AToday in History

Today is Monday, Oct. 13, the 286th day of 2014. There are 79 days left in the year. This is the Columbus Day holiday in the U.S., as well as Thanksgiving Day in Canada.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 13, 1914, the Boston Braves swept the World Series, defeating the Philadelphia Athletics 3-1 in Game 4 played at Fenway Park.

On this date:

In A.D. 54, Roman Emperor Claudius I died, poisoned apparently at the behest of his wife, Agrippina.

In 1307, King Philip IV of France ordered the arrests of Knights Templar on charges of heresy.

In 1775, the United States Navy had its origins as the Continental Congress ordered the construction of a naval fleet.

In 1792, the cornerstone of the executive mansion, later known as the White House, was laid during a ceremony in the District of Columbia.

In 1843, the Jewish organization B'nai B'rith was founded in New York City.

In 1932, President Herbert Hoover and Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes laid the cornerstone for the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington.

In 1944, during World War II, American troops entered Aachen, Germany.

In 1957, CBS-TV broadcast "The Edsel Show," a one-hour live special starring Bing Crosby designed to promote the new, ill-fated Ford automobile. (It was the first special to use videotape technology to delay the broadcast to the West Coast.)

In 1962, Edward Albee's four-character drama "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" opened on Broadway.

In 1974, longtime television host Ed Sullivan died in New York City at age 73.

In 1981, voters in Egypt participated in a referendum to elect Vice President Hosni Mubarak the new president, one week after the assassination of Anwar Sadat.

In 1999, the Senate rejected the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, with 48 senators voting in favor and 51 against, far short of the 67 needed for ratification. In Boulder, Colorado, the JonBenet Ramsey grand jury was dismissed after 13 months of work with prosecutors saying there wasn't enough evidence to charge anyone in the 6-year-old beauty queen's slaying.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush and Democratic rival John Kerry held their third and final debate in Tempe, Arizona, trading blows on the Iraq war, taxes, gun control, abortion and jobs.

Five years ago: The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to extend the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Haiti for a year. Singer Al Martino, who'd played crooner Johnny Fontane in "The Godfather" and "The Godfather: Part III," died in Springfield, Pennsylvania, six days after turning 82. Movie producer Daniel Melnick ("Straw Dogs," "Network," "Midnight Express") died in Los Angeles at age 77.

One year ago: Gunmen abducted six Red Cross workers and a Syrian Red Crescent volunteer after stopping their convoy in northwestern Syria. (Four of the seven were released by the next day.) The Boston Red Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 6-5 to even the AL championship series at 1-all. Dennis Kimetto broke the course mark in capturing the Chicago Marathon in 2 hours, 3 minutes, 45 seconds, leading a 1-2-3 finish for Kenyan men.

Today's Birthdays: Playwright Frank D. Gilroy is 89. Gospel singer Shirley Caesar is 77. Actress Melinda Dillon is 75. Singer-musician Paul Simon is 73. Actress Pamela Tiffin is 72. Musician Robert Lamm (Chicago) is 70. Country singer Lacy J. Dalton is 68. Actor Demond Wilson is 68. Singer-musician Sammy Hagar is 67. Actor John Lone is 62. Model Beverly Johnson is 62. Producer-writer Chris Carter is 58. Actor Reggie Theus is 57. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., is 56. Singer Marie Osmond is 55. Rock singer Joey Belladonna is 54. Former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer is 54. NBA coach Doc Rivers is 53. Actress T'Keyah Crystal Keymah is 52. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is 52. Actress Kelly Preston is 52. Country singer John Wiggins is 52. Actor Christopher Judge is 50. Actor Matt Walsh (TV: "Veep") is 50. Actress Kate Walsh is 47. Rhythm-and-blues musician Jeff Allen (Mint Condition) is 46. Actress Tisha Campbell-Martin is 46. Classical singer Carlos Marin (Il Divo) is 46. Olympic silver-medal figure skater Nancy Kerrigan is 45. Country singer Rhett Akins is 45. Classical crossover singer Paul Potts (TV: "Britain's Got Talent") is 44. TV personality Billy Bush is 43. Actor Sacha Baron Cohen is 43. Rock musician Jan Van Sichem Jr. (K's Choice) is 42. Rhythm-and-blues singers Brian and Brandon Casey (Jagged Edge) are 39. Actress Kiele Sanchez is 38. NBA All-Star Paul Pierce is 37. Singer Ashanti is 34. Christian rock singer Jon Micah Sumrall (Kutless) is 34. Olympic gold medal swimmer Ian Thorpe is 32.

Thought for Today: "Do you know the difference between education and experience? Education is when you read the fine print; experience is what you get when you don't." -- Pete Seeger, American folk singer and activist (1919-2014).

Copyright 2014, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.