Today in History

Today is Thursday, Nov. 10, the 314th day of 2011. There are 51 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 10, 1961, the satirical war novel "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller was first published by Simon & Schuster.

On this date:

In 1775, the U.S. Marines were organized under authority of the Continental Congress.

In 1871, journalist-explorer Henry M. Stanley found Scottish missionary David Livingstone, who had not been heard from for years, near Lake Tanganyika in central Africa.

In 1919, the American Legion opened its first national convention in Minneapolis.

In 1928, Japanese Emperor Hirohito was formally enthroned, almost two years after his ascension.

In 1938, Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on her CBS radio program. Turkish statesman Mustafa Kemal Ataturk died in Istanbul at age 57.

In 1951, customer-dialed long-distance telephone service began as Mayor M. Leslie Denning of Englewood, N.J., called Alameda, Calif., Mayor Frank Osborne without having to go through an operator.

In 1954, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, depicting the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima in 1945, was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Arlington, Va.

In 1969, the children's educational program "Sesame Street" made its debut on National Educational Television (later PBS).

In 1975, the ore-hauling ship SS Edmund Fitzgerald and its crew of 29 mysteriously sank during a storm in Lake Superior with the loss of all on board.

In 1982, Soviet leader Leonid I. Brezhnev died at age 75.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush, in an address to the U.N. General Assembly, warned that all nations were possible targets of terrorism, and he urged them to join with the United States in a campaign to prevent more attacks. The World Trade Organization formally approved China's membership. Algeria found itself caught in a fierce 36-hour storm that killed an estimated 886 people. Australian Prime Minister John Howard and his conservative government won a third term in national elections. Author Ken Kesey died in Eugene, Ore., at age 66.

Five years ago: A new recording attributed to the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq (Abu Hamza al-Muhajir) mocked President George W. Bush as a coward whose conduct of the war had been rejected in U.S. midterm elections, and challenged him to keep U.S. troops in Iraq to face more bloodshed. Actor Jack Palance died in Montecito, Calif., at age 87.

One year ago: President Barack Obama cut short his visit to his boyhood home in Indonesia because of an ash cloud from Mount Merapi, and flew to South Korea for an economic summit. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's reform raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 became law, a victory for the conservative government and a defeat for unions that had waged massive strikes and street protests. Miranda Lambert received three Country Music Association Awards on her 27th birthday, including album of the year; Brad Paisley was named entertainer of the year. Movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, 91, died in Beverly Hills, Calif.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Russell Johnson is 87. Film composer Ennio Morricone is 83. Blues singer Bobby Rush is 77. Actor Albert Hall is 74. American Indian activist Russell Means is 72. Country singer Donna Fargo is 70. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., is 68. Lyricist Tim Rice is 67. Rock singer-musician Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) is 64. Actress-dancer Ann Reinking is 62. Actor Jack Scalia is 61. Movie director Roland Emmerich is 56. Actor Matt Craven is 55. Actor-comedian Sinbad is 55. Actress Mackenzie Phillips is 52. Author Neil Gaiman is 51. Actress Vanessa Angel is 48. Actor-comedian Tommy Davidson is 48. Actor Michael Jai White is 47. Country singer Chris Cagle is 43. Actor-comedian Tracy Morgan is 43. Actress Ellen Pompeo (TV: "Grey's Anatomy") is 42. Rapper-producer Warren G is 41. Actor Walton Goggins is 40. Comedian-actor Chris Lilley is 37. Rock singer-musician Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World) is 36. Rapper Eve is 33. Rock musician Chris Joannou (Silverchair) is 32. Actor Bryan Neal is 31. Actress Heather Matarazzo is 29. Country singer Miranda Lambert is 28. Actor Josh Peck is 25.

Thought for Today: "Some men are born mediocre, some men achieve mediocrity, and some men have mediocrity thrust upon them. With Major Major it had been all three." -- From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller (1923-1999).

Copyright 2011, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.