Today in History

Today is Saturday, Oct. 12, the 285th day of 2013. There are 80 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 12, 1962, the devastating Columbus Day Storm, also known as the "Big Blow," struck the Pacific Northwest, resulting in some 50 deaths.

On this date:

In 1492 (according to the Old Style calendar), Christopher Columbus arrived with his expedition in the present-day Bahamas.

In 1810, the German festival Oktoberfest was first held in Munich to celebrate the wedding of Bavarian Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen.

In 1870, General Robert E. Lee died in Lexington, Va., at age 63.

In 1915, English nurse Edith Cavell was executed by the Germans in occupied Belgium during World War I.

In 1933, bank robber John Dillinger escaped from a jail in Allen County, Ohio, with the help of his gang, who killed the sheriff, Jess Sarber.

In 1942, during World War II, American naval forces defeated the Japanese in the Battle of Cape Esperance. Attorney General Francis Biddle announced during a Columbus Day celebration at Carnegie Hall in New York that Italian nationals in the United States would no longer be considered enemy aliens.

In 1960, Japanese Socialist Party leader Inejiro Asanuma was stabbed to death during a televised debate in Tokyo by an ultranationalist student, Otoya Yamaguchi, who hanged himself in jail.

In 1971, the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway.

In 1986, the superpower meeting in Reykjavik, Iceland, ended in stalemate, with President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev unable to agree on arms control or a date for a full-fledged summit in the United States.

In 1987, former Gov. Alfred ("Alf") M. Landon, R-Kan., died at his Topeka home at age 100.

In 1997, singer John Denver was killed in the crash of his privately built aircraft in Monterey Bay, Calif.; he was 53.

In 2000, 17 sailors were killed in a suicide bomb attack on the destroyer USS Cole in Yemen.

Ten years ago: A suicide attack outside a Baghdad hotel full of Americans killed six bystanders. Doctors in Dallas succeeded in separating 2-year-old conjoined twins from Egypt. Germany won the Women's Soccer World Cup 2-1 over Sweden in the eighth minute of overtime. Hall of Fame jockey Bill Shoemaker died in San Marino, California, at age 72. Philanthropist Joan B. Kroc died in Rancho Santa Fe, California, at age 75. British wartime hero Patrick Dalzel-Job, whose exploits made him a model for James Bond, died in Plockton, Scotland, at age 90.

Five years ago: Global finance ministers meeting in Washington kept searching for ways to tackle the unfolding financial crisis; in Paris, nations in Europe's single-currency zone agreed to temporarily guarantee bank refinancing and pledged to prevent bank failures. North Korea said it would resume dismantling its main nuclear facilities, hours after the United States removed the communist country from a list of states that sponsored terrorism. A Soyuz spacecraft carrying Richard Garriott, the sixth paying space traveler, along with another American and a Russian crew member lifted off from Kazakhstan for the international space station. The Arizona Cardinals became the first team in NFL history to block a punt to score the winning TD in overtime in their 30-24 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

One year ago: Thousands of supporters and opponents of Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi clashed in Cairo's Tahrir Square in the first such violence since Morsi took office more than three months earlier. Soft drink makers, restaurateurs and other businesses filed suit to stop New York City from prohibiting the sale of super-sized, sugary drinks in restaurants, cafeterias and concession stands.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Antonia Rey is 86. Comedian-activist Dick Gregory is 81. Former Sen. Jake Garn, R-Utah, is 81. Singer Sam Moore (formerly of Sam and Dave) is 78. Broadcast journalist Chris Wallace is 66. Actress-singer Susan Anton is 63. Rock singer-musician Pat DiNizio is 58. Actor Carlos Bernard is 51. Jazz musician Chris Botti is 51. Rhythm-and-blues singer Claude McKnight (Take 6) is 51. Rock singer Bob Schneider is 48. Actor Hugh Jackman is 45. Actor Adam Rich is 45. Rhythm-and-blues singer Garfield Bright (Shai) is 44. Country musician Martie Maguire (Courtyard Hounds, The Dixie Chicks) is 44. Actor Kirk Cameron is 43. Olympic gold medal skier Bode Miller is 36. Actor Marcus T. Paulk ("Moesha") is 27. Actor Josh Hutcherson is 21.

Thought for Today: "To know one's self is wisdom, but not to know one's neighbors is genius." -- Minna Antrim, American writer (1861-1950).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.