Today in history

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Today is Thursday, Sept. 14, the 257th day of 2006. There are 108 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Sept. 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write his poem "The Star-Spangled Banner'' after witnessing the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Maryland during the War of 1812.

On this date:
In 1812, the Russians set fire to Moscow in the face of an invasion by Napoleon Bonaparte's troops.
In 1901, President McKinley died in Buffalo, N.Y., of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him.
In 1927, modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan died in Nice, France, when her scarf became entangled in a wheel of her sports car.
In 1948, a groundbreaking ceremony took place in New York at the site of the United Nations' world headquarters.
In 1959, the Soviet space probe Luna 2 became the first manmade object to reach the moon as it crashed onto the lunar surface.
In 1964, Pope Paul VI opened the third session of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, also known as "Vatican Two.'' (The session closed two months later.)
In 1975, Pope Paul VI declared Mother Elizabeth Ann Bayley Seton the first U.S.-born saint.
In 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco, formerly actress Grace Kelly, died at age 52 of injuries from a car crash the day before.
In 1982, Lebanon's president-elect, Bashir Gemayel, was killed by a bomb.
In 1985, Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon released the Rev. Benjamin Weir after holding him captive for 16 months.

Ten years ago: Bosnians went to the polls in their first national elections since the 3 1/2-year civil war that had ravaged the Balkan republic. Tara Dawn Holland of Kansas was crowned Miss America.

Five years ago: Patriotism mixed with prayer as Americans packed churches and clogged public squares on a day of remembrance for the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. President Bush prayed with his Cabinet and attended services at Washington National Cathedral, then flew to New York, where he waded into the ruins of the World Trade Center and addressed rescue workers in a flag-waving, bullhorn-wielding show of resolve. Officials announced the Pentagon would call up as many as 50,000 members of the National Guard and Reserve.
One year ago: Coordinated bombings killed at least 160 in Baghdad, the deadliest attack since Iraq's new government took office in April 2005. Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A federal judge in San Francisco declared the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools unconstitutional (the Bush administration has vowed to appeal). Movie director Robert Wise ("West Side Story''; "The Sound of Music'') died in Los Angeles at age 91.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Zoe Caldwell is 73. Actor Harve Presnell is 73. Feminist author Kate Millett is 72. Actor Walter Koenig is 70. Actor Nicol Williamson is 68. Singer-actress Joey Heatherton is 62. Actor Sam Neill is 59. Singer Jon "Bowser'' Bauman (Sha Na Na) is 59. Rock musician Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) is 51. Country singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman is 50. Actress Mary Crosby is 47. Singer Morten Harket (a-ha) is 47. Country singer John Berry is 47. Actress Melissa Leo is 46. Actress Faith Ford is 42. Actor Dan Cortese is 38. Rock musician Craig Montoya (Tri Polar) is 36. Actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley is 35. Rapper Nas is 33. Country singer Danielle Peck is 28. Actor Adam Lamberg is 22.

Thought for Today: "Civilizations die from philosophical calm, irony, and the sense of fair play quite as surely as they die of debauchery.''
-- Joseph Wood Krutch, American author, critic and educator (1893-1970

[italianstallion]

Some cool facts...thanks for sharing...

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Today is Friday, Sept. 15, the 258th day of 2006. There are 107 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Sept. 15, 1789, the U.S. Department of Foreign Affairs was renamed the Department of State.

On this date:
In 1776, British forces occupied New York City during the American Revolution.
In 1821, independence from Spain was proclaimed for Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.
In 1857, William Howard Taft, who served as president of the United States and as U.S. chief justice, was born in Cincinnati.
In 1917, Russia was proclaimed a republic by Alexander Kerensky, the head of a provisional government.
In 1935, the Nuremberg Laws deprived German Jews of their citizenship and made the swastika the official symbol of Nazi Germany.
In 1940, during the Battle of Britain in World War II, the tide turned as the Luftwaffe sustained heavy losses inflicted by the Royal Air Force.
In 1950, during the Korean conflict, United Nations forces landed at Incheon in the south and began their drive toward Seoul.
In 1959, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev arrived in the U.S. to begin a 13-day visit.
In 1963, four black girls were killed when a bomb went off during Sunday services at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. (Three Ku Klux Klansmen were eventually convicted for their roles in the blast.)
In 1982, Iran's former foreign minister, Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, was executed after he was convicted of plotting against the government.

Ten years ago: Defense Secretary William Perry was making the rounds among American allies in the Persian Gulf region, seeking additional support for the U.S. stance against Iraq. Bahrain agreed to play host to 26 American F-16 jet fighters.

Five years ago: President Bush ordered U.S. troops to get ready for war and braced Americans for a long, difficult assault against terrorists to avenge the Sept. 11 attacks. Beleaguered Afghans streamed out of Kabul, fearing a U.S. military strike against Taliban rulers who were harboring Osama bin Laden. Fred De Cordova, executive producer of "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson,'' died in Woodland Hills, Calif., at age 90.

One year ago: President Bush, addressing the nation from storm-ravaged New Orleans, acknowledged the government failed to respond adequately to Hurricane Katrina, and urged Congress to approve a massive reconstruction program. Hurricane Ophelia continued to lash the Outer Banks of North Carolina with rain and wind. Producer Sid Luft, who was credited with reviving the career of his then-wife, Judy Garland, died in Santa Monica, Calif., at age 89.

Today's Birthdays: Bluesman Snooky Pryor is 85. Actor-director Jackie Cooper is 84. Actor Forrest Compton is 81. Comedian Norm Crosby is 79. Actor Henry Darrow is 73. Baseball Hall-of-Famer Gaylord Perry is 68. Football Hall-of-Famer Merlin Olsen is 66. Opera singer Jessye Norman is 61. Actor Tommy Lee Jones is 60. Movie director Oliver Stone is 60. Rock musician Mitch Dorge (Crash Test Dummies) is 46. Football Hall-of-Famer Dan Marino is 45. Actor Danny Nucci is 38. Rap DJ Kay Gee is 37. Rock musician Allen Shellenberger (Lit) is 37. Actor Josh Charles is 35. Singer Ivette Sosa (Eden's Crush) is 30. Actress Amy Davidson is 27. Britain's Prince Henry of Wales is 22.

Thought for Today: "My heart is a lonely hunter that hunts on a lonely hill.''
-- "Fiona MacLeod'' (William Sharp), Scottish author and poet (1855-1905).

[italianstallion]

Woohoo more facts...time to read...lol

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Today's Highlight in History:
On Sept. 18, 1793, President Washington laid the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol.

On this date:
In 1810, Chile declared its independence from Spain.
In 1850, Congress passed the Fugitive Slave Act, which allowed slaveowners to reclaim slaves who had escaped to other states.
In 1851, the first edition of The New York Times was published.
In 1905, actress Greta Garbo was born in Stockholm, Sweden.
In 1927, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) made its debut with a basic network of 16 radio stations.
In 1947, the National Security Act, which unified the Army, Navy and newly formed Air Force into a National Military Establishment, went into effect.
In 1961, United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was killed in a plane crash in northern Rhodesia.
In 1970, rock star Jimi Hendrix died in London at age 27.
In 1975, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was captured by the FBI in San Francisco, 19 months after being kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.
In 1981, a museum honoring former President Ford was dedicated in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Ten years ago: Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole fell off a stage during a campaign rally in Chico, Calif., after a railing gave way; he was not seriously hurt. The O.J. Simpson civil trial opened in Santa Monica, Calif. The Food and Drug Administration declared the French abortion pill RU-486 safe and effective, but withheld final approval until later.

Five years ago: A week after the Sept. 11 attack, President Bush said he hoped to "rally the world'' in the battle against terrorism and predicted that all "people who love freedom'' would join. Letters postmarked Trenton, N.J., that later tested positive for anthrax were sent to the New York Post and NBC anchorman Tom Brokaw. Boeing announced plans to lay off up to 30,000 commercial airplane employees by the end of 2002.

One year ago: Tropical Storm Rita formed southeast of the Florida Keys. Millions of Afghans defied a Taliban boycott call and militant attacks to vote for a new parliament. German conservative challenger Angela Merkel's bloc won the most votes in elections, but fell short of a clear mandate to govern. "Everybody Loves Raymond'' won the Emmy for best comedy in its final season; first-year hit "Lost'' was named best drama.

Today's Birthdays: Singer Jimmie Rodgers is 73. Actor Robert Blake is 73. Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, is 73. Actor Fred Willard is 67. Singer Frankie Avalon is 66. Rock musician Kerry Livgren is 57. Actress Anna Deavere Smith is 56. Movie director Mark Romanek is 47. Actor James Gandolfini is 45. Singer Joanne Catherall (Human League) is 44. Actress Holly Robinson Peete is 42. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ricky Bell (Bell Biv Devoe and New Edition) is 39. Actress Aisha Tyler is 36. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is 35. Actor James Marsden is 33. Rapper Xzibit is 32. Actress Alison Lohman is 27. Actors Taylor and Brandon Porter are 13. Actor C.J. Sanders ("Ray'') is 10.

Thought for Today: "Loneliness ... is and always has been the central and inevitable experience of every man.''
-- From "You Can't Go Home Again,'' by Thomas Wolfe, American author (1900-1938).