Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 3, the 246th day of 2013. There are 119 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 3, 1943, Allied forces invaded Italy during World War II, the same day Italian officials signed a secret armistice with the Allies.

On this date:

In 1189, England's King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1658, Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of England, died in London; he was succeeded by his son, Richard.

In 1783, representatives of the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War.

In 1861, during the Civil War, Confederate forces invaded the border state of Kentucky, which had declared its neutrality in the conflict.

In 1868, the Japanese city of Edo was renamed Tokyo.

In 1923, the United States and Mexico resumed diplomatic relations.

In 1939, Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany, two days after the Nazi invasion of Poland.

In 1951, the television soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" made its debut on CBS.

In 1967, Nguyen Van Thieu was elected president of South Vietnam under a new constitution. Motorists in Sweden began driving on the right-hand side of the road instead of the left.

In 1972, American swimmer Mark Spitz won the sixth of his seven gold medals at the Munich Olympics as he placed first in the 100-meter freestyle.

In 1976, America's Viking 2 lander touched down on Mars to take the first close-up, color photographs of the planet's surface.

In 1999, a French judge closed a two-year inquiry into the car crash that killed Princess Diana, dismissing all charges against nine photographers and a press motorcyclist, and concluding the accident was caused by an inebriated driver.

Ten years ago: Paul Hill, 49, a former minister who said he murdered an abortion doctor and his bodyguard to save the lives of unborn babies, was executed in Florida by injection, becoming the first person put to death in the United States for anti-abortion violence. President George W. Bush signed legislation to begin free trade with Singapore and Chile.

Five years ago: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, John McCain's choice of running mate, roused delegates at the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn., as she belittled Democrat Barack Obama and praised her new boss. Thousands of New Orleans residents who had fled Hurricane Gustav forced the city to reluctantly open its doors, while President George W. Bush returned to the scene to show that the government had turned a corner since its bungled response to Katrina. Baseball's first use of instant replay backed an onfield call of a home run for Alex Rodriguez during the ninth inning of a New York Yankees game against the Tampa Bay Rays. (The Yankees won the game, 8-4.)

One year ago: President Barack Obama consoled victims of Hurricane Isaac along the Gulf Coast and stoked the enthusiasm of union voters in the industrial heartland, blending a hard political sell with a softer show of sympathy on the eve of the Democratic National Convention. Prolific character actor Michael Clarke Duncan, 54, died in Los Angeles. Sun Myung Moon, 92, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the Unification Church, died in Gapeyeong, South Korea.

Today's Birthdays: "Beetle Bailey" cartoonist Mort Walker is 90. Actress Anne Jackson is 88. Actress Pauline Collins is 73. Rock singer-musician Al Jardine is 71. Actress Valerie Perrine is 70. Rock musician Donald Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad) is 65. Rock guitarist Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols) is 58. Actor Steve Schirripa is 56. Actor Holt McCallany is 49. Rock singer-musician Todd Lewis is 48. Actor Charlie Sheen is 48. Singer Jennifer Paige is 40. Dance-rock musician Redfoo (LMFAO) is 38. Actress Ashley Jones is 37. Actress Nichole Hiltz is 35. Actor Nick Wechsler is 35. Actor Garrett Hedlund is 29. Olympic gold medal snowboarder Shaun White is 27.

Thought for Today: "It is impossible to persuade a man who does not disagree, but smiles." -- Muriel Spark, Scottish author (1918-2006).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.