OCTOBER 1ST

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 1, the 275th day of 2008.
There are 91 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

• One hundred years ago, on Oct. 1, 1908, Henry Ford introduced his Model T automobile to the market.

On this date:

• In 1800, Spain ceded Louisiana to France in a secret treaty.
• In 1918, Damascus fell to Arab forces as Turkish Ottoman officials surrendered the city.
• In 1936, Gen. Francisco Franco was proclaimed the head of an insurgent Spanish state.
• In 1949, Mao Zedong proclaimed the People's Republic of China during a ceremony in Beijing.
• In 1958, the American Express charge card made its official debut.
• In 1964, the Free Speech Movement was launched at the University of California at Berkeley.
• In 1968, the Senate refused to shut down a filibuster against President Lyndon B. Johnson's nomination of Abe Fortas to be U.S. chief justice. (Fortas withdrew the next day).
• In 1968, the cult horror movie "Night of the Living Dead" had its world premiere in Pittsburgh.
• In 1971, Walt Disney World opened in Orlando, Fla.
• In 1987, eight people were killed when an earthquake measuring magnitude 5.9 struck the Los Angeles area.

Ten years ago:

• Seeking to head off threatened NATO attacks, Yugoslavia's Serb leadership invited foreign experts to investigate massacres in Kosovo.

Five years ago:

• The United States took over the monthlong presidency of the U.N. Security Council at a time when it was campaigning for approval of a new resolution aimed at getting more countries to contribute troops and money to Iraq.
• Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh resigned from his ESPN sports job after stirring controversy by suggesting Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb was overrated because the media wanted to see a black quarterback succeed.

One year ago:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a surprise announcement, opened the door to becoming the country's prime minister.
• The Dow Jones industrial average rose 191.92 points to 14,087.55, surpassing a mid-July closing record of 14,000.41.
• Olympic gold-medal discus thrower Al Oerter died in Fort Myers, Fla., at age 71.

Today's Birthdays:

• Actor James Whitmore is 87.
• Former President Jimmy Carter is 84.
• Pianist Roger Williams is 84.
• Actor Tom Bosley is 81.
• Actress-singer Julie Andrews is 73.
• Rock musician Jerry Martini (Sly and the Family Stone) is 65.
• Baseball Hall-of-Famer Rod Carew is 63.
• Jazz musician Dave Holland is 62.
• Actor Stephen Collins is 61.
• Actor Randy Quaid is 58.
• Actress Yvette Freeman is 51.
• Singer Youssou N'Dour is 49.
• Actor Esai Morales is 46.
• Baseball player Mark McGwire is 45.
• Actor Christopher Titus is 44.
• Actress-model Cindy Margolis is 43.
• Rock singer-musician Kevin Griffin (Better Than Ezra) is 40.
• Singer Keith Duffy is 34.
• Actress Jurnee Smollett is 22.
• Actress Brie Larson is 19.

Thought for Today:

"Anything one man can imagine, other men can make real."
Jules Verne, French author (1828-1905).

"Let's all be careful out there!"