Today is Monday, Oct. 27, the 301st day of 2008 with 65 to follow.
The moon is waning. The morning stars are Saturn and Mercury. The evening stars are Mars, Venus, Neptune, Jupiter and Uranus.
Those born on this date are under the sign of Scorpio. They include Dutch scholar Desiderius Erasmus in 1466; English explorer Capt. James Cook in 1728; Italian violin virtuoso Niccolo Paganini in 1782; Isaac Singer, developer of the first practical home sewing machine, in 1811; Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States, in 1858; etiquette arbiter Emily Post in 1872; longtime "Tonight Show" producer/director Fred De Cordova in 1910; Welsh poet Dylan Thomas in 1914; actresses Nanette Fabray in 1920 (age 88) and Ruby Dee in 1924 (age 84); pop artist Roy Lichtenstein in 1923; former Secretary of State Warren Christopher in 1925 (age 83); pop pianist Floyd Cramer in 1933; comedian John Cleese in 1939 (age 69); filmmaker Ivan Reitman in 1946 (age 62); actors Carrie Snodgress in 1946, Roberto Benigni ("Life Is Beautiful") in 1952 (age 56), and Robert Picardo ("Star Trek: Voyager") in 1953 (age 55) and singer Simon Le Bon in 1958 (age 50).
On this date in history:
In 1659, William Robinson and Marmaduke Stevenson, two Quakers who left England in 1656 to escape religious persecution, were executed in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for their outlawed religious beliefs.
In 1787, a New York newspaper published the first of 77 essays explaining the new Constitution and urging its ratification, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay and later combined as "The Federalist Papers."
In 1795, a treaty with Spain settled Florida's northern boundary and gave navigation rights on the Mississippi River to the United States.
In 1904, the first rapid transit subway system in America opened in New York City.
In 1946, the travel show "Geographically Speaking," sponsored by Bristol-Myers, became the first television program with a commercial sponsor.
In 1954, Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio divorced, reportedly after a blowup over her famous scene in "The Seven Year Itch," in which a blast of air lifts her skirt.
In 1981, the National Labor Relations Board withdrew recognition of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization for an illegal strike by its members.
In 1990, CBS founder William S. Paley died at age 89. And band leader/rumba king Xavier Cugat died at 90.
In 1991, Poland had its first fully free parliamentary elections.
In 1992, Israeli tanks rolled into Lebanon as air force jets staged renewed raids in an effort to crush Muslim fundamentalist guerrillas.
In 1993, U.S. President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton presented Congress with the administration's new plan for healthcare reform in a ceremony at the Capitol.
Also in 1993, Southern California was hit by dozens of brush fires -- the worst in six years. Hundreds of homes were destroyed and thousands of people were forced to flee the flames.
In 1994, the U.S. Justice Department announced that the U.S. prison population topped the 1 million mark.
In 1998, Hurricane Mitch, one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever recorded, began its four-day siege of Central America, causing at least 10,000 deaths.
In 2003, as many as 40 civilians and U.S. soldiers were killed in a flurry of terrorist bombings in Baghdad. Among the targets was the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross.
In 2006, a former General Services Administration official was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for helping lobbyist Jack Abramoff. David Safavian told the judge he didn't realize that passing on inside information about properties controlled by the GSA was wrong.
In 2007, Russian observers predicted Vladimir Putin would seek the post of prime minister when he steps down from the presidency. Putin said earlier he wouldn't seek a third term as president.
A thought for the day: U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt said, "The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight."
Today is Tuesday, Oct. 28, the 302nd day of 2008 with 64 to follow.
The moon is new. The morning stars are Saturn and Mercury. The evening stars are Mars, Venus, Neptune, Jupiter and Uranus.
Those born on this date are under the sign of Scorpio. They include rifle maker Eliphalet Remington in 1793; actress Elsa Lanchester in 1902; English novelist Evelyn Waugh in 1903; Dr. Jonas Salk, a developer of the polio vaccine, in 1914; former baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn in 1926; country musician Charlie Daniels in 1936 (age 72); actors Jane Alexander in 1939 (age 69) and Dennis Franz in 1944 (age 64); singer/actress Telma Hopkins in 1948 (age 60); Olympic decathlon champion-turned-sportscaster Bruce Jenner in 1949 (age 59); Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates in 1955 (age 53); Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 1956 (age 52); actresses Annie Potts in 1952 (age 56); Lauren Holly in 1963 (age 45), Jami Gertz in 1965 (age 43); and Julia Roberts in 1967 (age 41).
On this date in history:
In 312, in a battle that marked the beginning of the Christian era in Europe, Constantine's army, wearing the cross, defeated the forces of Maxentius at Mulvian Bridge in Rome.
In 1636, Harvard College, now Harvard University, was founded in Massachusetts.
In 1846, the pioneering Donner Party of 90 people set out from Springfield, Ill., for California.
In 1886, the Statue of Liberty, a gift of friendship from the people of France to the United States, was dedicated in New York Harbor by U.S. President Grover Cleveland.
In 1919, the U.S. Congress passed the Volstead Act, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto, enforcing the constitutional amendment prohibiting the use of alcoholic beverages.
In 1962, Russian chief Nikita Khrushchev announced that all Soviet offensive missiles would be removed from Cuba.
In 1985, the leader of the so-called Walker family spy ring, John Walker, pleaded guilty to giving U.S. Navy secrets to the Soviet Union.
In 1989, the Oakland A's wrapped up an earthquake-delayed sweep of the World Series over the San Francisco Giants.
In 1992, scientists using sonar to map Scotland's Loch Ness made contact with a mysterious object but declined to speculate what that implies about whether legendary monster "Nessie" exists.
In 2001, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed a third New Jersey postal worker had an anthrax inhalation infection, bringing the total number to eight, including three people who died from the most serious form of the disease.
Also in 2001, on this date, U.S.-led forces resumed air strikes against targets in Afghanistan, bombing the Taliban's southern stronghold of Kandahar.
In 2002, U.S. diplomat John Foley was slain in Amman, Jordan. An unknown group called the Honest People of Jordan claimed responsibility, calling it a response to U.S. support of Israel and actions in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In 2003, U.S. President George Bush warned Iran and Syria not to allow terrorists to cross into Iraq from their territory.
In 2004, insurgents executed 11 Iraqi soldiers in what they said was revenge for women and children killed in U.S. strikes on the guerrilla stronghold of Fallujah.
In 2005, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, chief of staff and national security adviser to the vice president, resigned after he was indicted on multiple counts in the CIA leak case in which an operative's name was revealed to the media.
In 2006, the deadly fast-moving wildfire near Palm Springs, Calif., was reported 40 percent contained after killing five firefighters, scorching about 40,000 acres and consuming 27 homes and other buildings. Authorities said the fire was caused by arson.
In 2007, U.S.-led forces killed nearly 80 Taliban fighters during a fierce six-hour air and ground battle in southern Afghanistan near Musa Oala.
Also in 2007, Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner became the first woman to be elected president of Argentina. She succeeded her husband, Nestor Kirchner.
A thought for the day: poet Emily Dickinson wrote, "I'll tell you how the sun rose --
"A Ribbon at a time --"
Today is Wednesday, Oct. 29, the 303rd day of 2008 with 63 to follow.
The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn and Mercury. The evening stars are Mars, Venus, Neptune, Jupiter and Uranus.
Those born on this date are under the sign of Scorpio.
