Today in History

Today is Thursday, Oct. 3, the 276th day of 2013. There are 89 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 3, 1990, West Germany and East Germany ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring the creation of a reunified country.

On this date:

In 1226, St. Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscan order, died; he was canonized in 1228.

In 1789, President George Washington declared Nov. 26, 1789, a day of Thanksgiving to express gratitude for the creation of the United States of America.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day.

In 1929, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes formally changed its name to the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.

In 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the Office of Economic Stabilization.

In 1951, the New York Giants captured the National League pennant by a score of 5-4 as Bobby Thomson hit a three-run homer off the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ralph Branca in the "shot heard 'round the world."

In 1961, "The Dick Van Dyke Show," also starring Mary Tyler Moore, made its debut on CBS.

In 1962, astronaut Wally Schirra blasted off from Cape Canaveral aboard the Sigma 7 on a nine-hour flight.

In 1970, the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was established under the Department of Commerce.

In 1991, Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton entered the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

In 1995, the jury in the O.J. Simpson murder trial found the former football star not guilty of the 1994 slayings of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman (however, Simpson was later found liable in a civil trial).

In 2002, five people were shot to death in the Washington, D.C. area within a 14-hour period, beginning the hunt for the "Beltway Sniper." (In all, ten people were killed; mastermind John Allen Muhammad and teenage accomplice Lee Boyd Malvo were later caught.)

Ten years ago: A tiger attacked magician Roy Horn of duo "Siegfried & Roy" during a performance in Las Vegas, leaving the superstar illusionist in critical condition on his 59th birthday. Illustrator and children's book author William Steig died in Boston at age 95.

Five years ago: Amid dire warnings of economic disaster, a reluctant Congress abruptly reversed course and approved a historic $700 billion government bailout of the battered financial industry; President George W. Bush swiftly signed it. Thirteen years to the day after O.J. Simpson was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, the former football star was found guilty of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room. (Simpson was later sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison.)

One year ago: An aggressive Mitt Romney sparred with President Barack Obama on the economy and domestic issues in their first campaign debate. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton promised a full and transparent probe of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans.

Today's Birthdays: Basketball Hall of Famer Marques O. Haynes is 87. Composer Steve Reich is 77. Rock and roll star Chubby Checker is 72. Actor Alan Rachins is 71. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., is 70. Magician Roy Horn is 69. Singer Lindsey Buckingham is 64. Jazz musician Ronnie Laws is 63. Blues singer Keb' Mo' is 62. Former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan is 62. Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield is 62. Baseball Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley is 59. Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton is 59. Actor Hart Bochner is 57. Actor Peter Frechette is 57. Golfer Fred Couples is 54. Actor-comedian Greg Proops is 54. Actor Jack Wagner is 54. Rock musician Tommy Lee is 51. Actor Clive Owen is 49. Actress Janel Moloney is 44. Singer Gwen Stefani (No Doubt) is 44. Pop singer Kevin Richardson is 42. Rock singer G. Love is 41. Actress Keiko Agena is 40. Actress Neve Campbell is 40. Singer India.Arie is 38. Rapper Talib Kweli is 38. Actress Alanna Ubach is 38. Actor Seann William Scott is 37. Actress Shannyn Sossamon is 35. Rock musician Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 34. Actor Seth Gabel is 32. Rock musician Mark King (Hinder) is 31. Actor Erik Von Detten is 31. Singer-musician Cherrill Green (Edens Edge) is 30. Actress Tessa Thompson is 30. Actress-singer Ashlee Simpson is 29.

Thought for Today: "The worst disease in the world is the plague of vengeance." -- Dr. Karl Menninger, American psychiatrist (1893-1990).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.