Today in History

Today is Thursday, Sept. 12, the 255th day of 2013. There are 110 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 12, 1943, during World War II, German paratroopers took Benito Mussolini from the hotel where he was being held by the Italian government.

On this date:

In 1846, Elizabeth Barrett secretly married Robert Browning at St. Marylebone Church in London.

In 1888, entertainer Maurice Chevalier was born in Paris.

In 1913, Olympic legend Jesse Owens was born in Oakville, Ala.

In 1938, Adolf Hitler demanded the right of self-determination for the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia.

In 1942, during World War II, a German U-boat off West Africa torpedoed the RMS Laconia, which was carrying Italian prisoners of war, British soldiers and civilians.

In 1953, Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier in Newport, R.I.

In 1960, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy addressed questions about his Roman Catholic faith, telling a Southern Baptist group, "I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me."

In 1962, in a speech at Rice University in Houston, President John F. Kennedy reaffirmed his support for the manned space program, declaring: "We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard."

In 1963, "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," a novel by John le Carre, went on sale in Britain.

In 1977, South African black student leader Steve Biko died while in police custody, triggering an international outcry.

In 1986, Joseph Cicippio, the acting comptroller at the American University in Beirut, was kidnapped (he was released in December 1991).

In 1992, the space shuttle Endeavour blasted off, carrying with it Mark Lee and Jan Davis, the first married couple in space; Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space; and Mamoru Mohri, the first Japanese national to fly on a U.S. spaceship.

Ten years ago: In the Iraqi city of Fallujah, U.S. forces mistakenly opened fire on vehicles carrying police, killing eight of them. The U.N. Security Council ended 11 years of sanctions against Libya. Typhoon Maemi slammed into South Korea, killing at least 117 people. Music legend Johnny Cash died in Nashville, Tenn., at age 71.

Five years ago: A Metrolink commuter train struck a freight train head-on in Los Angeles, killing 25 people. (Federal investigators said the Metrolink engineer, Robert Sanchez, who was among those who died, had been text-messaging on his cell phone and ran a red light shortly before the crash.) Hurricane Ike began battering the Texas coast. Grand Ole Opry star Charlie Walker died in Hendersonville, Tenn. at age 81.

One year ago: The U.S. dispatched an elite group of Marines to Tripoli, Libya, after the mob attack that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans. President Barack Obama strongly condemned the violence, and vowed to bring the killers to justice; Republican challenger Mitt Romney accused the administration of showing weakness in the face of tumultuous events in the Middle East.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Dickie Moore ("Our Gang") is 88. Actor Freddie Jones is 86. Actor Ian Holm is 82. Actress Linda Gray is 73. Singer Maria Muldaur is 71. Actor Joe Pantoliano is 62. Singer-musician Gerry Beckley (America) is 61. Original MTV VJ Nina Blackwood is 61. Rock musician Neil Peart (Rush) is 61. Actor Peter Scolari is 58. Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is 57. Actress Rachel Ward is 56. Actress Amy Yasbeck is 51. Rock musician Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) is 48. Actor Darren E. Burrows is 47. Rock singer-musician Ben Folds (Ben Folds Five) is 47. Actor-comedian Louis C.K. is 46. Rock musician Larry LaLonde (Primus) is 45. Actor Josh Hopkins is 43. Actor Paul Walker is 40. Country singer Jennifer Nettles (Sugarland) is 39. Actor Ben McKenzie is 35. Singer Ruben Studdard is 35. Basketball player Yao Ming is 33. Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson is 32. Actress Emmy Rossum is 27. Actor Colin Ford is 17.

Thought for Today: "Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing it." -- Jesse Owens (1913-1980).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.