Today in History

Today is Saturday, Oct. 6, the 280th day of 2012. There are 86 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 6, 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of "The Jazz Singer," starring Al Jolson, a movie that featured both silent and sound-synchronized sequences.

On this date:

In 1536, English theologian and scholar William Tyndale, who was the first to translate the Bible into Early Modern English, was executed for heresy.

In 1683, thirteen families from Krefeld, Germany, arrived in Philadelphia to begin Germantown, one of America's oldest settlements.

In 1884, the Naval War College was established in Newport, R.I.

In 1928, Chiang Kai-shek became president of China.

In 1939, as remaining military resistance in Poland crumbled, Adolf Hitler delivered a speech to the Reichstag blaming the Poles for the Nazi-Soviet invasion of their country.

In 1949, U.S.-born Iva Toguri D'Aquino, convicted of treason for being Japanese wartime broadcaster "Tokyo Rose," was sentenced in San Francisco to 10 years in prison (she ended up serving more than six).

In 1958, the nuclear submarine USS Seawolf surfaced after spending 60 days submerged.

In 1973, war erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during the Yom Kippur holiday.

In 1976, in his second debate with Jimmy Carter, President Gerald R. Ford asserted there was "no Soviet domination of eastern Europe." (Ford later conceded he'd misspoken.)

In 1979, Pope John Paul II, on a week-long U.S. tour, became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter.

In 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was shot to death by extremists while reviewing a military parade.

In 1989, actress Bette Davis died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, at age 81.

Ten years ago: Pope John Paul II elevated to sainthood Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the Spanish priest who'd founded the conservative Catholic organization Opus Dei. The French oil tanker Limburg was attacked by a small explosives-laden boat off Yemen's coast, killing one Bulgarian crew member. Prince Claus, the German-born husband of Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, died in Amsterdam at age 76.

Five years ago: Pakistan's Gen. Pervez Musharraf won a presidential election boycotted by most of his opponents. British adventurer Jason Lewis finally returned home, completing a 13-year, 46,000-mile human-powered circumnavigation of the globe at Greenwich, England.

One year ago: In a poor quality audio recording, a voice identified as that of Moammar Gadhafi called on Libyans to take to the streets and wage a campaign of civil disobedience against the country's new leader. The Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to psychologist Tomas Transtromer, Sweden's most famous poet.

Today's Birthdays: Broadcaster and writer Melvyn Bragg is 73. Actress Britt Ekland is 70. Singer Millie Small is 66. The president of Sinn Fein (shin fayn), Gerry Adams, is 64. Singer-musician Thomas McClary is 63. Musician Sid McGinnis (TV: "Late Show with David Letterman") is 63. CBS chief executive officer Les Moonves is 63. Rock singer Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon) is 61. Rock singer-musician David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) is 58. Former NFL player and coach Tony Dungy is 57. Actress Elisabeth Shue is 49. Singer Matthew Sweet is 48. Actress Jacqueline Obradors is 46. Country singer Tim Rushlow is 46. Rock musician Tommy Stinson is 46. Actress Amy Jo Johnson is 42. Actress Emily Mortimer is 41. Actor Lamman Rucker is 41. Actor Ioan Gruffudd is 39. Actor Jeremy Sisto is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Melinda Doolittle (TV: "American Idol") is 35. Actor Wes Ramsey is 35.

Thought for Today: "Talking comes by nature, silence by wisdom." -- Author unknown.

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.