Today is Friday, Oct. 28, the 301st day of 2005. There are 64 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Oct. 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty, a gift from the people of France, was dedicated in New York Harbor by President Cleveland.
On this date:
In 1636, Harvard College was founded in Massachusetts.
In 1793, Eli Whitney applied for a patent for his cotton gin (the patent was granted the following March).
In 1919, Congress enacted the Volstead Act, which provided for enforcement of Prohibition, over President Wilson's veto.
In 1922, fascism came to Italy as Benito Mussolini took control of the government.
In 1936, President Roosevelt rededicated the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary.
In 1940, Italy invaded Greece during World War II.
In 1958, the Roman Catholic patriarch of Venice, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was elected Pope; he took the name John XXIII.
In 1962, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev informed the United States that he had ordered the dismantling of Soviet missile bases in Cuba.
In 1965, Pope Paul VI issued a decree absolving Jews of collective guilt for the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
In 1980, President Carter and Republican presidential nominee Ronald Reagan faced off in a nationally broadcast, 90-minute debate in Cleveland.
Ten years ago: The Atlanta Braves defeated the Cleveland Indians, 1-0, to win the World Series in Game 6. The Senate approved a GOP package of spending slashes and tax reductions, 52-47.
Five years ago: The party of moderate Ibrahim Rugova won Kosovo's municipal elections. David Trimble, leader of Northern Ireland's biggest Protestant party, narrowly won a crucial party battle, keeping alive the province's power-sharing government.
One year ago: Insurgents executed 11 Iraqi soldiers and declared on an Islamic militant Web site that Iraqi fighters would avenge ''the blood'' of women and children killed in U.S. strikes on the guerrilla stronghold of Fallujah. Boston Red Sox fans turned out by the tens of thousands near historic Fenway Park to celebrate their World Series champion team, the city's first since 1918.
Today's Birthdays: Former baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn is 79. Jazz singer Cleo Laine is 78. Actress Joan Plowright is 76. Musician-songwriter Charlie Daniels is 69. Actress Jane Alexander is 66. Singer Curtis Lee is 64. Actor Dennis Franz is 61. Pop singer Wayne Fontana is 60. Actress Telma Hopkins is 57. Olympic track and field gold medalist Bruce Jenner is 56. Actress Annie Potts is 53. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates is 50. Rock musician Stephen Morris (New Order) is 48. Country singer-musician Ron Hemby (The Buffalo Club) is 47. Rock singer-musician William Reid (The Jesus & Mary Chain) is 47. Actress Daphne Zuniga is 43. Actress Lauren Holly is 42. Olympic silver medal figure skater Paul Wylie is 41. Actress Jami Gertz is 40. Actor-comedian Andy Richter is 39. Actress Julia Roberts is 38. Country singer-musician Caitlin Cary is 37. Actor Jeremy Davies is 36. Singer Ben Harper is 36. Country singer Brad Paisley is 33. Actor Joaquin Phoenix is 31. ''American Idol'' singer Justin Guarini is 27.
Full Version: Today in History
And My Mother's Birth Day!!! 
Today is Saturday, Oct. 29, the 302nd day of 2005. There are 63 days left in the year. A reminder: Daylight-Saving Time ends Sunday at 2 a.m. local time. Clocks should be moved back one hour.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Oct. 29, 1929, Black Tuesday descended upon the New York Stock Exchange. Prices collapsed amid panic selling and thousands of investors were wiped out as America's Great Depression began.
On this date:
In 1682, the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, landed at what is now Chester, Pa.
In 1901, President McKinley's assassin, Leon Czolgosz, was electrocuted.
In 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed.
In 1947, former first lady Frances Cleveland Preston died in Baltimore at age 83.
In 1956, during the Suez Canal crisis, Israel launched an invasion of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
In 1964, thieves made off with the Star of India and other gems from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. (The Star and most of the other gems were recovered; three men were convicted of stealing them.)
In 1966, the National Organization for Women was founded.
In 1967, the counter-culture musical ''Hair'' opened off-Broadway.
In 1979, on the 50th anniversary of the great stock market crash, anti-nuclear protesters tried but failed to shut down the New York Stock Exchange.
In 1998, Sen. John Glenn, at age 77, roared back into space aboard the shuttle Discovery.
Ten years ago: Palestinians burned American and Israeli flags and swore revenge for the assassination of Dr. Fathi Shakaki, the leader of the radical Islamic Jihad and a top architect of terror attacks against Israel. (Shakaki was gunned down three days earlier in Malta, reportedly by Israeli intelligence.)
Five years ago: The wounded destroyer USS Cole departed Aden, Yemen, towed by tugboats to a Norwegian heavy-lift ship to be taken home to repair the gaping hole in its side; 17 sailors were killed in a suicide bombing attack on Oct. 12.
One year ago: Osama bin Laden, in a videotaped statement, directly admitted for the first time that he'd ordered the Sept. 11 attacks and told America ''the best way to avoid another Manhattan'' was to stop threatening Muslims' security. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was flown to Paris for medical treatment. European Union leaders signed the EU's first constitution. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist was sent home after a week in the hospital for treatment of thyroid cancer. Comedian Vaughn Meader, who'd gained fame satirizing President Kennedy, died in Auburn, Maine, at age 68.
Today's Birthdays: Bluegrass singer-musician Sonny Osborne (The Osborne Brothers) is 68. Country singer Lee Clayton is 63. Rock musician Denny Laine is 61. Singer Melba Moore is 60. Musician Peter Green is 59. Actor Richard Dreyfuss is 58. Actress Kate Jackson is 57. Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne is 54. Country musician Steve Kellough (Wild Horses) is 48. Singer Randy Jackson is 44. Rock musician Peter Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 40. Actress Joely Fisher is 38. Rapper Paris is 38. Rock singer SA Martinez (311) is 35. Musician Toby Smith is 35. Actress Winona Ryder is 34. Actress Tracee Ellis Ross is 33. Actor Trevor Lissauer is 32. Actress Gabrielle Union is 32. Actor Brendan Fehr is 28.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Oct. 29, 1929, Black Tuesday descended upon the New York Stock Exchange. Prices collapsed amid panic selling and thousands of investors were wiped out as America's Great Depression began.
On this date:
In 1682, the founder of Pennsylvania, William Penn, landed at what is now Chester, Pa.
In 1901, President McKinley's assassin, Leon Czolgosz, was electrocuted.
In 1923, the Republic of Turkey was proclaimed.
In 1947, former first lady Frances Cleveland Preston died in Baltimore at age 83.
In 1956, during the Suez Canal crisis, Israel launched an invasion of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula.
In 1964, thieves made off with the Star of India and other gems from the American Museum of Natural History in New York. (The Star and most of the other gems were recovered; three men were convicted of stealing them.)
In 1966, the National Organization for Women was founded.
In 1967, the counter-culture musical ''Hair'' opened off-Broadway.
In 1979, on the 50th anniversary of the great stock market crash, anti-nuclear protesters tried but failed to shut down the New York Stock Exchange.
In 1998, Sen. John Glenn, at age 77, roared back into space aboard the shuttle Discovery.
Ten years ago: Palestinians burned American and Israeli flags and swore revenge for the assassination of Dr. Fathi Shakaki, the leader of the radical Islamic Jihad and a top architect of terror attacks against Israel. (Shakaki was gunned down three days earlier in Malta, reportedly by Israeli intelligence.)
Five years ago: The wounded destroyer USS Cole departed Aden, Yemen, towed by tugboats to a Norwegian heavy-lift ship to be taken home to repair the gaping hole in its side; 17 sailors were killed in a suicide bombing attack on Oct. 12.
One year ago: Osama bin Laden, in a videotaped statement, directly admitted for the first time that he'd ordered the Sept. 11 attacks and told America ''the best way to avoid another Manhattan'' was to stop threatening Muslims' security. Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat was flown to Paris for medical treatment. European Union leaders signed the EU's first constitution. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist was sent home after a week in the hospital for treatment of thyroid cancer. Comedian Vaughn Meader, who'd gained fame satirizing President Kennedy, died in Auburn, Maine, at age 68.
Today's Birthdays: Bluegrass singer-musician Sonny Osborne (The Osborne Brothers) is 68. Country singer Lee Clayton is 63. Rock musician Denny Laine is 61. Singer Melba Moore is 60. Musician Peter Green is 59. Actor Richard Dreyfuss is 58. Actress Kate Jackson is 57. Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne is 54. Country musician Steve Kellough (Wild Horses) is 48. Singer Randy Jackson is 44. Rock musician Peter Timmins (Cowboy Junkies) is 40. Actress Joely Fisher is 38. Rapper Paris is 38. Rock singer SA Martinez (311) is 35. Musician Toby Smith is 35. Actress Winona Ryder is 34. Actress Tracee Ellis Ross is 33. Actor Trevor Lissauer is 32. Actress Gabrielle Union is 32. Actor Brendan Fehr is 28.
Today is Monday, Oct. 31, the 304th day of 2005. There are 61 days left in the year. This is Halloween.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Palace church, marking the start of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
On this date:
In 1795, English poet John Keats was born in London.
In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state.
In 1926, magician Harry Houdini died in Detroit of gangrene and peritonitis resulting from a ruptured appendix.
In 1941, the U.S. Navy destroyer Reuben James was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Iceland with the loss of 115 lives, even though the United States had not yet entered World War II.
In 1955, Britain's Princess Margaret ended weeks of speculation by announcing she would not marry Royal Air Force Captain Peter Townsend.
In 1968, President Johnson ordered a halt to all U.S. bombing of North Vietnam, saying he hoped for fruitful peace negotiations.
In 1980, Reza Pahlavi, eldest son of the late shah of Iran, proclaimed himself the rightful successor to the Peacock Throne.
In 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh security guards.
In 1994, a Chicago-bound American Eagle ATR-72 crashed in northern Indiana, killing all 68 people aboard.
In 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990, bound from New York to Cairo, crashed off the Massachusetts coast, killing all 217 people aboard.
Ten years ago: Stung by defeat in the secession referendum, Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau said he would resign as head of the bitterly divided province at year's end.
Five years ago: A Los Angeles-bound Singapore Airlines jumbo jet sped down the wrong runway in Taipei, Taiwan, slamming into construction equipment and bursting into flames, killing 83 people. A charter plane in Angola crashed into a remote jungle, killing all 48 aboard. American astronaut Bill Shepherd and two Russian cosmonauts rocketed into orbit aboard a Soyuz rocket on a quest to become the first residents of the international space station. Death claimed Oscar-winning screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr. at age 85 and former Housing Secretary Samuel R. Pierce Jr. at age 78.
One year ago: In the closing hours of their bitter campaign, President Bush and challenger Sen. John Kerry charged through the critical battlegrounds of Florida and Ohio, going from hushed Sunday church services to raucous campaign rallies with promises to keep America safe.
Today's Birthdays: Former Attorney General Griffin Bell is 87. Author (word automatically removed) Francis is 85. Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk is 83. Movie critic Andrew Sarris is 77. Former astronaut Michael Collins is 75. Actress Lee Grant is 74. Former CBS anchorman Dan Rather is 74. Actor Ron Rifkin is 66. Actor David Ogden Stiers is 63. Actress Sally Kirkland is 61. Singer Kinky Friedman is 61. Actress Deidre Hall is 57. Talk show host Jane Pauley is 55. Actor Brian Stokes Mitchell is 47. Movie director Peter Jackson is 44. Rock musician Larry Mullen is 44. Actor Dermot Mulroney is 42. Rock musician Mikkey Dee (Motorhead) is 42. Rock singer-musician Johnny Marr is 42. Actor Rob Schneider is 41. Country singer Darryl Worley is 41. Rap musician Adrock is 39. Songwriter Adam Schlesinger is 38. Rap performer Rob Van Winkle (formerly known as Vanilla Ice) is 37. Rock singer Linn Berggren (Ace of Base) is 35. TV host Troy Hartman is 31. Actor Eddie Kaye Thomas is 25.
Today's Highlight in History:
On Oct. 31, 1517, Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Palace church, marking the start of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.
On this date:
In 1795, English poet John Keats was born in London.
In 1864, Nevada became the 36th state.
In 1926, magician Harry Houdini died in Detroit of gangrene and peritonitis resulting from a ruptured appendix.
In 1941, the U.S. Navy destroyer Reuben James was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Iceland with the loss of 115 lives, even though the United States had not yet entered World War II.
In 1955, Britain's Princess Margaret ended weeks of speculation by announcing she would not marry Royal Air Force Captain Peter Townsend.
In 1968, President Johnson ordered a halt to all U.S. bombing of North Vietnam, saying he hoped for fruitful peace negotiations.
In 1980, Reza Pahlavi, eldest son of the late shah of Iran, proclaimed himself the rightful successor to the Peacock Throne.
In 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh security guards.
In 1994, a Chicago-bound American Eagle ATR-72 crashed in northern Indiana, killing all 68 people aboard.
In 1999, EgyptAir Flight 990, bound from New York to Cairo, crashed off the Massachusetts coast, killing all 217 people aboard.
Ten years ago: Stung by defeat in the secession referendum, Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau said he would resign as head of the bitterly divided province at year's end.
Five years ago: A Los Angeles-bound Singapore Airlines jumbo jet sped down the wrong runway in Taipei, Taiwan, slamming into construction equipment and bursting into flames, killing 83 people. A charter plane in Angola crashed into a remote jungle, killing all 48 aboard. American astronaut Bill Shepherd and two Russian cosmonauts rocketed into orbit aboard a Soyuz rocket on a quest to become the first residents of the international space station. Death claimed Oscar-winning screenwriter Ring Lardner Jr. at age 85 and former Housing Secretary Samuel R. Pierce Jr. at age 78.
One year ago: In the closing hours of their bitter campaign, President Bush and challenger Sen. John Kerry charged through the critical battlegrounds of Florida and Ohio, going from hushed Sunday church services to raucous campaign rallies with promises to keep America safe.
Today's Birthdays: Former Attorney General Griffin Bell is 87. Author (word automatically removed) Francis is 85. Former Cambodian King Norodom Sihanouk is 83. Movie critic Andrew Sarris is 77. Former astronaut Michael Collins is 75. Actress Lee Grant is 74. Former CBS anchorman Dan Rather is 74. Actor Ron Rifkin is 66. Actor David Ogden Stiers is 63. Actress Sally Kirkland is 61. Singer Kinky Friedman is 61. Actress Deidre Hall is 57. Talk show host Jane Pauley is 55. Actor Brian Stokes Mitchell is 47. Movie director Peter Jackson is 44. Rock musician Larry Mullen is 44. Actor Dermot Mulroney is 42. Rock musician Mikkey Dee (Motorhead) is 42. Rock singer-musician Johnny Marr is 42. Actor Rob Schneider is 41. Country singer Darryl Worley is 41. Rap musician Adrock is 39. Songwriter Adam Schlesinger is 38. Rap performer Rob Van Winkle (formerly known as Vanilla Ice) is 37. Rock singer Linn Berggren (Ace of Base) is 35. TV host Troy Hartman is 31. Actor Eddie Kaye Thomas is 25.
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