Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 22, the 295th day of 2013. There are 70 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 22, 1962, President John F. Kennedy delivered a nationally broadcast address in which he publicly revealed the presence of Soviet-built missile bases under construction in Cuba and announced a quarantine of all offensive military equipment being shipped to the Communist island nation.

On this date:

In 1746, Princeton University was first chartered as the College of New Jersey.

In 1797, French balloonist Andre-Jacques Garnerin made the first parachute descent, landing safely from a height of about 3,000 feet over Paris.

In 1811, composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt was born in the Hungarian town of Raiding in present-day Austria.

In 1836, Sam Houston was inaugurated as the first constitutionally elected president of the Republic of Texas.

In 1883, the original Metropolitan Opera House in New York held its grand opening with a performance of Gounod's "Faust."

In 1928, Republican presidential nominee Herbert Hoover spoke of the "American system of rugged individualism" in a speech at New York's Madison Square Garden.

In 1934, bank robber Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd was shot to death by federal agents at a farm in East Liverpool, Ohio.

In 1962, the hit comedy album "The First Family," starring comedian-impressionist Vaughn Meader as President John F. Kennedy, was recorded before a studio audience in New York City.

In 1968, Apollo 7 returned safely from Earth orbit, splashing down in the Atlantic Ocean.

In 1979, the U.S. government allowed the deposed Shah of Iran to travel to New York for medical treatment -- a decision that precipitated the Iran hostage crisis. French conductor and music teacher Nadia Boulanger died in Paris.

In 1981, the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization was decertified by the federal government for its strike the previous August.

In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed into law sweeping tax-overhaul legislation.

In 2002, Bus driver Conrad Johnson was shot to death in Aspen Hill, Md., in the final attack carried out by the "Beltway Snipers."

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush defended U.S. policy from the Mideast to Iraq during a frank exchange with moderate Muslim leaders during a stopover in Bali, Indonesia. The Florida Marlins edged the New York Yankees 4-3 in 12 innings to even the World Series at two games each. IRL racer Tony Renna, 26, died after crashing at close to 220 miles-an-hour during a test drive at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Five years ago: Wall Street tumbled again as investors worried that the global economy was poised to weaken. The major indexes fell more than 4 percent, including the Dow Jones industrial average, which finished with a loss of 514 points. The fishing vessel Katmai sank in the Bering Sea off Alaska's Aleutian Islands, killing seven crewmen; four survived. India launched its first mission to the moon to redraw maps of the lunar surface. (India lost contact with its lunar satellite Chandrayaan-1 last August.) The Philadelphia Phillies won Game 1 of the World Series, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2.

One year ago: President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney met in the last of their three debates; although foreign policy was the topic, both kept circling back to their plans for strengthening the economy. Tropical Storm Sandy formed south of Jamaica, and forecasters said it was expected to strengthen.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Joan Fontaine is 96. Nobel Prize-winning author Doris Lessing is 94. Black Panthers co-founder Bobby Seale is 77. Actor Christopher Lloyd is 75. Actor Derek Jacobi is 75. Actor Tony Roberts is 74. Movie director Jan de Bont is 70. Actress Catherine Deneuve is 70. Rock musician Leslie West (Mountain) is 68. Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is 66. Actor Jeff Goldblum is 61. Movie director Bill Condon is 58. Actor Luis Guzman is 56. Actor-writer-producer Todd Graff is 54. Rock musician Cris Kirkwood is 53. Actor-comedian Bob Odenkirk is 51. Olympic gold medal figure skater Brian Boitano is 50. Christian singer TobyMac is 49. Singer-songwriter John Wesley Harding is 48. Actress Valeria Golino is 47. Comedian Carlos Mencia is 46. Country singer Shelby Lynne is 45. Reggae rapper Shaggy is 45. Movie director Spike Jonze is 44. Rapper Tracey Lee is 43. Actress Saffron Burrows is 41. MLB player Ichiro Suzuki is 40. Actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson is 38. Actor Michael Fishman is 32. Talk show host Michael Essany is 31. Rock musician Rickard (correct) Goransson (Carolina Liar) is 30. Rock musician Zac Hanson (Hanson) is 28. Actor Jonathan Lipnicki is 23. Actress Sofia Vassilieva is 21.

Thought for Today: "You can fool too many of the people too much of the time." -- James Thurber, American humorist (1894-1961).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.