Today in History

Today is Thursday, Oct. 11, the 285th day of 2012. There are 81 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 11, 1962, Pope John XXIII convened the first session of the Roman Catholic Church's Second Vatican Council, also known as "Vatican 2."

On this date:

In 1779, Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski, fighting for American independence, died two days after being wounded during the Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah, Ga.

In 1811, the first steam-powered ferryboat, the Juliana (built by John Stevens), was put into operation between New York City and Hoboken, N.J.

In 1862, during the Civil War, Confederate forces led by Gen. J.E.B. Stuart looted the town of Chambersburg, Pa.

In 1890, the Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in Washington, D.C.

In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt became the first former U.S. president to fly in an airplane during a visit to St. Louis, Mo.

In 1932, the first American political telecast took place as the Democratic National Committee sponsored a program from a CBS television studio in New York.

In 1942, the World War II Battle of Cape Esperance began in the Solomon Islands, resulting in an American victory over the Japanese.

In 1958, the lunar probe Pioneer 1 was launched; it failed to go as far out as planned, fell back to Earth, and burned up in the atmosphere.

In 1968, Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard. The government of Panama was overthrown in a military coup.

In 1984, space shuttle Challenger astronaut Kathryn Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev opened two days of talks concerning arms control and human rights in Reykjavik, Iceland.

In 1992, in the first of three presidential debates, three candidates faced off against each other in St. Louis, Mo. -- President George H.W. Bush, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton and businessman Ross Perot.

Ten years ago: The Senate joined the House in approving, 77-23, use of America's military might against Iraq. Former President Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize. A man was shot to death at a gas station near Fredericksburg, Va., in the latest slaying by the Washington-area sniper. A chain reaction crash on a foggy interstate near Cedar Grove, Wis., killed ten people and injured 40 others. A teenager set off a homemade bomb inside a crowded mall in Vantaa, Finland, killing himself and six others.

Five years ago: The Bush administration reported that the federal budget deficit had fallen to $162.8 billion in the just-completed budget year, the lowest amount of red ink in five years. Cold medicines for babies and toddlers were pulled off shelves amid concerns about unintentional overdoses. Briton Doris Lessing won the 2007 Nobel Prize in literature. Werner von Trapp, a member of the musical family made famous by the musical "The Sound of Music," died in Waitsfield, Vt., at age 91.

One year ago: Presidential challenger Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama of failing to lead in a time of economic peril but sounded less conservative than his Republican rivals in their debate in Hanover, N.H., defending the 2008-2009 Wall Street bailout and declaring he could work with "good" Democrats. U.S. officials accused agents of the Iranian government of plotting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S. The U.S. women rolled to their third title at the world gymnastics championships held in Tokyo. The Detroit Tigers won their first game of the 2011 AL championship series, sweeping past the Texas Rangers 5-2 in Game 3.

Today's Birthdays: Author Elmore Leonard is 87. Actor Earle Hyman is 86. Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry is 85. Actor Ron Leibman is 75. Actor Amitabh Bachchan is 70. Country singer Gene Watson is 69. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is 62. Rhythm-and-blues musician Andrew Woolfolk is 62. Actress-director Catlin Adams is 62. Country singer Paulette Carlson is 61. Actor David Morse is 59. Actor Stephen Spinella is 56. Pro Football Hall of Famer Steve Young is 51. Actress Joan Cusack is 50. Rock musician Scott Johnson (Gin Blossoms) is 50. Comedy writer and TV host Michael J. Nelson is 48. Actor Sean Patrick Flanery is 47. College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Chris Spielman is 47. Actor Luke Perry is 46. Country singer-songwriter Todd Snider is 46. Actor-comedian Artie Lange is 45. Actress Jane Krakowski is 44. Rapper U-God (Wu-Tang Clan) is 42. Rapper MC Lyte is 41. Figure skater Kyoko Ina is 40. Singer NeeNa Lee is 37. Actress Emily Deschanel is 36. Actor Matt Bomer is 35. Actor Trevor Donovan is 34. Actress Michelle Trachtenberg is 27. Golfer Michelle Wie is 23.

Thought for Today: "When a friend speaks to me, whatever he says is interesting." -- Jean Renoir, French movie director (1894-1979).

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.