Cooper is 81. Actress Marion Ross is 81. Country singer Jeanne Black is 72. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight is 69. Author Anne Tyler is 68. Rock singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 65. Political strategist James Carville is 65. Singer Taffy Danoff (Starland Vocal Band) is 65. Rock musician Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) is 62. Actor Brian Kerwin is 60. Actor Mark L. Taylor is 59. Movie director Julian Schnabel is 58. Rock musician Matthias Jabs is 53. Actress Nancy Cartwright ("The Simpsons") is 52. Country singer Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown) is 51. Rock musician Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers; Chickenfoot) is 48. Actress Tracy Nelson is 46. Actor Michael Boatman is 45. Actor Kevin Michael Richardson is 45. Singer Speech is 41. Actor Adam Goldberg is 39. Actor-singer Adam Pascal is 39. Rock musician Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) is 39. Actress Persia White is 39. Country singer Chely Wright is 39. Violinist Midori is 38. Actor Craig Robinson is 38. Actor Michael Weston is 36. Actor Zachary Knighton is 31. Actor Mehcad Brooks ("Desperate Housewives") is 29. Actor Ben Gould is 29. R&B singer Young Rome is 28. Pop singer Katy Perry is 25. Rock singer Austin Winkler (Hinder) is 25. Singer Ciara is 24. Actress Conchita Campbell ("The 4400") is 14.

Thought for Today: "In the time of your life, live — so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite variety and mystery of it." — William Saroyan, American author (1908-1981).

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Oct 24, 2009 - 12:01 p.m. EDT

Copyright 2009, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.