On this date in history

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Today is Saturday, Sept. 15, the 258th day of 2007 with 107 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date in history are under the sign of Virgo. They include novelist James Fenimore Cooper in 1789; William Howard Taft, 27th president of the United States, in 1857; humorist Robert Benchley in 1889; mystery writer Agatha Christie in 1890; country music star Roy Acuff in 1903; actress Fay Wray ("King Kong") in 1907; actor Jackie Cooper in 1922 (age 85); singer/pianist Bobby Short in 1924; comedian Norm Crosby in 1927 (age 80); jazz saxophone player Julian "Cannonball" Adderley in 1928; football player-turned-actor Merlin Olsen in 1940 (age 67); soprano Jessye Norman in 1945 (age 62); filmmaker Oliver Stone and actor Tommy Lee Jones, both in 1946 (age 61); and Prince Henry, called "Harry," second son of Britain's Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, in 1984 (age 23).

On this date in history:

In 1812, the Russians set fire to Moscow in an effort to keep out Napoleon and his invading French troops.

In 1942, the armies of Nazi Germany began their siege of the Russian city of Stalingrad.

In 1954, the famous scene in which Marilyn Monroe is shown laughing as her skirt is blown up by a blast of air from a subway vent was shot during the filming of "The Seven Year Itch." The scene infuriated her husband, Joe DiMaggio, who felt it was exhibitionist. The couple divorced a short time later.

In 1963, four black girls were killed in the bombing of a church in Birmingham, Ala. Two black teenage boys were shot to death later that day as citywide rioting broke out.

In 1971, the environmental organization Greenpeace was founded by 12 members of the Don't Make A Wave committee of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

In 1972, two former White House aides and five other men were indicted on charges of conspiracy in the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington’s Watergate complex, touching off the Watergate scandal.

In 1993, Katherine Ann Power, a Vietnam War opponent and a fugitive for more than 20 years in the death of a police officer during a bank robbery in Boston, surrendered. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to eight to 12 years in prison.

In 1999, a Fort Worth, Texas, man opened fire during a youth service at a Baptist church, killing seven people -- including three teenagers -- and wounding seven more before killing himself.

Also in 1999, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to deploy a multinational peacekeeping force to the Indonesian island of East Timor.

In 2000, the 27th Summer Olympic Games opened in Sydney, Australia, with a record number of female athletes participating and with North and South Korea marching together in the opening procession.

In 2001, the United States continued making plans that eventually would land troops in Afghanistan in the hunt for Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network and stepped up search operations for other potential terrorists in that country.

In 2003, more than 100 prisoners were reported killed in a fire at a maximum-security prison outside the Saudi Arabian capital of Riyadh.

In 2004, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reportedly hinted that Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat had been marked for assassination.

In 2006, U.S. President George Bush's prisoner interrogation and trial bill was rejected by a bipartisan Senate committee. The bill would have set down rules for trying terror suspects with military tribunals and set interrogation guidelines. But, critics said the proposal would violate the Geneva Conventions and leave captured U.S. soldiers open to mistreatment.

Also in 2006, Iraqi officials reported at least 100 bodies found on the streets of Baghdad over a three-day period. Most of the victims were said to have been shot in the head and appeared to have been tortured

And, Green Bay, Wis., police held two high school students who allegedly planned a Columbine-style slaughter with guns and bombs and hoped to be killed by police. Authorities said the suspects suffered from depression.


A thought for the day: Former California Gov. Jerry Brown said, "Too often I find that the volume of paper expands to fill the available briefcases."

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Today is Sunday, Sept. 16, the 259th day of 2007 with 106 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include historian Francis Parkman in 1823; railroad magnate James Jerome "J.J." Hill in 1838; department store founder James Cash Penney in 1875; British car designer Walter Bentley in 1888; entertainer Allen Funt in 1914; actress Lauren Bacall in 1924 (age 83); blues musician B.B. King in 1925 (age 82); actors Peter Falk in 1927 (age 80), Anne Francis in 1930 (age 71), Ed Begley Jr. in 1949 (age 58) and Susan Ruttan ("L.A. Law") in 1950 (age 57); magician David Copperfield and actor Mickey Rourke, both in 1956 (age 51); actress Jennifer Tilly in 1958 (age 49); comedian Molly Shannon ("Saturday Night Live") in 1964 (age 43); and singer/actor Marc Anthony in 1968 (age 39).


On this date in history:

In 1620, the Mayflower left Plymouth, England, with 102 passengers, bound for America.

In 1810, Mexico began its war of independence against Spain.

In 1893, more than 100,000 people rushed to the Cherokee Strip as a large area of the Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, was opened to homesteaders.

In 1974, U.S. President Gerald Ford offered conditional amnesty to Vietnam draft evaders. He said they could come home if they performed up to two years of public service.

In 1977, celebrated soprano Maria Callas died in Paris at the age of 53.

In 1982, hundreds were reported killed after Christian militiamen entered two Palestinian refugee camps in West Beirut, Lebanon. Survivors claimed Israeli forces had sealed off the camps.

In 1986, fire and fumes in the Kinross mine killed 177 people in South Africa's worst gold mine disaster.

In 1994, a U.S. federal court jury in Anchorage, Alaska, ordered Exxon to pay $5 billion dollars to the fishermen and natives whose lives were affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, largest award ever in a pollution case.

In 1999, at least 18 people were killed and 200 more injured in the bombing of an apartment building in Volgodonsk, Russia.

And in 1999, Congress doubled the U.S. presidential salary, from $200,000 a year to $400,000, effective in 2001.

In 2001, as the gargantuan task of cleaning up "Ground Zero" wreckage of what had been the World Trade Center continued in New York following the Sept. 11 attacks, the government rapidly began rounding up possible terrorist suspects across the country.

In 2002, Iraq said it would allow weapons inspectors back into the country "without conditions," but the United States and others were skeptical.

In 2003, Israel rejected a truce plan proposed by Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, calling it a "deception" and demanding instead a crackdown on terrorism.

In 2004, Hurricane Jeanne killed an estimated 1,500 people in Haiti.

Also in 2004, Hurricane Ivan pounded the coast of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle with 135-mph winds. Earlier, highways were thick with cars as Gulf Coast residents fled north.

Also in 2004, a classified CIA intelligence report forecast the possibility of civil war in Iraq.

In 2005, U.S. President George Bush said reconstruction along the Gulf Coast will have to be financed with cuts in government spending, not tax increases.

In 2006, U.S. food retailers, reacting to an E. coli outbreak, pulled spinach from shelves and salad bars as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration extended a warning. Nearly 100 people in 20 states were sickened and one victim in Wisconsin died.


A thought for the day: Bertrand Russell argued that "Boredom is a vital problem for the moralist, since at least half the sins of mankind are caused by the fear of it."

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Today is Monday, Sept. 17, the 260th day of 2007 with 105 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include (tcornel-ts4) 1940s radio news commentator Gabriel Heatter in 1890; former U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger in 1907; country music pioneer Hank Williams Sr. in 1923; actor Roddy McDowall in 1928; actresses Anne Bancroft in 1931 and Dorothy Loudon in 1933; author Ken Kesey in 1935; U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter in 1939 (age 68); Hall of Fame basketball coach Phil Jackson in 1945 (age 62); cartoonist Jeff MacNelly in 1947; actor John Ritter in 1948; movie hostess Elvira, whose real name is Cassandra Peterson, in 1951 (age 56); and actress/comedian Rita Rudner in 1956 (age 51).



On this date in history:

In 1787, the U.S. Constitution, completed in Philadelphia, was signed by a majority of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention.

In 1862, Union forces led by Gen. George McClellan attacked Confederate troops led by Gen. Robert E. Lee near Antietam Creek in Maryland. McClellan blocked Lee's advance on Washington, but fell short of victory.

In 1939, Soviet troops invaded Poland, 16 days after Nazi Germany moved into the same country.

In 1976, NASA unveiled its first space shuttle, the Enterprise, an aircraft-like spacecraft costing almost $10 billion that took nearly a decade to develop.

In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin signed the Camp David Accords, laying the groundwork for a permanent peace agreement between Egypt and Israel after three decades of hostilities.

In 1983, Vanessa Williams of New York became the first black to be named Miss America. She resigned 11 months later after nude photos were published but regained stardom as a singer and actress.

In 1990, U.S. Defense Secretary Dick Cheney fired Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Dugan for "poor judgment" in publicly discussing U.S. bombing plans should war erupt with Iraq.

In 1991, North Korea, South Korea, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were admitted to the United Nations.

In 1993, Cambodia's two leading political parties agreed that Prince Norodom Sihanouk would lead the nation. Sihanouk was installed as king a week later.

In 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton sent a three-man delegation headed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter to Haiti on what would prove a successful mission to persuade the ruling junta to step down.

In 1997, the U.S. Department of Defense announced a one-day suspension of all training flights for safety instruction and a review of procedures following a series of crashes of military aircraft.

In 2001, U.S. President George Bush said Osama bin Laden, the suspected ringleader in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was "wanted dead or alive" as Bush continued efforts to line up international support for his proposed "war on terror."

In 2002, U.S. President George Bush asked Congress for authority to use force against Iraq. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said meanwhile that several nations had pledged military support for offensive action against Iraq.

In 2003, modifying earlier statements, U.S. President George Bush said he had no evidence of a connection between Saddam Hussein and the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States.

In 2004, the death toll from Hurricane Ivan was put at 38 in the United States and 75 in at the Caribbean.

In 2005, a car bomb in Baghdad killed at least 30 people. In another part of town, the bodies of nine men were found shot and tortured.

Also in 2005, New Orleans residents who ran businesses in the French Quarter, the central district and Uptown were allowed to return under a strict curfew.

In 2006, the Federal Drug Administration reported 109 cases of potentially fatal E .coli in spinach in 19 states with at least one death. The outbreak was believed to have originated in California.

A thought for the day: French aviator and writer Antoine Marie Roger de Saint-Exupery said, "Love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction."

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Today is Tuesday, Sept. 18, the 261st day of 2007 with 104 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include(gophish-ts4ms);
English poet and lexicographer Samuel Johnson, writer of the first English dictionary, in 1709; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story in 1779; French physicist Jean Foucault, inventor of the gyroscope, in 1819; actress Greta Garbo in 1905; actors Jack Warden in 1920 and Robert Blake in 1933 (age 74); singer/actor Frankie Avalon in 1939 (age 68); former baseball player Ryne Sandberg in 1959 (age 48); actress Jada Pinkett Smith and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong in 1971 (both age 36).





On this date in history:

In 1850, the U.S. Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, allowing slave owners to reclaim slaves who escaped into another state.

In 1927, the Columbia Broadcasting System was born. Originally known as the Tiffany Network, its first program was an opera, "The King's Henchman."

In 1928, a hurricane that lashed Florida and the West Indies for five days left an estimated 4,000 people dead and $30 million in damage.

In 1961, U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold died when his plane crashed under mysterious circumstances near Ndola in Northern Rhodesia.

In 1970, rock star Jimi Hendrix died at the age of 28 following a drug overdose in London.

In 1975, FBI agents in San Francisco captured heiress Patricia Hearst and two of her Symbionese Liberation Army comrades, William and Emily Harris.

In 1983, British adventurer George Meegan finished a 19,021-mile, six-year walk from the tip of South America to the Arctic Ocean at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.

In 1990, Winnie Mandela, wife of South African black leader Nelson Mandela, was charged with assault and kidnapping in the 1988 abduction and slaying of a 14-year-old boy by her chief bodyguard.

In 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush authorized U.S. warplanes to fly into Iraq to protect U.N. inspectors.

In 1992, Congress approved a bill providing aid to hurricane-stricken areas of Florida, Louisiana, Hawaii and Guam.

Also in 1992, the son of conservative activist and gay-rights opponent Phyllis Schlafly confirmed he was homosexual. Said Schlafly, "I love my son."

In 1994, a U.S. delegation headed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter persuaded Haiti's military leaders to step aside in favor of the democratically elected president after learning U.S. troops were en route to the Caribbean nation.

In 1996, the shuttle Atlantis docked with the Mir space station to pick up U.S. astronaut Shannon Lucid, who had set a U.S. record for time spent in space.

Also in 1996, the doctors of Russian President Boris Yeltsin revealed he had a heart attack during his re-election campaign.

In 1998, the U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to release the videotape of U.S. President Bill Clinton's grand jury testimony, during which he denied lying about his relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.

Also in 1998, the Senate failed to overturn U.S. President Bill Clinton's veto of a bill prohibiting a late-term abortion procedure sometimes called a partial-birth abortion.

In 2001, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and Prime Minister Arial Sharon of Israel both ordered a halt of offensive actions and Israeli troops and tanks began pulling out of the areas around Jericho and Jenin.

In 2003, Hurricane Isabel slammed into the North Carolina coast, eventually causing a reported 40 deaths and inflicting property damage estimated at $5 billion.

In 2004, the U.N. Security Council called for Sudan to put an end to the killings in the Darfur region where an estimated 50,000 had died in militia raids over the past 18 months.

In 2005, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has told the United Nations his country won't back down on its "right to pursue peaceful nuclear energy."

Also in 2005, voters in the German parliamentary election failed to give any party a majority with Prime Minister Gerhard Schroeder's Social Democrats trailing Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats.

And in 2005, Afghanistan held its first free election in 25 years, drawing millions of voters despite Taliban threats.

In 2006, the world's first female space tourist lifted off from Kazakhstan bound for the International Space Station. Anousheh Ansari, an Iranian-born U.S. telecommunications entrepreneur, reportedly paid $20 million for the ride.

A thought for the day: American reformer Elizabeth Cady Stanton said, "The Bible and the Church have been the greatest stumbling blocks in the way of women's emancipation."

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Today is Wednesday, Sept. 19, the 262nd day of 2007 with 103 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include(bj39648-ts4ms);( shawnandmichelle-ts4ms); Irvin Westheimer, who founded the American "Big Brothers" movement, in 1879; Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski in 1905; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell in 1907; author William Golding ("Lord of the Flies") in 1911; actors Adam West (TV's Batman) in 1928 (age 79) and David McCallum in 1933 (age 74); singer/songwriter Paul Williams and singer Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, both in 1940 (age 67); actors Randolph Mantooth in 1945 (age 62) and Jeremy Irons in 1948 (age 59); model and actress Twiggy, whose real name is Leslie Hornby, in 1949 (age 58); television personality Joan Lunden in 1950 (age 57); actor/director Kevin Hooks in 1958 (age 49); and country singer Trisha Yearwood in 1964 (age 43).




On this date in history:

In 1777, American soldiers won the first Battle of Saratoga in the Revolutionary War.

In 1881, U.S. President James Garfield died in Elberon, N.J., of gunshot wounds inflicted by a disgruntled office-seeker. Vice President Chester Arthur was sworn in as his successor.

In 1893, with the signing of the Electoral Bill by Gov. Lord Glasgow, New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant national voting rights to women.

In 1955, after a decade of rule, Argentine President Juan Domingo Peron was deposed in a military coup.

In 1985, an earthquake collapsed hundreds of buildings and killed 7,000 people in Mexico City.

In 1988, U.S. swimmer Greg Louganis took the gold medal in 3-meter springboard diving at the Seoul Olympics after hitting his head on the board during preliminary competition.

In 1991, the U.N. Security Council authorized Iraq to sell $1.6 billion in oil to buy food and essential supplies.

In 1994, the first 3,000 U.S. troops entered Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on a mission to ensure democracy had returned to the Caribbean nation.

In 1995, The Washington Post published the 35,000-word manifesto written by the Unabomber, who had said he wouldn't try to kill again if it was published. The Post and The New York Times shared the costs of publication.

In 2001, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Defense Department ordered deployment of combat aircraft to the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The following day, the U.S. Army said ground troops were being sent to the region.

In 2003, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a non-binding resolution telling Israel to drop plans to deport Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat.

In 2004, Iran refused a plea by the International Atomic Energy Agency to end its enrichment of uranium, usually a first step toward producing fuel for nuclear reactors or bombs. Iran says it had only peaceful purposes in mind.

In 2005, in New Orleans, residents beginning to return after Hurricane Katrina and the flood were told by Mayor Ray Nagin to stay away as Hurricane Rita headed toward the Texas-Louisiana coast.

Also in 2005, North Korea agreed in principle to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in exchange for oil and energy in a deal signed in Beijing. However, the deal fell through.

In 2006, Thailand Premier Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown in a bloodless military coup.

Also in 2006, in an address before the U.N. General Assembly, the president of Sudan again refused to allow peacekeepers in Sudan’s devastated Darfur region where 200,000 are reported to have died in civil strife.

A thought for the day: U.S. Army Gen. Omar Bradley said, "The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants."

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Today is Wednesday, Sept. 19, the 262nd day of 2007 with 103 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include Irvin Westheimer, who founded the American "Big Brothers" movement, in 1879; Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski in 1905; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell in 1907; author William Golding ("Lord of the Flies") in 1911; actors Adam West (TV's Batman) in 1928 (age 79) and David McCallum in 1933 (age 74); singer/songwriter Paul Williams and singer Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, both in 1940 (age 67); actors Randolph Mantooth in 1945 (age 62) and Jeremy Irons in 1948 (age 59); model and actress Twiggy, whose real name is Leslie Hornby, in 1949 (age 58); television personality Joan Lunden in 1950 (age 57); actor/director Kevin Hooks in 1958 (age 49); and country singer Trisha Yearwood in 1964 (age 43).

On this date in history:

In 1777, American soldiers won the first Battle of Saratoga in the Revolutionary War.

In 1881, U.S. President James Garfield died in Elberon, N.J., of gunshot wounds inflicted by a disgruntled office-seeker. Vice President Chester Arthur was sworn in as his successor.

In 1893, with the signing of the Electoral Bill by Gov. Lord Glasgow, New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant national voting rights to women.

In 1955, after a decade of rule, Argentine President Juan Domingo Peron was deposed in a military coup.

In 1985, an earthquake collapsed hundreds of buildings and killed 7,000 people in Mexico City.

In 1988, U.S. swimmer Greg Louganis took the gold medal in 3-meter springboard diving at the Seoul Olympics after hitting his head on the board during preliminary competition.

In 1991, the U.N. Security Council authorized Iraq to sell $1.6 billion in oil to buy food and essential supplies.

In 1994, the first 3,000 U.S. troops entered Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on a mission to ensure democracy had returned to the Caribbean nation.

In 1995, The Washington Post published the 35,000-word manifesto written by the Unabomber, who had said he wouldn't try to kill again if it was published. The Post and The New York Times shared the costs of publication.

In 2001, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Defense Department ordered deployment of combat aircraft to the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The following day, the U.S. Army said ground troops were being sent to the region.

In 2003, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a non-binding resolution telling Israel to drop plans to deport Palestinian Chairman Yasser Arafat.

In 2004, Iran refused a plea by the International Atomic Energy Agency to end its enrichment of uranium, usually a first step toward producing fuel for nuclear reactors or bombs. Iran says it had only peaceful purposes in mind.

In 2005, in New Orleans, residents beginning to return after Hurricane Katrina and the flood were told by Mayor Ray Nagin to stay away as Hurricane Rita headed toward the Texas-Louisiana coast.

Also in 2005, North Korea agreed in principle to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in exchange for oil and energy in a deal signed in Beijing. However, the deal fell through.

In 2006, Thailand Premier Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown in a bloodless military coup.

Also in 2006, in an address before the U.N. General Assembly, the president of Sudan again refused to allow peacekeepers in Sudan’s devastated Darfur region where 200,000 are reported to have died in civil strife.



A thought for the day: U.S. Army Gen. Omar Bradley said, "The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants." // Copyright 2007 by United Press International

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Today is Friday, Sept. 21, the 264th day of 2007 with 101 to follow.

Yom Kippur begins at sundown.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include(twinkyfl1-ts4ms); Louis Joliet, French-Canadian explorer of the Mississippi River, in 1645; author and historian H.G. Wells in 1866; composer Gustav Holst in 1874; British publisher Allen Lane, who introduced the low-priced paperback book, in 1902; Animator Chuck Jones (Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Wile E. Coyote) in 1912; actors Larry Hagman in 1931 (age 76) and Henry Gibson in 1935 (age 72); comedian Fanny Flagg in 1944 (age 63); author Stephen King in 1947 (age 60); comedian Bill Murray in 1950 (age 57); Ethan Coen, one of the filmmaking Coen brothers, in 1957 (age 50); actors Nancy Travis in 1961 (age 46), Rob Morrow in 1962 (age 45) and Ricki Lake in 1968 (age 39).




On this date in history:

In 1792, the Legislative Assembly of revolutionary France voted to abolish the monarchy and establish the First Republic, stripping King Louis XVI of most of his power.

In 1893, the first successful American-made, gasoline-operated motorcar appeared on the streets of Springfield, Mass. It was designed and built by Charles and Frank Duryea.

In 1921, following the sex scandal caused by the arrest of comedian Fatty Arbuckle, Universal announced it would require its actors to sign a "morality clause" in their contracts.

In 1938, an estimated 600 people were killed by a hurricane that battered the coast of New England.

In 1985, Western intelligence estimates said the Iran-Iraq war in five years had cost nearly 1 million lives.

In 1991, Armenia became the 12th Soviet republic to declare independence.

In 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin suspended the parliament and announced parliamentary elections would be in December.

In 1996, U.S. President Bill Clinton signed into law the Defense of Marriage Act, which allows states to disregard "same sex marriages" that might be official in other places.

And in 1996, John F. Kennedy, Jr., son of the late U.S. president and described by tabloids as the world's most eligible bachelor, wed Carolyn Bessette.

In 1998, U.S. President Bill Clinton's videotaped grand jury testimony, during which he admitted to an inappropriate relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky, was shown on television. It ran more than four hours.

Also in 1998, Hurricane Georges began its deadly rampage through the Caribbean, killing more than 600 people.

In 1999, at least 2,300 people were killed when an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale struck Taiwan.

In 2001, a telecast by top movie stars and musicians raised more than $500 million for survivors of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

In 2002, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon reportedly told the Bush administration Israel would strike back if attacked by Iraq.

In 2003, the spacecraft Galileo approached the fringes of Jupiter's atmosphere and then was directed to destroy itself in a high-speed plunge.

In 2004, two U.S. hostages were reported killed by suspected Iraqi insurgents within a day of each other. Jack Hensley and Eugene Armstrong, contractors working for a United Arab Emirates-based firm, were kidnapped from their Baghdad home.

In 2005, Texas coastal residents were ordered to evacuate, creating a mass exodus from the Houston and Galveston area as Hurricane Rita became the third-most intense hurricane on record in the Atlantic Basin. Top sustained winds were near 165 mph over the Gulf of Mexico.

In 2006, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told reporters at the United Nations that Tehran might give up its uranium enrichment program in return for unspecified concessions.


A thought for the day: Greek philosopher Epicurus said, "Freedom is the greatest fruit of self-sufficiency."

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Today is Saturday, Sept. 22, the 265th day of 2007 with 100 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include (Emily-ts4ms);( KristinB-ts4ms); English statesman and wit Philip Dormer Stanhope, earl of Chesterfield, in 1694; English chemist and physicist Michael Faraday in 1791; filmmaker Eric Von Stroheim in 1885; humorist Frank Sullivan in 1892; actor Paul Muni in 1895; producer/actor John Houseman in 1902; actor Allan "Rocky" Lane, B-movie cowboy star of the 1940s and later the TV voice of Mr. Ed, in 1904; former Los Angeles Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda in 1927 (age 80); actor Eugene Roche in 1928; singers Debby Boone in 1956 (age 51) and Joan Jett in 1960 (age 47); and actors Scott Baio, Bonnie Hunt and Catherine Oxenberg, all in 1961 (age 46).




On this date in history:

In 1776, the British hanged American Revolutionary War hero and patriot Nathan Hale. His famous last words were, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

In 1927, Jack Dempsey muffed a chance to regain the heavyweight championship when he knocked down Gene Tunney but failed to go to a neutral corner promptly, thereby delaying the referee's count and giving the champ time to get up.

In 1949, the U.S. nuclear monopoly ended as the Soviet Union detonated its first atomic bomb.

In 1975, self-proclaimed revolutionary Sara Jane Moore attempted to kill U.S. President Gerald Ford as he walked from a San Francisco hotel. A bullet she fired slightly wounded a man in the crowd.

In 1980, long-standing border disputes and political turmoil in Iran prompted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein to launch an invasion of Iran's oil-producing province of Khuzestan, touching off a costly, 8-year war.

In 1985, more than 50 rock 'n' country stars, headed by Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp, staged the 14-hour Farm Aid concert for 78,000 rain-soaked spectators in Champaign, Ill., raising $10 million for debt-ridden U.S. farmers.

In 1989, Hurricane Hugo slashed through Charleston and coastal South Carolina with 135-mph winds, claiming at least 28 lives.

Also in 1989, Irving Berlin, whose long list of enduring songs include "God Bless America" and "White Christmas," died in his sleep at his home in New York City at the age of 101.

In 1992, two beluga whales at Chicago's Shedd Aquarium died shortly after being given medication for parasites. Animal rights groups called for a nationwide moratorium on whale captures.

In 1993, U.S. President Bill Clinton unveiled his healthcare reform package in a speech before a joint session of Congress.

In 1999, the U.S. Justice Department sued five major U.S. tobacco companies and two defunct lobbying groups, charging they colluded to defraud the public about the addictive nature of tobacco products.

In 2003, a bomb exploded outside the U.N. headquarters in Baghdad, killing the bomber and a guard and wounding 19. Three days later, the United Nations said it was withdrawing more staff from Iraq.

In 2004, the U.S. House of Representatives approved legislation removing agricultural sales barriers and student visitation limits to Cuba.

In 2005, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 to recommend the nomination of John Roberts as chief justice of the United States, succeeding the late William Rehnquist.

In 2006, Indian officials said the train bombings at Mumbai, the former Bombay, in which nearly 200 died, was hatched in Pakistan but not carried out by al-Qaida.


A thought for the day: U.S. author and writing teacher Brenda Ueland wrote, "... all children have creative power."

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Today is Sunday, Sept. 23, the 266th day of 2007 with 99 to follow.

This is the first day of autumn.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include(marcmuff-ts4ms);( roadsister-ts4ms);( genebyer-ts4ms); Roman Emperor Augustus in 63 B.C.; educator William McGuffey, author of the McGuffey "eclectic readers" for school children, in 1800; feminist and presidential candidate Victoria Woodhull in 1838; surgeon William Halsted, who introduced operations for hernia and breast cancer, in 1852; journalist Walter Lippmann in 1889; actor Walter Pidgeon in 1897; actor Mickey Rooney in 1920 (age 87); jazz saxophonist John Coltrane in 1926; soul singer/pianist Ray Charles in 1930; singer Julio Iglesias in 1943 (age 64); actors Paul Peterson in 1945 (age 62) and Mary Kay Place in 1947 (age 60); rock star Bruce Springsteen in 1949 (age 58); actors Jason Alexander in 1959 (age 48) and Elizabeth Pena in 1961 (age 46); and singer/songwriter Ani DiFranco in 1970 (age 37).




On this date in history:

In 1779, the USS Bonhomme Richard, commanded by John Paul Jones, defeated British frigate HMS Serapis in a battle off the coast of Scotland.

In 1806, U.S. explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark returned to St. Louis from the first recorded overland journey from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Coast and back.

In 1846, German astronomer Johann Gottfried Galle discovered the planet Neptune at the Berlin Observatory. Neptune generally is the eighth planet from the sun.

In 1950, Congress adopted the Internal Security Act, which provided for the registration of communists. It was ruled later unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 1966, a Rolling Stones concert at England's Royal Albert concert hall was halted temporarily when screaming girls attacked Mick Jagger onstage. The riotous enthusiasm of the fans resulted in a ban of pop concerts at the hall.

In 1973, Juan Peron was again elected president of Argentina after 18 years in exile. His second wife, Isabel, became vice president and succeeded him when he died 10 months later.

In 1985, nine days of street fighting in Tripoli, Lebanon, left 183 people dead.

In 1991, 44 U.N. inspectors were detained in Baghdad after attempting to remove secret Iraqi plans for building nuclear weapons. They were freed five days later.

In 1992, the worst storm in years struck southeastern France, triggering flash flooding that left 34 people dead and 50 missing.

In 1993, the Israeli Knesset approved the peace agreement with the Palestinian Liberation Organization.

In 1994, the U.N. Security Council voted to lift some sanctions against the former Yugoslavia.

In 1999, Russian planes began three days of attacks on various targets in Chechnya, in response to several bombings in Moscow and other Russian cities.

Also in 1999, NASA announced it had lost communication with a Mars probe that was to have entered orbit around Mars. The probe apparently had broken up.

In 2001, in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on the United States, the nation remained on increased alert for possible suspects continued in this country and troops in Afghanistan searched for Osama bin Laden and his terrorist network. The FAA meanwhile halted crop-dusting activities, fearing they might be used to spread toxic substances.

In 2003, Thai police reportedly foiled an al-Qaida plot to shoot down an El Al passenger jet with a surface-to-air missile at Bangkok's airport.

In 2004, Haiti's death toll from flooding caused by Tropical Storm Jeanne could top 2,000 according to a Haitian civil defense official.

Also in 2004, a classified report for the U.S. Congress said security screeners at 15 U.S. airports missed weapons and explosives being smuggled aboard aircraft by undercover agents during a series of tests.

In 2005, a reported 24 people were killed when a bus carrying Texas nursing home evacuees from Hurricane Rita was destroyed by an explosion and fire near Dallas.

Also in 2005, a national poll says fewer than half of the American public believes the United States will win the Iraq war.

In 2006, observance of this year’s holy month of Ramadan opened in Iraq with a bomb that killed at least 35 people, mostly women lined up for kerosene in Sadr City.

Also in 2006, the New York Times said a classified U.S. intelligence report claims the Iraq invasion made the world less safe from terrorism.

A thought for the day: Indian Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore said, "The artist is the lover of Nature, therefore he is her slave and her master."

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Today is Monday, Sept. 24, the 267th day of 2007 with 98 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include(icydog-ts4ms); novelist Horace Walpole in 1717; John Marshall, fourth chief justice of the United States, in 1755; French chemist Georges Claude, inventor of the neon lamp, in 1870; novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1896; sports announcer Jim McKay in 1921 (age 86); actors/singers Sheila MacRae in 1924 (age 83) and Anthony Newley in 1931; Muppet creator Jim Henson in 1936; singer/photographer Linda Eastman McCartney, wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney, in 1941; actor Gordon Clapp ("NYPD Blue") in 1948 (age 59); comedian Phil Hartman in 1948; and actor Kevin Sorbo in 1958 (age 49).




On this date in history:

The Judiciary Act of 1789 was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement. The number of justices became nine in 1869.

In 1929, aviator James Doolittle demonstrated the first "blind" takeoff and landing, using only instruments to guide his aircraft.

In 1942, as World War II raged, popular bandleader Glenn Miller ended his long-running radio show and announced he was going into the U.S. Army.

In 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev met at Camp David, Md.

In 1986, the U.S. Congress adopted the rose as the national flower.

In 1993, in an address at the United Nations, South African black leader Nelson Mandela called for the lifting of remaining international economic sanctions against South Africa.

In 1994, it was reported that CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames had exposed 55 secret U.S. and allied operations to the Soviet Union.

In 1996, Israel opened a second entrance to a tunnel used by archeologists at the Temple Mount, sacred to Muslims as well as Jews. The action sparked deadly rioting.

In 1997, following the slayings of hundreds of civilians in a series of incidents believed linked to upcoming elections and the long though sporadically fought civil war, the military wing of Algeria's principle Islamic opposition group called for a truce and ordered its guerrillas to "stop combat operations."

In 1998, Iran's foreign minister announced that Iran had dropped its 1989 call for the death of Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses" which many Muslims found blasphemous.

In 2002, armed assailants killed 29 people and wounded 75 in an attack on a Hindu temple in Gandhinagar, India.

In 2003, a Gallup poll indicated that 67 percent of Baghdad residents polled said the removal of Saddam Hussein was worth the hardships they have endured.

In 2005, less than a month after Hurricane Katrina devastated wide areas of the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Rita came ashore near the Texas-Louisiana state line with another destructive but somewhat softer blow. Much of the area had been evacuated but immense rains and high winds created more problems and parts of New Orleans that had dried out were re-flooded.

In 2006, a U.S. intelligence report said the war in Iraq had fueled global terrorism by fanning Islamic radicalism and creating new types of lethal terror methods.

A thought for the day: Muppet creator Jim Henson said: "The most sophisticated people I know -- inside they are all children."

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Today is Tuesday, Sept. 25, the 268th day of 2007 with 97 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include(cathyb-ts4ms);( dolly1504-ts4ms); novelist William Faulkner in 1897; sports columnist Walter "Red" Smith in 1905; Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich in 1906; actor Aldo Ray in 1926; reporter Barbara Walters in 1931 (age 76); actor Robert Walden in 1943 (age 64); actor/producer Michael Douglas in 1944 (age 63); actors Mark Hamill in 1951 (age 56), Christopher Reeve in 1952, Heather Locklear in 1961 (age 46) and Tate Donovan in 1963 (age 44); actor Will Smith in 1968 (age 39); and actress Catherine Zeta-Jones in 1969 (age 37).




On this date in history:

In 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Balboa crossed the Isthmus of Panama and became the first known European to see the Pacific Ocean.

In 1690, the first American newspaper, called "Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestic," appeared in Boston.

In 1789, the first U.S. Congress adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution. Ten were ratified and became known as "The Bill of Rights."

In 1882, the first major league baseball doubleheader was played between the Providence, R.I., and Worchester, Mass., teams.

In 1957, under escort from the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, nine black students entered all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Ark.

In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor was sworn in as the first woman U.S. Supreme Court justice.

In 1984, Jordan announced it would restore relations with Egypt, something no Arab country had done since 17 Arab nations broke relations with Cairo over the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty of 1979.

In 1991, President Alfredo Christiani of El Salvador and five commanders of the guerrilla forces reached an agreement that was seen as prelude to a cease-fire.

In 1992, a judge in Orlando, Fla., granted a 12-year-old boy's precedent-setting petition to "divorce" his mother.

Also in 1992, NASA launched a $511 million probe to Mars in the first U.S. mission to the planet in 17 years. Eleven months later, the probe would fail.

In 1996, Israeli police opened fire on Palestinians rioting over the new tunnel entrance beneath the Temple Mount. The fighting ended four days later with about 70 killed and hundreds injured.

In 2000, Yugoslav voters rejected Incumbent Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in his bid for re-election but he refused to accept the results.

In 2003, one of three women on the Iraqi governing council, Akila al-Hashemi, died after being shot outside her home five days earlier.

Also in 2003, the U.S. House gave the Federal Trade Commission explicit authority to create a national "do not call" directory to protect against telemarketers and other unwanted telephone calls.

In 2004, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights said more than 1 million people relocated by the Darfur conflict in Sudan were living in a "climate of fear."

In 2005, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said Hurricane Rita pushed more water over crippled New Orleans-area levees that had unleashed devastating flooding to much of the city in the wake of Hurricane Katrina a month earlier but didn't create any new structural damage.

In 2006, Pope Benedict XVI met with Muslim leaders at his summer home outside Rome and called for "inter-religious" dialogue. The pope had been criticized by angry Muslims over a speech he gave in Germany.


A thought for the day: Spanish painter and sculptor Pablo Picasso said, "Art is a lie that makes us realize the truth."

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Today is Wednesday, Sept. 26, the 269th day of 2007 with 96 to follow.

The moon is full. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include frontier nurseryman "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman in 1774; poet T.S. Eliot in 1888; German philosopher Martin Heidegger in 1889; actor George Raft in 1895; Pope Paul VI in 1897; composer George Gershwin in 1898; bandleader Ted Weems in 1901; country singers Marty Robbins in 1925 and Lynn Anderson in 1947 (age 60); actress Mary Beth Hurt and singer Olivia Newton-John, both in 1948 (age 59); actresses Linda Hamilton in 1956 (age 51) and Melissa Sue Anderson in 1962 (age 45); and tennis star Serena Williams in 1981 (age 26).


On this date in history:

In 1777, British troops occupied Philadelphia.

In 1950, U.N. troops took the South Korean capital of Seoul from North Korean forces.

In 1960, the first televised presidential debate aired from a Chicago TV studio. It featured presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard M. Nixon.

In 1983, the yacht Australia II won the America's Cup from the United States, ending the longest winning streak in sports -- 132 years.

In 1984, China and Britain initialed an accord to return Hong Kong to Chinese control when Britain's lease expires in 1997.

In 1990, the Motion Picture Association of America, under pressure from legitimate filmmakers, adopted the "NC-17" rating -- no children under 17 allowed -- to replace the "X" rating exploited by the porn industry.

In 1991, four men and four women entered the huge, airtight greenhouse Biosphere II in Arizona. They remained inside for two years, emerging on this date in 1993.

In 1994, the high-profile double murder trial of football legend O.J. Simpson, accused of killing his ex-wife and a friend, began in Los Angeles. He eventually was acquitted.

In 1996, the space shuttle Atlantis landed, bringing astronaut Shannon Lucid back to Earth. Her six-month tour aboard the Mir space station set a record for a woman in space, as well as a record stay for any U.S. astronaut.

In 2003, the U.S. Census Bureau said 1.6 million more people in the United States fell below the poverty line from 2001-02.

In 2005, emergency officials say Hurricane Rita heavily damaged every house in several coastal Louisiana towns. Flooding was widespread, with Louisiana's Cameron Parish near the Texas border, as much as 15 feet under water. Iberia Parish officials said 3,000 houses flooded. Only two storm-related deaths were reported.

Also in 2005, U.S. Army Pfc. Lynndie England, photographed in widely distributed pictures with inmates at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison, was convicted of conspiracy and prisoner abuse. She was sentenced to three years in prison two days later.

In 2006, the Bush administration released portions of a U.S. intelligence report that concluded the war in Iraq has increased the threat of terrorism. The report said that although U.S. efforts had “seriously damaged” the leadership of al-Qaida, terrorists are emerging in a global jihadist movement.

A thought for the day: poet T.S. Eliot said, "There never was a time when those that read at all, read so many more books by living authors than books by dead authors; there never was a time so completely parochial, so shut off from the past."

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Today is Thursday, Sept, 27, the 270th day of 2007 with 95 to follow.

The moon is waning. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include patriot Samuel Adams in 1722; political cartoonist Thomas Nast in 1840; composers Joseph McCarthy ("You Made Me Love You") in 1885 and Vincent Youmans ("Tea for Two") in 1898; actress Jayne Meadows in 1920 (age 87); filmmaker Arthur Penn in 1922 (age 85); actors William Conrad in 1920, Sada Thompson in 1929 (age 78) and Wilford Brimley in 1934 (age 73); actor Greg Morris also in 1934; and actor/singer Shaun Cassidy in 1958 (age 49).


On this date in history:

In 1825, in England, George Stephenson operated the first locomotive to pull a passenger train.

In 1935, 13-year-old Judy Garland signed her first contract with MGM.

In 1939, after 19 days of heavy air raids and artillery bombardment, Polish defenders of Warsaw surrendered to the Germans.

In 1954, "The Tonight Show" made its television debut with host Steve Allen.

In 1964, the Warren Commission report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy was released after a 10-month investigation, concluding that there was no conspiracy and that Lee Harvey Oswald, the alleged assassin, acted alone.

In 1987, mudslides in slum areas of Medellin, Colombia, killed up to 500 people.

In 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush announced the United States would unilaterally eliminate tactical nuclear weapons on land and at sea in Europe and Asia.

Also in 1991, the Palestine Liberation Organization legislature voted to support U.S.- and Soviet-sponsored Middle East peace efforts.

In 1992, the Inkatha party, rival to Nelson Mandela's ANC, withdrew from talks with the South African government after a meeting between Mandela and President F.W. de Klerk.

In 1993, newly elected U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchinson, R-Texas, was indicted on charges of using state workers, computers and supplies for her "personal benefit" during her Senate campaign. The charges were later dropped.

In 1994, U.S. forces in Haiti took control of the parliament building and began paying Haitians to turn in weapons in order to reduce firepower on the streets.

In 1996, rebels seized control of Afghanistan from the previous rebel group that had taken the country from Moscow. The new rebels hanged Afghani leader Najibullah and his brother.

In 1998, Gerhard Schroeder led Germany's Social Democratic Party to victory in parliamentary elections, bringing to an end 16 years of power by Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his Christian Democratic Party.

And in 1998, St. Louis Cardinal slugger Mark McGwire set an all-time major-league season home run record when he hit his 70th home run.

In 2001, in further steps following the terrorist attacks on the United States, U.S. President George Bush asked governors to assign National Guard troops to help protect commercial airports and said armed sky marshals in plainclothes would soon begin riding some flights.

In 2003, U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Putin said they would join forces to oppose nuclear proliferation in Iran and North Korea.

In 2005, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, second in command to the al-Qaida leader in Iraq, was reported killed by Iraqi and U.S. forces in a Baghdad gun battle.

Also in 2005, French prosecutors began questioning senior officials with the former Concorde aircraft project over a crash in 2000 that killed 113 people.

In 2006, authorities say a man who took six female students hostage at a Colorado high school fatally wounded one before killing himself.


A thought for the day: in "The Republic," Greek philosopher Plato wrote, "The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life."

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Today is Friday, Sept. 28, the 271st day of 2007 with 94 to follow.

The moon is waning. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include (helenbarnett1963-ts4ms); Frances Willard, founder of the Women's Christian Temperance Union, in 1839; CBS Chairman William Paley in 1901; TV variety show host and columnist Ed Sullivan in 1901; German heavyweight boxer Max Schmeling in 1905; cartoonist Al Capp in 1909; actors William Windom in 1923 (age 84) and Marcello Mastroianni in 1924; actress and animal rights advocate Brigitte Bardot in 1934 (age 73); musician Ben E. King in 1938 (age 69); actor Jeffrey Jones in 1946 (age 61); and actresses Janeane Garofalo in 1964 (age 43) and Gwyneth Paltrow in 1972 (age 35).




On this date in history:

In 490 B.C., the Greeks defeated the Persians at Marathon. A Greek soldier named Phidippides ran 26 miles to tell Athenians of the victory and died after his announcement. His feat provided the model for the modern marathon race.

In 1892, Mansfield University was the home team for the first night football game at Smythe Park in Mansfield, Pa.

In 1920, in baseball's biggest scandal, a grand jury indicted eight Chicago White Sox players for throwing the 1919 World Series with the Cincinnati Reds.

In 1982, the first reports appeared of deaths in the Chicago area from Extra-strength Tylenol capsules laced with cyanide. Seven people died and the unsolved case resulted in tamper-proof packaging for consumer products.

In 1987, a federal appeals court declared Boston public schools officially desegregated after a 13-year effort.

In 1989, former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos died in exile in Hawaii.

In 1992, a Pakistan jetliner carrying 167 people, including three Americans, crashed into a hill southeast of Kahtmandu, Nepal, killing all aboard. It was Nepal's worst air disaster.

In 1993, U.S. first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton was the administration's lead witness in congressional hearings on the proposed national healthcare program.

Also in 1993, as the power struggle in Russia intensified, the Interior Ministry sealed off the parliament building. Opponents to President Boris Yeltsin were holed up inside.

In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestine Liberation Organization Chairman Yasser Arafat signed "phase two" of their peace agreement in Washington.

In 2000, right-wing Israeli leader Ariel Sharon visited the sacred site known as the Temple Mount to Jews and Haram al Sharif to Muslims, sparking a deadly round of violence between Israelis and Palestinians that continued to escalate over the next two years. Five months later, Sharon was elected prime minister.

Also in 2000, the Drug and Food Administration announced approval of an abortion pill.

In 2001, the U.N. Security Council unanimously passed a resolution to require all 189 members to put a stop to financing and training of terrorists within their borders.

In 2002, Iraq rejected the draft of a proposal by the United States and Britain to the United Nations calling on Iraq to make a full disclosure of weapons of mass destruction within 30 days.

In 2003, legendary Broadway and film director Elia Kazan died at his home in New York at the age of 94.

In 2004, the price of oil topped $50 a barrel for the first time in trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

In 2005, U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, the House majority leader, was indicted in Texas for allegedly conspiring to violate a state fundraising law.

In 2006, in a move boosting support for the Afghan government, NATO voted to dramatically expand operations in Afghanistan. The focus will be on the east, where Osama bin Laden was believed to be hiding.


A thought for the day: U.S. writer Gertrude Stein said, "... the creator of the new composition in the arts is an outlaw until he is a classic."

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Today is Saturday, Sept. 29, the 272nd day of 2007 with 93 to follow.

The moon is waning. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include Spanish poet-novelist Miguel de Cervantes, author of "Don Quixote," in 1547; British naval hero Adm. Horatio Nelson in 1758; pioneer nuclear physicist Enrico Fermi in 1901; singing cowboy Gene Autry in 1907; film directors Michelangelo Antonioni in 1912 and Stanley Kramer in 1913; actor Trevor Howard in 1913; actress Anita Ekberg in 1931 (age 76); rock 'n' roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis in 1935 (age 72); actor Larry Linville ("M*A*S*H") in 1939; singer/actress Madeline Kahn in 1942; Polish leader Lech Walesa in 1943 (age 64); and TV personality Bryant Gumbel in 1948 (age 59).

On this date in history:

In 1789, the U.S. War Department organized the United States' first standing army -- 700 troops who would serve for three years.

In 1923, Britain began to govern Palestine under a League of Nations mandate.

In 1936, in the presidential race between Franklin D. Roosevelt and Alf Landon, both parties used radio for the first time.

In 1941, the Babi Yar massacre of nearly 34,000 Jewish men, women, and children began on the outskirts of Kiev in the Nazi-occupied Ukraine.

In 1986, the Soviet Union freed U.S. journalist Nicholas Daniloff, whom Moscow accused of spying.

In 1991, sharing power for first time in 26 years, Zaire's President Mobuto Sese Seko named opposition leader Etienne Tshisekedi prime minister.

In 1992, after weeks of stalemate, U.S. President George H.W. Bush, seeking re-election, challenged his Democratic opponent, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, to four debates.

Also in 1992, Brazil's President Collor became the first Latin American leader to be impeached.

And in 1992, Earvin "Magic" Johnson announced he was returning to the Los Angeles Lakers less than a year after he retired because he had the AIDS virus.

In 2003, a published report said the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency concluded that most of the information provided by Iraqi defectors was worthless.

Also in 2003, electricity was restored in Italy after a weekend blackout put 57 million people in the dark.

In 2004, a Saudi suspected of being an associate of Osama bin Laden and a Yemeni militant were sentenced to death for the bombing of the USS Cole four years ago in which 17 U.S. sailors were killed.

Also in 2004, TV icon Martha Stewart was ordered to serve her five-month prison sentence for obstructing justice at a prison camp for women in Alderson, W.Va.

In 2005, John Roberts Jr. easily won confirmation by the full U.S. Senate to become chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was sworn in later in the day, succeeding the late William Rehnquist.

Also in 2005, New York Times reporter Judith Miller was released from jail after being held for 86 days for refusing to identify a source in a federal investigation into the disclosure of a CIA agent's name.

And in 2005, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage in his state.

In 2006, U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., resigned in the wake of revelations he sent inappropriate e-mail messages to an underage former Capitol Hill page.

Also in 2006, the U.S. Congress approved President George Bush's plan for the interrogations and military trials of suspected terrorists.


A thought for the day: British statesman Edmund Burke said, "Superstition is the religion of feeble minds."