NOVEMBER 8TH

Today is Saturday, Nov. 8, the 313th day of 2008.
There are 53 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

• On Nov. 8, 1923, Adolf Hitler launched his first attempt at seizing power with a failed coup in Munich, Germany, that came to be known as the "Beer-Hall Putsch."

On this date:

• In 1308, Scottish-born theologian and philosopher John Duns Scotus died in Germany. (Scotus and his adherents came under attack by critics in the 16th century, giving rise to the term "dunce.")
• In 1837, Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, a college exclusively for women, opened in South Hadley, Mass.
• In 1889, Montana became the 41st state.
• In 1932, New York Gov. Franklin D. Roosevelt defeated incumbent Herbert Hoover for the presidency.
• In 1933, President Roosevelt created the Civil Works Administration, designed to create jobs for more than four million unemployed.
• In 1942, Operation Torch, resulting in an Allied victory, began during World War II as U.S. and British forces landed in French North Africa.
• In 1960, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard M. Nixon for the presidency.
• In 1966, Edward W. Brooke, R-Mass., became the first black candidate to be elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote.
• In 1983, Democrat W. Wilson Goode was elected the first black mayor of Philadelphia; Democrat Martha Layne Collins was elected the first female governor of Kentucky.
• In 1988, Vice President George Bush won the presidential election, defeating Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis.

Ten years ago:

• U.S. Rep. Bob Livingston, R-La., predicted he would succeed Newt Gingrich as House Speaker. (However, Livingston later resigned before he could become speaker after admitting to marital infidelities.)

Five years ago:

• A suicide car bombing of a housing complex in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killed 17 people.
• Front-runner Howard Dean became the first Democratic presidential candidate ever to reject taxpayer money and avoid the accompanying spending limits, saying he had to act to compete against President Bush's cash-rich campaign.

One year ago:

• The Senate confirmed President Bush's nomination of Michael Mukasey to be the new attorney general, 53-40.
• President Bush suffered the first veto override of his seven-year-old presidency as the Senate enacted, 79-14, a $23 billion water resources bill despite his protest that it was filled with unnecessary projects.
• Dominican singer-songwriter Juan Luis Guerra swept the Latin Grammy Awards, taking home five musical honors including album of the year, record of the year and song of the year.

Today's Birthdays:

• Actress June Havoc is 96.
• Actor Norman Lloyd is 94.
• Jazz singer Chris Connor is 81.
• Singer Patti Page is 81.
• CBS newsman Morley Safer is 77.
• Singer-actress Bonnie Bramlett is 64.
• Singer Bonnie Raitt is 59.
• TV personality Mary Hart is 58.
• Playboy Enterprises chairman and chief executive Christie Hefner is 56.
• Actress Alfre Woodard is 55.
• Singer-songwriter Rickie Lee Jones is 54.
• Rock musician Porl Thompson (The Cure) is 51.
• Singer-actor Leif Garrett is 47.
• Actress Courtney Thorne-Smith is 41.
• Actress Parker Posey is 40.
• Rock musician Jimmy Chaney is 39.
• Actress Roxana Zal is 39.
• Singer Diana King is 38.
• Actress Gretchen Mol is 35.
• Actress Tara Reid is 33.
• Country singer/former "American Idol" contestant Bucky Covington is 31.
• Actress Dania Ramirez is 29.
• Actress Azura Skye is 27.
• Actor Chris Rankin is 25.
• TV personality Jack Osbourne ("The Osbournes") is 23.

Thought for Today:

"Man is born to live, not to prepare for life."
Boris Pasternak, Russian author (1890-1960).

"Let's all be careful out there!"