On this date in history

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Today is Tuesday, June 24, the 176th day of 2008 with 190 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include clergyman Henry Ward Beecher in 1813; writer and satirist Ambrose Bierce in 1842; heavyweight boxing champ Jack Dempsey in 1895; band leader Phil Harris in 1904; author/editor Norman Cousins in 1915; musician Mick Fleetwood, co-founder of Fleetwood Mac, in 1942 (age 66); actors Michele Lee in 1942 (age 66) and Peter Weller in 1947 (age 61); and actress Nancy Allen in 1950 (age 58).



On this date in history:

In 1812, Napoleon's army entered Russia.

In 1901, Pablo Picasso's artwork was given its first exhibition, in Paris.

In 1948, Soviet forces blockaded the western zones of Berlin, setting the stage for the Berlin airlift to support the 2 million people of the divided German city.

In 1975, an Eastern Airlines Boeing 727 en route from New Orleans crashed at New York's Kennedy International airport, killing 114 people.

In 1986, actress Raquel Welch won a $10.8 million verdict against MGM, which she claimed ruined her career by firing her from the 1980 movie "Cannery Row."

In 1987, comedian/actor Jackie Gleason died at the age of 71.

In 1991, on the eve of the 41st anniversary of the start of the Korean War, the U.S. and North Korea agreed on returning the remains of missing soldiers; 11 sets of remains were shipped.

In 1992, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that health warnings on cigarette packs don't necessarily exempt tobacco companies from false advertising lawsuits if they continue to tell consumers that smoking is safe.

In 1993, Kurdish militants, seeking to call attention to their nine-year struggle to form an independent Kurdish state, attacked Turkish diplomatic missions and businesses in more than two-dozen European cities.

In 2002, U.S. President George W. Bush said publicly for the first time that the United States wouldn't support a Palestinian state so long as Yasser Arafat was in command.

In 2003, author Leon Uris, who wrote "Exodus," the story of the struggle to establish and defend the state of Israel, and other famous novels, died at age 78.

In 2004, more than 100 people died in a series of apparently well-coordinated insurgency attacks on five cities in Iraq.

In 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the nation's second confirmed case of mad cow disease.

In 2006, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger rejected a White House request to send another 1,500 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to protect against illegal immigration. The state earlier had agreed to send 1,000 troops to the border.

In 2007, the former aide to the late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein known as "Chemical Ali" was sentenced to be executed for crimes against humanity. Ali Hassan al-Magid earned his nickname for the poisonous gas and chemicals used against Kurds.

Also in 2007, at least 200 people were reported killed by gale-force winds and rain in the coastal city of Karachi in southern Pakistan.



A thought for the day: Ambrose Bierce said an acquaintance is "A person whom we know well enough to borrow from but not well enough to lend to."

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Today is Thursday, June 26, the 178th day of 2008 with 188 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include(MissTins-ts4ms); reputed baseball pioneer Abner Doubleday in 1819; British physicist and inventor William Kelvin in 1824; novelist Pearl Buck in 1892; German aircraft designer Willy Messerschmitt in 1898; William Lear, developer of the Lear jet, in 1902; actor Peter Lorre in 1904; "Colonel" Tom Parker, Elvis Presley's manager, in 1909; athlete Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias in 1911; actor/musician Chris Isaak in 1956 (age 52); cyclist Greg LeMond in 1961 (age 47); and actors Chris O'Donnell and Sean P. Hayes ("Will & Grace"), both in 1970 (age 38).





On this date in history:

In 1900, Dr. Walter Reed and his medical team began a successful campaign to wipe out yellow fever in the Panama Canal Zone.

In 1917, the first troops of the American Expeditionary Force reached France in World War I.

In 1939, film censors approved "Gone With The Wind" but fined Producer David O. Selznick $5,000 for objectionable language in Rhett Butler's famous closing line to Scarlett O'Hara: "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

In 1945, the FCC began development of commercial television by allocating airwaves for 13 TV stations.

Also in 1945, the U.N. Charter was signed by representatives of 50 nations.

In 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II formally opened the St. Lawrence Seaway (OTCBB:STLS) in Canada.

In 1974, the bar code, allowing for the electronic scanning of prices, was used for the first time on a pack of gum at a supermarket in Troy, Ohio.

In 1976, the CN Tower, the world's tallest freestanding structure (1,815 feet, 5 inches), opened in Toronto.

In 1977, 42 people died in a county jail fire in Columbia, Tenn.

In 1986, the Nicaraguan government closed the nation's last opposition newspaper, La Prensa.

In 1990, U.S. President George H.W. Bush discarded his "no new taxes" campaign pledge, saying "it is clear to me" taxes are needed as part of deficit-reduction package.

In 1991, 120 people drowned after an Indonesian trawler and an unidentified ship collided in the Straits of Malacca.

In 1992, U.S. Navy Secretary H. Lawrence Garrett resigned, accepting responsibility for the "Tailhook" incident involving the harassment of Navy women by naval aviators.

Also in 1992, Los Angeles Police Chief Daryl Gates, the target of public wrath for the Rodney King beating, resigned.

In 1993, in response to an Iraqi plot to assassinate former U.S. President George H.W. Bush during a visit to Kuwait, two U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf fired missiles at Iraq's intelligence complex. The main headquarters building was badly damaged.

In 1995, an attempted assassination of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak failed during his visit to Ethiopia.

In 2000, two rival groups of scientists announced they had deciphered the genetic code, the human genome.

In 2002, the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled that the Pledge of Allegiance recited in schools was unconstitutional because of the phrase "under God." The ruling was stayed pending appeal.

In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court gave a major boost to gay rights advocates by striking down a Texas law forbidding sexual activity between same-sex partners.

In 2005, six months after the Indian Ocean tsunami, the death toll stood at 178,000 in 11 countries with another 50,000 people missing and presumed dead.

In 2006, Israel put on a military show of strength in the Gaza Strip following a bloody Palestinian militant raid on a military post and kidnapping of a soldier.

In 2007, German prosecutors sought to try 13 U.S. intelligence agents who allegedly kidnapped a German citizen in 2003. It's the second case in Europe centered on the controversial U.S. "extraordinary rendition" practice in which terror suspects arrested in one country can be transported to another with fewer prisoner rights for questioning. A trial of 26 CIA agents in Italy was reported on hold.



A thought for the day: Tennessee Williams wrote, "All cruel people describe themselves as paragons of frankness."

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Today is Friday, June 27, the 179th day of 2008 with 187 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include King Charles XII, Charles the Great, of Sweden in 1682; Irish patriot Charles Stewart Parnell in 1846; poet Paul Laurence Dunbar 1872; blind and deaf author Helen Keller in 1880; "Captain Kangaroo" Bob Keeshan in 1927; H. Ross Perot in 1930 (age 78); fashion designer Norma Kamali in 1945 (age 63); and actors Julia Duffy in 1951 (age 57), Isabelle Adjani in 1955 (age 53), Jason Patric in 1966 (age 42), Christian Kane ("Angel") in 1974 (age 34) and Tobey Maguire in 1975 (age 33).



On this date in history:

In 1801, British forces captured Cairo and the French began withdrawing from Egypt in one of the Napoleonic Wars.

In 1829, English scientist James Smithson leaves a will that eventually funds the establishment of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, in a country he never visited.

In 1844, Mormon founder Joseph Smith was slain by a mob at a jail in Carthage, Ill.

In 1847, the first telegraph wire links were established between New York City and Boston.

In 1859, Louisville, Ky., schoolteacher Mildred Hill wrote a tune for her students and called it "Good Morning To You." Her sister, Patty, wrote the lyrics and later added a verse that began "Happy Birthday To You."

In 1893, the "Panic of 1893" began as the value of the U.S. silver dollar fell to less than 60 cents in gold.

In 1950, U.S. President Harry Truman ordered U.S. naval and air forces to help repel the North Korean invasion of South Korea.

In 1979, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled private employers could give special preferences to blacks to eliminate "manifest racial imbalance" in traditionally white-only jobs.

In 1991, Associate Justice Thurgood Marshall announced he was retiring from the U.S. Supreme Court. He was the first African-American to sit on the high court.

Also in 1991, South Africa announced it would sign the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and agree not to develop nuclear weapons.

In 1992, U.S. President George H.W. Bush's only daughter married the former top aide to the House Democratic leader in a private ceremony at Camp David, Md.

In 1993, U.N.-sponsored talks between exiled Haitian President Aristide and the military leaders who ousted him opened in New York.

In 1995, the space shuttle Atlantis blasted off from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on a historic mission to dock with the Russian space station Mir. The flight was also the 100th U.S.-piloted space mission.

In 2001, screen legend Jack Lemmon died at the age of 76.

In 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court, acting in a Cleveland case, upheld that city's school vouchers program, in which public money goes to help parents pay tuition to non-public schools.

In 2003, the Federal Trade Commission opened a long-awaited nationwide registry for those who want to block unwanted telemarketing calls.

In 2004, two car bombs exploded near a mosque in the southern Iraqi city of Hilla, killing at least 23 Iraqi civilians and wounding 58 others.

In 2005, Wal-Mart heir John Walton, 58, one of America's richest men, was killed in a plane crash near the Jackson, Wyo., airport.

Also in 2005, U.S. crude oil prices closed at a record $60 a barrel.

And, Dennis Rader, the so-called "BTK" killer (bind, torture, kill), pleaded guilty to 10 slayings in the Wichita, Kan., area.

In 2007, Tony Blair officially stepped down as British prime minister when he submitted his resignation to Queen Elizabeth II and was succeeded by Gordon Brown. Blair moved into a new role as special international envoy for the Middle East.

Also in 2007, gasoline rationing was introduced in Iran despite its status as the second highest OPEC crude oil producer. Iran has minimal refining capacity and reportedly must import about 40 percent of its refined gasoline.



A thought for the day: Francis Bacon said, "If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts; but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties."

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Today is Monday, June 30, the 182nd day of 2008 with 184 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include (eal-ts4ms); English socialist leader Harold Laski in 1893; actress Susan Hayward and singer Lena Horne (age 91) in 1917; actress Nancy Dussault in 1936 (age 72); singer Florence Ballard of The Supremes in 1943; actors William Atherton in 1947 (age 61) and David Alan Grier in 1955 (age 53); and former heavyweight champion boxer Mike Tyson in 1966 (age 42).



On this date in history:

In 1859, Frenchman Jean Francois Gravelet, known professionally as the Great Blondin, became the first daredevil to walk across Niagara Falls on a tight rope.

In 1870, Ada Kepley became the first woman to graduate from an accredited law school in the United States, Union College of Law in Chicago.

In 1908, a spectacular explosion occurred over central Siberia, probably caused by a meteorite. The fireball reportedly could be seen hundreds of miles away.

In 1923, jazz pioneer Sidney Bechet made his first recording. It included "Wild Cat Blues" and "Kansas City Blues."

In 1934, German leader Adolf Hitler ordered a bloody purge of his own political party, assassinating hundreds of Nazis whom he feared might become political enemies.

In 1936, Margaret Mitchell's Civil War novel "Gone With the Wind" was published.

In 1950, U.S. troops were moved from Japan to help defend South Korea against the invading North Koreans.

In 1982, the extended deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment expired, three states short of the 38 needed for passage.

In 1971, three Soviet Cosmonauts, crewmembers of the world's first space station, were killed when their spacecraft depressurized during re-entry.

In 1986, Hugh Hefner, calling his Playboy Bunny a "symbol of the past," closed Playboy Clubs in Chicago, New York and Los Angeles.

In 1992, Fidel Ramos was inaugurated as the eighth Philippine president in the first peaceful transfer of power in a generation.

In 1998, a casualty of the Vietnam War buried at the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington, Va., was identified as Air Force Lt. Michael Blassie of St. Louis.

In 1999, Clinton crony Webster Hubbell, a former associate U.S. attorney general, pleaded guilty to reduced charges in the Whitewater land deal scandal.

In 2000, the Clinton administration said Iraq restarted its missile program and flight-tested a short-range ballistic missile.

Also in 2000, the Presbyterian Church ordered its ministers not to conduct same-sex unions.

In 2002, published reports said fugitive terrorist leader Osama bin Laden wrote his operations chief in late December saying he survived the U.S. assault on his cave complex in Afghanistan.

Also in 2002, Israel announced it had killed a top Hamas bomb-maker, responsible for the deaths of more than 100 Israelis in suicide attacks and had begun work on an electronic fence designed to block off three sides of Jerusalem from the West Bank.

In 2003, after agreeing on a cease-fire with the Palestinians, Israel pulled out of most of the Gaza Strip, ending for the time being a blockade on the main highway that began in 2000.

In 2004, the Federal Reserve, for the first time in four years, raised its benchmark interest rate from a record low 1 percent to 1.25 percent for overnight loans.

Also in 2004, the Cassini spacecraft, in space on a U.S.-European mission, became the first device to orbit the planet Saturn.

In 2005, the Federal Reserve raised key interest rates a ninth straight time, noting rising energy prices.

Also in 2005, Israel declared the Gaza Strip a closed military zone. All Israelis, except for residents, service providers and reporters, were barred from entering.

And, Spain became the third country to legalize same-sex marriage.

In 2006, a joint U.S.-Canadian investigation grounded a group accused of using helicopters and planes to ferry drugs from British Columbia across the border. Agents reported arresting 46 people and seizing 4 tons of marijuana, 800 pounds of cocaine, aircraft and $1.5 million in cash.

In 2007, many U.S. airports increased security in advance of the Fourth of July holiday. Meanwhile, a car blew up at Glasgow airport in Scotland after two British bomb threats the day before prompting authorities to raise the security level to "critical."



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 Tuesday, July 1, the 183rd day of 2008 with 183 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include German philosopher Gottfried Leibniz in 1646; French novelist George Sand, a pseudonym for Amandine Dupin, in 1804; pioneer aviator Louis Bleriot in 1872; actor Frank Morgan in 1890; actor Charles Laughton and blues, gospel musician, composer Thomas Dorsey in 1899; film director William Wyler in 1902; cosmetics executive Estee Lauder in 1908; blues musician Willie Dixon in 1915; actresses Olivia de Havilland in 1916 (age 92) and Leslie Caron in 1931 (age 77); filmmaker/actor Sydney Pollack in 1934; actress/writer Jean Marsh and actor Jamie Farr, also 1934 (age 74); choreographer Twyla Tharp in 1941 (age 67); actresses Karen Black in 1939 (age 69) and Genevieve Bujold in 1942 (age 66); singer Deborah Harry in 1945 (age 63); actor/comedian Dan Aykroyd in 1952 (age 56); Britain's Princess Diana in 1961; and actors Andre Braugher in 1962 (age 46), Pamela Anderson in 1967 (age 41) and Liv Tyler in 1977 (age 31).




On this date in history:

In 1847, the first U.S. postage stamps were issued.

In 1859, the first intercollegiate baseball game was played in Pittsfield, Mass. Amherst beat Williams, 66-32.

In 1867, Canada was granted its independence by Great Britain. It consisted at the time of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and future provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

In 1874, the Philadelphia Zoological Society, the first U.S. zoo, opened to the public.

In 1893, U.S. President Grover Cleveland underwent secret surgery to remove a cancerous growth in his mouth. The operation didn't become public knowledge until a newspaper article about it was published on Sept. 22, 1917 -- nine years after Cleveland's death.

In 1898, Teddy Roosevelt and his Rough Riders led the charge up Cuba's heavily fortified San Juan Hill in a key Spanish-American War battle.

In 1916, in the worst single day of casualties in British military history, 20,000 soldiers were killed, 40,000 wounded in a massive offense against German forces in France's Somme River region during World War I.

In 1932, the Democrats nominated Franklin Delano Roosevelt for president. FDR eventually was elected to four consecutive terms.

In 1941, NBC broadcast the first FCC-sanctioned TV commercial, a spot for Bulova watches shown during a Dodgers-Phillies game. It cost Bulova $9.

In 1946, the United States conducted its first post-war test of the atomic bomb, at Bikini Atoll in the Pacific.

In 1979, Sony introduced the Walkman, known as the Soundabout, in U.S. stores. It sold for about $200.

In 1990, the West and East German economies were united as the deutsche mark replaced the mark as currency in East Germany.

In 1991, the Warsaw Pact ceased to exist.

In 1993, the U.S. Congress completed action on an economic stimulus bill that fell far short of what U.S. President Bill Clinton wanted.

Also in 1993, U.S. President Bill Clinton unveiled a plan for logging in federal old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest that would also protect the northern spotted owl.

In 1994, the U.N. Security Council authorized a commission to investigate "acts of genocide" in Rwanda.

In 1996, a dozen members of a paramilitary organization were arrested in Arizona and charged with plotting to bomb government buildings.

In 1997, Hong Kong was returned to China after 99 years as a British territory.

In 2002, cannon fire and bombs from a U.S. Air Force AC-130 struck a town in southern Afghanistan, killing about 50 people, including members of a wedding party. U.S. officials said the plane had been fired on.

Also in 2002, in a rare high-altitude accident, a passenger airliner collided with a cargo plane over Germany, killing all 71 aboard.

In 2003, U.S. President George Bush blamed rogue elements for the daily attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and claimed coalition forces were making steady progress in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In 2004, former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, looking tired and shaky, appeared before a special tribunal in Baghdad for the first time to face charges of crimes against humanity and genocide.

Also in 2004, dynamic Hollywood legend Marlon Brando died of lung failure. He was 80.

In 2005, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court, announced she planned to retire.

In 2006, a car bomb killed 62 people and injured another 114 at a popular market in a predominantly Shiite neighborhood in northwest Baghdad.

Also in 2006, Israel launched an airstrike that hit the Gaza office of Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and set the building on fire. Haniyeh wasn't in the building but three security guards were reportedly hurt.

In 2007, British authorities arrested six doctors in the botched bombings in London and at the Glasgow airport in Scotland. The doctors, who worked at Britain's National Health Service, were reported to be from the Middle East or India.

Also in 2007, Moshe Katsav stepped down as president of Israel, a post he had held since 2000. Rape charges against him were dropped in exchange for a guilty plea to sexual harassment.

And, violent deaths were reported on the increase in Afghanistan where officials said NATO airstrikes over the last two days of June had claimed 45 civilians and 62 Taliban fighters.



A thought for the day: H.L. Mencken wrote that "It is the dull man who is always sure, and the sure man who is always dull."

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Today is Wednesday, July 2, the 184th day of 2008 with 182 to follow.

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


Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include (caribbean - TS4MS); (jjking42 - TS4MS); German novelist Herman Hesse in 1877; King Olav V of Norway in 1903; former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in 1908; singer/actor Ken Curtis ("Gunsmoke's" Festus) in 1916; civil rights activist Medgar Evers in 1925; Imelda Marcos, wife of former Philippine President Fernando Marcos, in 1929 (age 79); Wendy's fast-food restaurant chain founder Dave Thomas in 1932; actress Polly Holliday and former race car driver Richard Petty, both in 1937 (age 71); actor/director Ron Silver in 1946 (age 62); actor Jimmy McNichol in 1961 (age 47); former baseball star Jose Canseco, first to hit 40 or more home runs and steal 40 or more bases in the same major league season, in 1964 (age 44).






On this date in history:

In 1788, it was announced in the U.S. Congress that the new Constitution had been ratified by the required nine states, the ninth being New Hampshire.

In 1839, African slaves being shipped to Cuba revolted and seized the ship Amistad, leading to an eventual end of the African slave market.

In 1881, U.S. President James Garfield was shot by Charles Guiteau, a mentally disturbed office-seeker. Garfield died Sept. 19 and was succeeded by Vice President Chester Arthur.

In 1900, the world's first rigid airship was demonstrated by Ferdinand Graf von Zeppelin in Germany.

In 1917, as many as 75 blacks were killed in rioting in St. Louis.

In 1934, 6-year-old Shirley Temple signed a contract with Fox Film Corp. and went on to become one of the biggest movie stars of the day.

In 1937, U.S. aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Frederick Noonan were reported lost over the Pacific Ocean. They were never found.

In 1964, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson signed into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In 1974, U.S President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev agreed during a meeting in Yalta on limitations on underground nuclear testing.

In 1986, the U.S. Supreme Court endorsed numerical hiring goals for minorities, rejecting the Reagan administration view that affirmative action be limited to proven victims of race discrimination.

In 1990, a stampede in a pedestrian tunnel at the Muslim holy city of Mecca during the annual Hajj killed 1,426 pilgrims.

In 1993, Sheik Omar Abdel Rahmen, whose followers were linked to two bombing plots, was taken into U.S. federal custody.

Also in 1993, South African President F.W de Klerk and African National Congress leader Nelson Mandela announced that South Africa's first election open to all races would be April 27, 1994.

In 1994, the Colombian soccer player who inadvertently scored a goal for the United States, contributing to his team's loss in World Cup competition, was shot to death in Medellin, Colombia.

In 2000, Vicente Fox was elected president of Mexico.

In 2002, after five unsuccessful attempts, American Steve Fossett completed a round-the-world solo flight in a balloon, reaching Queensland in the Australian outback to finish a 13-day, 19,428-mile trip that began in Western Australia.

In 2004, a 21-year-old man opened fire on co-workers at a Kansas City, Kan., plant, fatally wounding five people before turning the gun on himself. Several others were wounded.

Also in 2004, medical reports said post-traumatic stress disorder was appearing in 1-in-6 U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq.

In 2005, Egypt's new ambassador to Iraq was abducted in Baghdad, reportedly by the al-Qaida. He was later slain.

In 2006, Israeli bombs destroyed the Gaza City offices of the Palestinian Authority prime minister, kicking off a month of violent attacks against Palestinian militants largely in response to the kidnapping of an Israeli soldier.

In 2007, U.S. President George Bush commuted the 30-month prison sentence of Lewis "Scooter" Libby, former chief of staff for Vice President Dick Cheney. Libby was convicted of obstructing a federal investigation into who leaked the identity of an undercover CIA agent.

Also in 2007, Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., claimed the fund-raising lead in the Democratic presidential primary battle with $32.5 million. His top opponent, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., reported $27 million. In the GOP race, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., had to cut back his campaign because of a shortage of funds.


A thought for the day: the adage "Appearances are often deceiving" comes from Aesop's "Fables," and something similar appears in the New Testament.

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Today is four ( 4 ) years since I got out of timeshare ownership. It was such a great feeling that someone wanted my place. No more fees and worries of when the next SA was coming. It was and still is one of the best days of my life. Knowing that someone after me will not get stuck with something they don't want and can't get rid of is such a relief!
With each year that passes I count up all the money I am saving by not having to support something I got rooked into so long ago.
What a great time of year !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Today is Thursday, July 3, the 185th day of 2008 with 181 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include(Spence-ts4ms); (mav-ts4ms);( bethdahl-ts4ms); actor, singer, composer George M. Cohan in 1878; Welsh poet and writer William Henry Davies ("The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp") in 1871; Czech novelist Franz Kafka in 1883; actor George Sanders in 1906; journalist and columnist Dorothy Kilgallen in 1913; Jerry Gray, band leader, arranger for Glenn Miller, in 1915; English filmmaker Ken Russell in 1927 (age 81); jazz clarinetist Pete Fountain in 1930 (age 78); English playwright Tom Stoppard in 1937 (age 71); humorist Dave Barry and actress Betty Buckley both in 1947 (age 61); exiled Haitian dictator Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier in 1951 (age 57); talk show host Montel Williams in 1956 (age 52); pop singer Laura Branigan in 1957; and actors Tom Cruise and Thomas Gibson ("Dharma & Greg"), both in 1962 (age 46).




On this date in history:

In 1608, French explorer Samuel de Champlain founded the Canadian town of Quebec.

In 1775, George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Mass.

In 1863, the Union army under command of Gen. George Meade defeated Confederate forces commanded by Gen. Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg, Pa. The same day, Vicksburg, Miss., surrendered to Union troops led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.

In 1928, the first color television transmission was accomplished by John Logie Baird in London.

In 1971, rock star Jim Morrison, 27, was found dead in a bathtub in Paris of heart failure.

In 1976, Israeli commandos raided the airport at Entebbe, Uganda, rescuing 103 hostages held by Arab militants.

In 1986, U.S. President Ronald Reagan re-lit the Statue of Liberty's torch in New York Harbor after a $66 million restoration of the statue was completed during the 100th anniversary year of its dedication.

Also in 1986, Rudy Vallee, one of the nation's most popular singers in the 1920s and '30s, died at the age of 84.

In 1988, missiles fired from the USS Vincennes brought down an Iranian airliner in the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

In 1992, the U.S. Air Force joined the international airlift of food and medical supplies to besieged residents of Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

In 1993, exiled Haitian President Jean Bertrand Aristide and Lt. Gen. Raoul Cedras, who led the coup in 1991 that ousted him, announced an agreement that would put Aristide back in power by October. Cedras later broke the agreement.

In 1996, Boris Yeltsin was re-elected president of Russia, defeating Gennadi Zyuganov in a runoff.

In 2000, blasts caused by suicide bombers in Chechnya killed at least 37 Russian soldiers.

In 2005, water temperatures in the lower Great Lakes were reported at a five-year high.

In 2007, the Czech Republic tentatively granted the United States permission to install missile-defense radar 50 miles from Prague as part of the U.S. plan to protect itself and its European allies from potential attacks.

Also in 2007, a three-month standoff turned violent between Pakistani police and radical students who had taken over an Islamabad mosque. At least nine people died.



A thought for the day: Gustave Flaubert said, "Of all lies, art is the least untrue."

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This is Friday, July 4, the 186th day of 2008 with 180 to follow.

This is Independence Day in the United States.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include author Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1804; songwriter Stephen Foster ("Oh! Susannah," "Beautiful Dreamer") in 1826; circus operator James Bailey (Barnum and Bailey) in 1847; Calvin Coolidge, 30th president of the United States, in 1872; innovative cartoonist Rube Goldberg in 1883; Louis B. Mayer, film mogul and co-founder of MGM, in 1885; actor/politician George Murphy in 1902; conductor Mitch Miller in 1911 (age 97); Ann Landers, advice columnist, in 1918; her twin, also an advice columnist, Abigail Van Buren in 1918 (age 90); former hotel executive Leona Helmsley in 1920; actress Eva Marie Saint in 1924 (age 84); playwright Neil Simon in 1927 (age 81); actress Gina Lollobrigida in 1927 (age 81); Al Davis, Oakland Raiders owner, in 1929 (age 79); New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in 1930 (age 78); TV reporter Geraldo Rivera in 1943 (age 65); and tennis player Pam Shriver in 1962 (age 46).



On this date in history:

In 1776, the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming U.S. independence from Britain.

In 1826, in one of history's notable coincidences, former U.S. Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died, 50 years to the day after the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

In 1863, Union troops defeated Confederate forces in a battle at Vicksburg, Miss.

In 1895, the poem "America the Beautiful," by Wellesley College Professor Katherine Lee Bates, was published.

In 1914, director D.W. Griffith began filming his controversial film "Birth of a Nation," which introduced important new filmmaking techniques and influenced many other directors.

In 1986, more than 250 sailing ships and the United States' biggest fireworks display honored the Statue of Liberty in its 100th birthday year.

In 1994, French forces in Rwanda established a security zone for refugees.

In 1995, the British Parliament reconfirmed John Majors as prime minister.

In 1997, NASA's Pathfinder landed on Mars to become the first U.S. spacecraft to land on the planet in more than two decades.

Also in 1997, Mexico's top drug lord died in a Mexico City hospital following plastic surgery to change his appearance.

In 2002, with the nation on alert for a possible terrorist attack, a gunman killed two people at the Los Angeles International Airport near a ticket counter of El Al, the Israeli airline, before he was killed by a guard.

In 2003, with the lack of international markets after a lone case of mad cow disease, Canadian beef prices in grocery stores fell to as low as 75 cents a pound.

Also in 2003, three attackers killed 50 people and injured dozens of others when they opened fire at a Shiite mosque in Quetta, Pakistan.

In 2005, NASA's "Deep Impact" spacecraft wound up an 85 million-mile journey by intentionally slamming into the Tempel 1 comet to learn more about comets and other aspects of the solar system.

In 2006, North Korea test launched seven ballistic missiles in what it called "routine military exercises," kicking up a firestorm of anger with its neighbors and the United States. One missile, the only long-range one tested, reportedly was capable of hitting the western United States.

Also in 2006, the first U.S. space shuttle flight in almost a year began when the Discovery was launched from the space center at Cape Canaveral.

In 2007, Palestinian militants holding BBC reporter Alan Johnston prisoner in Gaza released him after nearly four months of captivity.

Also in 2007, former Liberian President Charles Taylor, who had boycotted the proceedings as unfair, pleaded innocent to sex charges at his war crimes trial at The Hague. (OTCBB:HGUE)

And, the Russian resort city of Sochi was selected to host the 2014 Winter Olympics, marking the first time the country has been the site of the Winter Games.


A thought for the day: U.S. President Calvin Coolidge reportedly said, "If you don't say anything, you won't be called upon to repeat it."

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Today is Saturday, July 5, the 187th day of 2008 with 179 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include David Farragut, the first U.S. Navy admiral, in 1801; showman P.T. Barnum in 1810; British colonialist Cecil Rhodes, founder of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), in 1853; Dwight Davis, founder of the Davis Cup tennis tournament, in 1879; French writer and film director Jean Cocteau in 1889; politician and diplomat Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. in 1902; actor Milburn Stone ("Gunsmoke") in 1904; former football coach John McKay in 1923; actor Warren Oates in 1928; actress Katherine Helmond in 1928 (age 80); Robbie Robertson, composer, musician, member of The Band, in 1943 (age 65); Julie Nixon Eisenhower in 1948 (age 60); and rock singer Huey Lewis in 1950 (age 58).



On this date in history:

In 1865, William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London.

In 1916, children under 16 were banned from New York City theaters due to an outbreak of polio. Some 200 theaters shut down throughout the summer.

In 1935, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt signed the National Labor Relations Act.

In 1945, U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur announced the liberation of the Philippines as World War II approached its end.

In 1946, French designer Louis Reard introduced the bikini swimsuit.

In 1954, newcomer Elvis Presley recorded "That's All Right (Mama)," a song he had not intended to do when he began his first recording session at Sun Records in Memphis and it became an instant local sensation.

In 1982, the Penn Square Bank of Oklahoma was declared insolvent, touching off a bank crisis that affected much of the United States.

In 1991, BCCI, with $20 billion in assets, was seized by regulators in the United States, Cayman Islands, France, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Spain and Switzerland.

In 1994, the United States stopped accepting Haitian refugees and asked that other countries provide them with "safe havens."

In 1997, Martina Hingis, 16, of Switzerland became the youngest in 100 years to win the women's singles tennis championship at Wimbledon.

In 2002, baseball great Ted Williams died at the age of 83. At the time of his death, Williams, who played his entire, war-interrupted but outstanding career with the Boston Red Sox, was the last man to hit .400 in a major league baseball season (.406 in 1941).

In 2003, 16 people died during Russia's biggest rock concert in Moscow when two female suicide bombers detonated explosives.

Also in 2003, the World Health Organization said the spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, appeared to be contained.

In 2006, in response to North Korea's test launch of seven ballistic missiles, the U.N. Security Council called an emergency meeting to deal with the situation and the international uproar it had caused.

Also in 2006, former Enron Chairman Ken Lay died of a heart attack while awaiting sentencing on a six-count conviction in one of the biggest business scandals in U.S. history.

In 2007, a group identifying itself as 45 Muslim doctors reportedly threatened to attack the United States with car bombs and other weapons. A group of doctors earlier had been accused in a British bomb plot.

Also in 2007, private contractors outnumbered U.S. troops in Iraq by about 20,000 people, a published report says.


A thought for the day: Emily Dickinson wrote, "There is no Frigate like a Book to take us Lands away."

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Today is Sunday, July 6, the 188th day of 2008 with 178 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include John Paul Jones, founder of the U.S. Navy, in 1747; singer Laverne Andrews, of the Andrews Sisters, in 1915; former U.S. first lady Nancy Reagan in 1921 (age 87); TV entertainer, producer Merv Griffin and rock 'n' roll pioneer Bill Haley ("Rock Around The Clock"), both in 1925; actress Janet Leigh in 1927; singer/actress Della Reese in 1931 (age 77); actors Ned Beatty in 1937 (age 71), Burt Ward in 1945 (age 63) and Sylvester Stallone in 1946 (age 62); U.S. President George W. Bush, also in 1946 (age 62); and actresses Shelley Hack in 1947 (age 61) and Allyce Beasley in 1954 (age 54).



On this date in history:

In 1699, pirate Capt. William Kidd was seized in Boston and deported to England. He later was hanged.

In 1854, the Republican Party was formally established at a meeting in New York City.

In 1885, French bacteriologist Louis Pasteur inoculated the first human being, a boy who had been bitten by a rabid dog. The youngster didn't develop rabies.

In 1919, a British dirigible landed at New York's Roosevelt Field to complete the first airship crossing of the Atlantic.

In 1923, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was formed.

In 1933, the first Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played at Comiskey Park in Chicago. The American League beat the National League, 4-2.

In 1942, diarist Anne Frank and her family took refuge in a secret section of an Amsterdam warehouse where they hid from the Nazis for two years. Finally discovered, they were shipped to concentration camps where Anne died.

In 1944, fire in the big top of the Ringling Brothers, Barnum & Bailey Circus in Hartford, Conn., killed 167 people, two-thirds of them children, and injured 682 others.

In 1957, while attending a church picnic near Liverpool, 15-year-old Paul McCartney met 16-year-old John Lennon. Lennon's band was playing at the picnic and by the end of the day McCartney had joined the group.

In 1958, Alaska became the 49th U.S. state.

In 1967, civil war broke out in Nigeria.

In 1971, Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, one of the 20th century's most influential American musicians, died at age 69.

In 1976, women were first admitted to the U.S. Naval Academy.

In 1984, U.S. President Reagan, in a TV interview, said it was a "probability" that many young people now paying into Social Security "will never be able to receive as much as they're paying."

In 1992, a bomb exploded near the car carrying French President Mitterrand's wife during a visit to Kurdish settlements in northern Iraq. She was unhurt but at least two other people were killed.

In 1993, the flooded Mississippi River was closed to barge traffic from Sioux City, Iowa, to St. Louis.

In 1994, a firestorm killed 14 forest fire fighters near Glenwood Springs, Colo.

Also in 1994, U.S. President Bill Clinton visited Latvia, becoming the first U.S. president to travel to the Baltic region.

In 1997, the Mars Pathfinder deployed the remote-controlled Sojourner to explore the surface of Mars.

Also in 1997, for the first time since it was founded in 1929, Mexico's Institutional Revolutionary Party failed to win a majority in voting for the lower house of Congress.

In 1999, U.S. first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton announced she was forming an committee to look into running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y. No first lady had before sought public office.

Also in 1999, Ehud Barak was sworn in as prime minister of Israel.

In 2003, Liberian President Charles Taylor, who promised to resign in the face of civil war, said he had accepted an invitation to go into exile in Nigeria.

In 2004, U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president, chose Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., as his running mate.

In 2005, New York Times (NYSE:NYT) reporter Judith Miller was sent to jail for refusing to name her source in connection with the leaking of a CIA agent's identity to the media.

Also in 2005, London was chosen for the site of the 2012 Olympic Games in a close decision over Paris.

In 2006, U.S. President George Bush turned 60 with Washington observers noting he was likely the healthiest president ever at that age.

Also in 2006, a record $145 billion class action award against five tobacco companies was overturned by the Florida Supreme Court.

And, Felipe Calderon of Mexico's ruling National Action Party won a tight race for president over Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.

In 2007, a three-judge U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati dismissed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping program.


A thought for the day: Ambrose Bierce defined a cynic as "A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be."

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Today is Monday, July 7, the 189th day of 2008 with 177 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include ( mlbyron -ts4ms); composer Gustav Mahler in 1860; painter Marc Chagall in 1887; film director George Cukor in 1899; film director Vittorio De Sica in 1901; baseball pitcher Leroy "Satchel" Paige and zither player Anton Karas ("The Third Man") in 1906; science fiction author Robert Heinlein in 1907; composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1911; Chicago 7 defense lawyer William Kunstler in 1919; Ezzard Charles, heavyweight boxing champion, in 1921; French fashion designer Pierre Cardin in 1922 (age 86); bandleader Doc Severinsen in 1927 (age 81); singer Mary Ford in 1924; former Beatle Ringo Starr in 1940 (age 68); actors Shelley Duvall in 1949 (age 59) and Bill Campbell in 1959 (age 49); and figure skater Michelle Kwan in 1980 (age 28).




On this date in history:

In 1846, U.S. Navy Commodore J.D. Sloat proclaimed the annexation of California by the United States.

In 1865, four people convicted of conspiring with John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln were hanged in Washington.

In 1898, U.S. President William McKinley signed a joint resolution of Congress authorizing the annexation of Hawaii by the United States.

In 1946, Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini (1850-1917) became the first American to be canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1973, U.S. President Richard Nixon said he wouldn't appear before the Senate Watergate Investigating Committee or give it access to White House files.

In 1976, the first female students were permitted to enroll at U.S. military academies.

In 1981, Sandra Day O'Connor was chosen by U.S. President Ronald Reagan to become the first woman on the U.S. Supreme Court. She was unanimously approved by the Senate.

In 1987, U.S. Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North began six days of testimony before the congressional Iran-Contra committee.

In 1994, 16 people died in Americus, Ga., when 21.1 inches of rain fell.

In 1998, a Los Angeles jury convicted Mikail Markhasev, 19, of murder in the January 1997 shooting death of Ennis Cosby, son of entertainer Bill Cosby.

In 1999, a Miami-Dade County jury held the leading tobacco companies liable for various illnesses of Florida smokers. The class-action lawsuit, filed in 1994, was the first of its kind to come to trial.

In 2003, the 37-member Iraqi governing council, representing all major ethnic and religious groups in the nation, began work aimed at taking control by the end of the month.

Also in 2003, actor and dancer Buddy Ebsen, known to millions of TV fans as "Beverly Hillbilly" Jed Clampett and detective Barnaby Jones, died in Southern California. He was 95.

In 2004, Ken Lay, founder and former chief executive officer of the bankrupt Enron Corp., was indicted on 11 criminal counts, including conspiracy, bank fraud and securities fraud.

In 2005, terrorists struck the London transit system setting off explosions in three subway cars and a double-decker bus in a coordinated rush-hour arrack. A reported 56 people were killed and more than 700 injured.

In 2006, three men were arrested overseas in an alleged plot to bomb a commuter rail tunnel under the Hudson River between New York and New Jersey.

In 2007, a truck loaded with an estimated 2 tons of explosives was detonated in an outdoor market in Amerli, Iraq, killing a reported 150 people, injuring hundreds more and destroying much of the Shiite village north of Baghdad. About 250 were reported killed in three days of insurgent attacks.



A thought for the day: Benjamin Franklin wrote in "Poor Richard's Almanac" that "If you'd know the value of money, go and borrow some."

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Today is Tuesday, July 8, the 190th day of 2008 with 176 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include dirigible inventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin in 1838; French psychologist Alfred Binet in 1857; oil magnate John D. Rockefeller in 1839 and his grandson, U.S. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller in 1908; band leader Louis Jordan, also in 1908; White House journalist Sarah Newcomb McClendon in 1910; drama critic Walter Kerr in 1913; jazz singer Billy Eckstine in 1914; TV executive Roone Arledge in 1931; singers Jerry Vale in 1932 (age 76) and Steve Lawrence in 1935 (age 73); actor Jeffrey Tambor in 1944 (age 64); ballet dancer Cynthia Gregory in 1946 (age 62); children's singer Raffi (Cavoukian) in 1948 (age 60); chef Wolfgang Puck in 1949 (age 59), and actors Kim Darby in 1947 (age 61), Anjelica Huston in 1951 (age 57), Kevin Bacon in 1958 (age 50) and Billy Crudup in 1968 (age 40).



On this date in history:

In 1497, Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama sailed from Lisbon on a voyage that would lead to discovery of a sea route to India around the southern tip of Africa.

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read in public for the first time, to people gathered at Philadelphia's Independence Square.

In 1835, the Liberty Bell cracked while being rung during the funeral of U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall in Philadelphia.

In 1853, Commodore Matthew Perry, representing the U.S. government, sailed into Tokyo Bay to begin negotiations that led to the United States becoming the first Western nation to establish diplomatic relations with Japan in two centuries.

In 1950, U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur was designated commander of U.N. forces in Korea.

In 1969, the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Vietnam began.

In 1991, Yugoslav leaders signed an accord calling for an internationally observed cease-fire in Slovenia and Croatia.

Also in 1991, Iraq admitted to the United Nations that it had produced enriched uranium, but not enough to make nuclear weapons.

In 1994, North Korean President Kim Il Sung died at age 82. He had led the country since its founding in 1948.

Also in 1994, O.J. Simpson was ordered to stand trial on two counts of first-degree murder in the slayings of his ex-wife and her friend.

In 1996, Turkey's first Islamic prime minister confirmed he wanted a less-Western-affiliated nation when he refused the United States permission to use a Turkish military base to bomb Iraq.

In 1997, the U.S. Senate began hearings on potentially illegal campaign fund-raising practices. Among the allegations was that China, through illegal contributions, sought to influence the outcome of the 1996 elections.

Also in 1997, NATO invited three Eastern European nations -- the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland -- to join the organization.

In 1998, a tentative settlement was reported between Dow Corning Corp. and lawyers for 170,000 women who claimed they had become ill from the company's silicone breast implants.

Also in 1998, four leaders of the Montana Freemen were convicted in federal court in Billings, Mont., of conspiring to defraud banks. The anti-government, anti-tax group gained fame in 1996 during an 81-day standoff at its ranch.

In 2003, North Korea said work had begun on nuclear weapons with enough plutonium on hand to build six bombs.

Also in 2003, doctors in Singapore separated two 29-year-old Iranian sisters who had been joined at the head since birth but the women died during the 54-hour operation.

In 2004, a U.S. Marine once reported to have been beheaded by Iraqi captors showed up alive and well at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut. Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun, 24, was turned over to military authorities.

In 2005, Hurricane Dennis killed an estimated 57 people in Cuba, Haiti and Jamaica before thundering toward the Florida coast where residents prepared for a major storm.

In 2006, Atlantic City's 12 casinos reopened after being forced to shut down for three days, as were a number of New Jersey state offices, in a political dispute that virtually closed government over a proposed 1-cent raise in the sales tax. The state, which employs inspectors at the casinos, lost about $4 million in gambling taxes.

In 2007, Israeli officials approved the release of 250 Palestinian prisoners to boost the administration of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli and Palestinian officials also said talks were under way to set up a meeting between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.


A thought for the day: "Business? That's very simple. It's other people's money," a remark from Alexander Dumas.

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Today is Wednesday, July 9, the 191st day of 2008 with 175 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include Elias Howe, inventor of the sewing machine, in 1819; Nicola Tesla, inventor of the electromagnetic motor, in 1856; historian Samuel Eliot Morison in 1887; English romance novelist Barbara Cartland in 1901; actor/singer Ed Ames in 1927 (age 81); English artist David Hockney in 1937 (age 71); actors Brian Dennehy in 1938 (age 70) and Richard Roundtree in 1942 (age 66); football star/actor O.J. Simpson in 1947 (age 61); entertainer John Tesh in 1952 (age 56); actors Tom Hanks in 1956 (age 52), Kelly McGillis in 1957 (age 51), Jimmy Smits in 1955 (age 53) and Fred Savage in 1976 (age 32); and singer/actress Courtney Love in 1964 (age 44).



On this date in history:

In 1850, U.S. President Zachary Taylor died suddenly of cholera. He was succeeded by Millard Fillmore.

In 1877, the first Wimbledon tennis tournament was staged at the All-England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club.

In 1893, Chicago surgeon Dr. Daniel Hale Williams performed the first successful open-heart surgery.

In 1943, U.S., Canadian and British forces invaded Sicily during World War II.

In 1947, Florence Blanchard, a nurse, was appointed lieutenant colonel in the Army, becoming the first woman to hold a permanent U.S. military rank.

In 1955, Bill Haley and the Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" hit No.1 on Billboard magazine's best-seller records chart, marking what some consider the beginning of the rock 'n' roll era.

In 1960, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev threatened the United States with rockets if U.S. forces attempted to oust the communist government of Cuba.

In 1982, a Pan Am Boeing 727 jetliner crashed in Kenner, La., shortly after takeoff from New Orleans, killing 154 people.

In 1992, Democratic presidential hopeful Bill Clinton picked U.S. Sen. Al Gore, D-Tenn., as his running mate.

In 1997, NBC was the lone holdout when the major networks agreed to implement a revised and expanded television ratings system.

In 2002 sports, the All-Star baseball game ended in an 11-inning, 7-7 tie when Commissioner Bud Selig halted proceedings saying the teams had run out of pitchers.

In 2003, the director of South Korea's intelligence service said North Korea has carried out some 70 high-explosive tests linked to nuclear weapons development.

In 2004, a report by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence accused the CIA and other intelligence agencies of producing false and misleading pre-war information about Iraq's weapons program.

Also, in 2004, the International Court of Justice told Israel to tear down or re-route the 400-mile wall being built on the Palestinian territory border to thwart suicide attacks.

In 2005, London police continued the grim task of recovering bodies from the city's underground subway system where terrorists set off three well-coordinated bombing attacks killing a reported 57 people and wounding more than 700 others.

In 2006, a Sibir Airlines Airbus from Moscow taking children to a vacation area in Siberia crashed, killing more than 100 people, including many of the young travelers.

Also in 2006, Shiite gunmen on a rampage in a predominantly Sunni district of Baghdad killed at least 40 people, including unarmed women and children.

And, four U.S. soldiers were charged with raping a young Iraqi woman and killing her along with her family, the U.S. military said.

In 2007, U.S. President George Bush defied a congressional subpoena, citing executive privilege, ordering him to turn over documents relating to the firing of nine U.S. prosecutors in 2006.

Also in 2007, four Islamic men were convicted of trying to bomb the London transit system in July 2005. All later were sentenced to life in prison. Their failed plot followed the July 7, 2005, London transit attack that killed 56 people.



A thought for the day: David McCord said, "Life is the garment we continually alter, but which never seems to fit."

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Today is Thursday, July 10, the 192nd day of 2008 with 174 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Cancer. They include Protestant theologian John Calvin in 1509; American painter James Whistler in 1834; brewer Adolphus Busch in 1839; French novelist Marcel Proust in 1871; black educator Mary McLeod Bethune in 1875; novelist Saul Bellow in 1915; TV news anchor/commentator David Brinkley in 1920; boxer Jake LaMotta in 1921 (age 87); author Jean Kerr in 1923; actor Fred Gwynne ("The Munsters") in 1926; former New York City Mayor David Dinkins in 1927 (age 81); tennis star Arthur Ashe in 1943; actors Ron Glass in 1945 (age 63) and Sue Lyon in 1946 (age 62); and folksinger Arlo Guthrie in 1947 (age 61).



On this date in history:

In 1890, Wyoming was admitted to the United States as the 44th state.

In 1925, the so-called Monkey Trial, in which John Scopes was accused of teaching evolution in school, a violation of state law, began in Dayton, Tenn., featuring a classic confrontation between William Jennings Bryan, the three-time presidential candidate and fundamentalist hero, and legendary defense attorney Clarence Darrow.

In 1938, industrialist Howard Hughes and a crew of four flew around the world in 91 hours, setting a speed record.

In 1962, the pioneer telecommunications satellite Telstar began relaying TV pictures between the United States and Europe.

In 1985, two explosions sank the Rainbow Warrior, flagship of the Greenpeace environmental activist group, in Auckland, New Zealand, killing a ship's photographer and launching an international uproar. France later acknowledged responsibility.

Also in 1985, Coca-Cola, besieged by consumers dissatisfied with the new Coke introduced in April, dusted off the old formula and dubbed it "Coke Classic."

In 1989, Mel Blanc, the voice of Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and countless other Warner Bros. cartoon characters and radio and TV comic creations, died from complications of heart disease. He was 81.

In 1991, U.S. President George H.W. Bush lifted U.S. trade sanctions against South Africa, making it possible for the two nations to engage in trade.

Also in 1991, in Moscow, Boris Yeltsin was inaugurated as the first freely elected president of the Russian republic.

In 1992, former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was sentenced to 40 years in prison for cocaine racketeering.

And in 1992, an Alaskan appeals court overturned the conviction of former Exxon Valdez Capt. Joseph Hazelwood in connection with the massive oil spill in Prince William Sound.

In 1999, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and five other African nations, all of which had troops in Congo, signed a cease-fire agreement in a bid to end that country's civil war.

Also in 1999, the U.S. team won the Women's World Cup in soccer, defeating China in the final on penalty kicks.

In 2002, the blue-chip Dow Jones industrials declined 282.59 points and the hard-hit Nasdaq index and Standard and Poor's 500 stock index fell to their lowest levels since 1997.

In 2003, North Korea's chief delegate called on South Korea to forge a united front against the United States, which he said was "seeking to start a war of aggression against the Korean nation."

In 2004, a report by the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence said the United States would not have gone to war in Iraq if the weakness of pre-war intelligence revealed by the Senate had been known.

In 2006, 45 passengers and crew aboard a Pakistan International Airlines flight died in a fiery crash when the aircraft went down after takeoff in Multan after one engine failed and the wing hit a power cable.

In 2007, in a two-day battle that began on this date, ending a three-month standoff, Pakistani government commandos stormed Islamabad's Red Mosque, which had been taken over by radical students. At least 100 people were reported killed in the final struggle.



A thought for the day: French novelist Marcel Proust said, "Happiness is beneficial for the body but it is grief that develops the powers of the mind