Today in History

Today is Thursday, Sept. 26, the 269th day of 2013. There are 96 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 26, 1789, Thomas Jefferson was confirmed by the Senate to be the first United States secretary of state; John Jay, the first chief justice; Edmund Randolph, the first attorney general.

On this date:

In 1777, British troops occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution.

In 1892, John Philip Sousa and his newly formed band performed publicly for the first time, at the Stillman Music Hall in Plainfield, N.J.

In 1914, the Federal Trade Commission was established.

In 1918, the Meuse-Argonne offensive, resulting in an Allied victory against the Germans, began during World War I.

In 1937, the radio drama "The Shadow," starring Orson Welles, premiered on the Mutual Broadcasting System.

In 1952, philosopher George Santayana died in Rome at age 88.

In 1955, following word that President Dwight D. Eisenhower had suffered a heart attack, the New York Stock Exchange saw its worst price decline since 1929.

In 1960, the first debate between presidential nominees took place in Chicago as Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon faced off before a national TV audience.

In 1962, Maury Wills of the Los Angeles Dodgers stole his 100th base during a 13-1 victory over the Houston Colt .45s. "The Beverly Hillbillies" premiered on CBS. The cult film "Carnival of Souls" premiered in Lawrence, Kan., where parts of it had been filmed.

In 1969, the family comedy series "The Brady Bunch" premiered on ABC-TV.

In 1986, William H. Rehnquist was sworn in as the 16th chief justice of the United States, while Antonin Scalia joined the Supreme Court as its 103rd member.

In 1990, the Motion Picture Association of America announced it had created a new rating, NC-17, to replace the X rating.

In 1991, four men and four women began a two-year stay inside a sealed-off structure in Oracle, Ariz., called Biosphere 2. They emerged from the structure on this date in 1993.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir Putin opened a two-day summit at Camp David. The government issued a recall for Segway scooters, citing instances in which riders fell off when the batteries ran low. A magnitude 8 quake rocked Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, injuring more than 750 people. British rock singer Robert Palmer died in Paris at age 54.

Five years ago: Hollywood screen legend and philanthropist Paul Newman died in Westport, Conn. at age 83. In their first debate of the presidential campaign, held at the University of Mississippi, Republican John McCain portrayed himself as a battle-tested elder running against a naive rookie, while Democrat Barack Obama suggested McCain was a hothead who'd made the wrong choices on the Iraq war, corporate taxes and more. Swiss pilot Yves Rossy leapt from a plane over Calais, France, and crossed the English Channel on a homemade jet-propelled wing in 13 minutes.

One year ago: President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney both campaigned in Ohio, where Romney said his Massachusetts health care law was proof that he cared about ordinary Americans. A judge in Pennsylvania upheld perjury charges against two Penn State administrators in the Jerry Sandusky case. Rebels in Syria set off two car bombs in Damascus that engulfed the army headquarters in flames.

Today's Birthdays: Retired baseball All-Star Bobby Shantz is 88. Actor Philip Bosco is 83. Actress Donna Douglas is 81. Actor Richard Herd is 81. South African nationalist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is 77. Country singer David Frizzell is 72. Actor Kent McCord is 71. Television host Anne Robinson is 69. Singer Bryan Ferry is 68. Actress Mary Beth Hurt is 67. Singer Lynn Anderson is 66. Singer Olivia Newton-John is 65. Actor James Keane is 61. Rock singer-musician Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos) is 59. Country singer Carlene Carter is 58. Actress Linda Hamilton is 57. Country singer Doug Supernaw is 53. Rhythm-and-blues singer Cindy Herron (En Vogue) is 52. Actress Melissa Sue Anderson is 51. Actor Patrick Bristow is 51. Rock musician Al Pitrelli is 51. Singer Tracey Thorn (Everything But The Girl) is 51. TV personality Jillian Barberie is 47. Contemporary Christian guitarist Jody Davis (Newsboys) is 46. Actor Jim Caviezel is 45. Actor Ben Shenkman is 45. Singer Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men) is 41. Jazz musician Nicholas Payton is 40. Actor Mark Famiglietti is 34. Singer-actress Christina Milian is 32. Tennis player Serena Williams is 32.

Thought for Today: "Whatever you think, be sure it is what you think; whatever you want, be sure that is what you want; whatever you feel, be sure that is what you feel." -- T.S. Eliot, American-Anglo poet, born on this date in 1888, died 1965.

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