Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 8, the 281st day of 2013. There are 84 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire erupted; fires also broke out in Peshtigo, Wis., and in several communities in Michigan.

On this date:

In 1869, the 14th president of the United States, Franklin Pierce, died in Concord, N.H.

In 1918, U.S. Army Cpl. Alvin C. York led an attack that killed 25 German soldiers and captured 132 others in the Argonne Forest in France.

In 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was indicted by a grand jury in New Jersey for murder in the death of the son of Charles A. Lindbergh.

In 1944, "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet," starring Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, made its debut on CBS Radio.

In 1945, President Harry S. Truman announced that the secret of the atomic bomb would be shared only with Britain and Canada.

In 1956, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series to date as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5, 2-0.

In 1957, the Brooklyn Baseball Club announced it was accepting an offer to move the Dodgers from New York to Los Angeles.

In 1962, Chuck Hiller of the San Francisco Giants became the first National Leaguer to hit a World Series grand slam; the shot came in Game 4 against New York Yankees pitcher Marshall Bridges. (The final score of the game was Giants 7, Yankees 3.)

In 1967, former British Prime Minister Clement Attlee died in London at age 84.

In 1970, Soviet author Alexander Solzhenitsyn was named winner of the Nobel Prize for literature.

In 1982, all labor organizations in Poland, including Solidarity, were banned.

In 1992, former West German Chancellor Willy Brandt died in Unkel, Germany, at age 78.

Ten years ago: A day after being elected governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger said he was promised "a very smooth transition" by ousted Gov. Gray Davis and vowed to "open up the books" in dealing the state's ailing economy. Americans Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon won the Nobel Prize in chemistry; American Robert Engle and Briton Clive Granger won the Nobel Prize in economics. Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames was tabbed to become the first black captain in NHL history.

Five years ago: After a day of bouncing higher and lower, Wall Street plunged again. The Dow Jones industrial average lost another 189 points to close at 9,258 -- the sixth straight day of losses for the Dow. German farmer Karl Merk, who received the world's first complete double arm transplant, told reporters that incredulity gave way to joy when he woke from surgery to discover he had arms again. Japan's Osamu Shimomura and Americans Martin Chalfie and Roger Tsien won the Nobel Prize in chemistry. Stage and TV actress Eileen Herlie died in New York at age 90.

One year ago: Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama of being too passive in his dealings with conflicts in the Middle East. Speaking at Virginia Military Institute, Romney called for the U.S. to work with other countries to arm the rebels in Syria. Obama declared a national monument at the Keene, Calif., home of Cesar Chavez, the late founder of the United Farmworkers Union. Auto club AAA said the average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in California had climbed to $4.67, the highest in the nation, amid refinery disruptions and corrosion issues in an important pipeline.

Today's Birthdays: Entertainment reporter Rona Barrett is 77. Actor Paul Hogan is 74. Rhythm-and-blues singer Fred Cash (The Impressions) is 73. Civil rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson is 72. Comedian Chevy Chase is 70. Author R.L. Stine is 70. Actor Dale Dye is 69. Country singer Susan Raye is 69. TV personality Sarah Purcell is 65. Actress Sigourney Weaver is 64. Rhythm-and-blues singer Robert "Kool" Bell (Kool & the Gang) is 63. Producer-director Edward Zwick is 61. Country singer-musician Ricky Lee Phelps is 60. Actor Michael Dudikoff is 59. Comedian Darrell Hammond is 58. Actress Stephanie Zimbalist is 57. Rock musician Mitch Marine is 52. Actress Kim Wayans is 52. Rock singer Steve Perry (Cherry Poppin' Daddies) is 50. Actor Ian Hart is 49. Gospel/rhythm-and-blues singer CeCe Winans is 49. Rock musician C.J. Ramone (The Ramones) is 48. Actress-producer Karyn Parsons is 47. Singer-producer Teddy Riley is 47. Actress Emily Procter is 45. Actor Dylan Neal is 44. Actor-screenwriter Matt Damon is 43. Actress Kristanna Loken is 34. Rhythm-and-blues singer Byron Reeder (Mista) is 34. Actor Nick Cannon is 33. Actor Max Crumm is 28. Singer-songwriter-producer Bruno Mars is 28. Actor Angus T. Jones is 20. Actress Molly Quinn is 20.

Thought for Today: "There is an abiding beauty which may be appreciated by those who will see things as they are and who will ask for no reward except to see." -- Vera Brittain, British author (1893-1970).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.