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There are 70 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
- On Oct. 22, 1962, President Kennedy announced a quarantine of all offensive military equipment shipped to Cuba, following the discovery of Soviet-built missile bases on the island.
On this date:
- In 1746, Princeton University was first chartered as the College of New Jersey.
- In 1797, French balloonist Andre-Jacques Garnerin made the first parachute descent, landing safely from a height of about 3,000 feet over Paris.
- In 1836, Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first constitutionally elected president of the Republic of Texas.
- In 1883, the original Metropolitan Opera House in New York held its grand opening with a performance of Gounod's "Faust."
- In 1928, Republican presidential nominee Herbert Hoover spoke of the "American system of rugged individualism" in a speech at New York's Madison Square Garden.
- In 1934, bank robber Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd was shot to death by federal agents at a farm in East Liverpool, Ohio.
- In 1968, Apollo 7 returned safely, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.
- In 1979, the U.S. government allowed the deposed Shah of Iran to travel to New York for medical treatment — a decision that precipitated the Iran hostage crisis.
- In 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization was decertified by the federal government for its strike the previous August.
- In 1986, President Reagan signed into law sweeping tax-overhaul legislation.
Ten years ago:
- The government advised parents to remove the batteries from their kids' "Power Wheels" cars and trucks, made by Fisher-Price, because of faulty wiring that could cause them to erupt into flames.
Five years ago:
- President Bush defended U.S. policy from the Mideast to Iraq during a frank exchange with moderate Muslim leaders during a stopover in Bali, Indonesia.
- The Florida Marlins edged the New York Yankees 4-3 in 12 innings to even the World Series at two games each.
- IRL racer Tony Renna, 26, died after crashing at nearly 220 mph during a test drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
One year ago:
- A federal judge in Dallas declared a mistrial for former leaders of the Texas-based Holy Land Foundation, a Muslim charity accused of funding terrorism.
- China's Communist Party gave President Hu Jintao a second five-year term.
- Marie Osmond fainted during ABC's live broadcast of "Dancing With the Stars."
Today's Birthdays:
- Actress Joan Fontaine is 91.
- Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing is 89.
- Actor Christopher Lloyd is 70.
- Actor Derek Jacobi is 70.
- Actor Tony Roberts is 69.
- Actress Annette Funicello is 66.
- Movie director Jan de Bont is 65.
- Actress Catherine Deneuve is 65.
- Rock musician Leslie West (Mountain) is 63.
- Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is 61.
- Actor Jeff Goldblum is 56.
- Movie director Bill Condon is 53.
- Actor Luis Guzman is 51.
- Actor-writer-producer Todd Graff is 49.
- Rock musician Cris Kirkwood is 48.
- Christian singer TobyMac is 44.
- Singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding is 43.
- Actress Valeria Golino is 42.
- Comedian Carlos Mencia is 41.
- Country singer Shelby Lynne is 40.
- Reggae rapper Shaggy is 40.
- Rapper Tracey Lee is 38.
- Actor Michael Fishman is 27.
- Talk show host Michael Essany is 26.
- Rock musician Zac Hanson (Hanson) is 23.
- Actor Jonathan Lipnicki is 18.
- Actress Sofia Vassilieva is 16.
Thought for Today:
"Happiness is not a horse; you cannot harness it."
Russian proverb.
"Let's all be careful out there!"
