Today in History

Today is Monday, Sept. 22, the 265th day of 2014. There are 100 days left in the year. Autumn arrives at 10:29 p.m. Eastern time.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 22, 1776, during the Revolutionary War, Capt. Nathan Hale, 21, was hanged as a spy by the British in New York.

On this date:

In 1761, Britain's King George III and his wife, Charlotte, were crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1792, the French Republic was proclaimed.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in rebel states should be free as of Jan. 1, 1863.

In 1911, pitcher Cy Young, 44, gained his 511th and final career victory as he hurled a 1-0 shutout for the Boston Rustlers against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field.

In 1927, Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in the famous "long-count" fight in Chicago.

In 1938, the musical comedy revue "Hellzapoppin'," starring Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, began a three-year run on Broadway.

In 1949, the Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb.

In 1950, Omar N. Bradley was promoted to the rank of five-star general, joining an elite group that included Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall and Henry H. "Hap" Arnold.

In 1964, the musical "Fiddler on the Roof," starring Zero Mostel, opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 3,242 performances. The secret agent series "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.," starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1975, Sara Jane Moore attempted to shoot President Gerald R. Ford outside a San Francisco hotel, but missed. (Moore served 32 years in prison before being paroled on Dec. 31, 2007.)

In 1989, the Irish Republican Army bombed the Royal Marines School of Music in Deal, Kent, England, killing 11 band members. Songwriter Irving Berlin died in New York City at age 101.

In 1994, the situation comedy "Friends" debuted on NBC-TV.

Ten years ago: British hostage Kenneth Bigley, 62, appeared on a video posted on an Islamic Web site weeping and pleading for his life (Bigley was later beheaded by his captors). In Haiti, the death toll from Tropical Storm Jeanne topped 1,000. CBS-owned stations were fined a total of $550,000 by the Federal Communications Commission for Janet Jackson's exposed right breast during the Super Bowl XXXVIII (38) halftime show (however, a federal appeals court twice threw out the fine, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to consider reinstating it.) The TV series "Lost" premiered on ABC.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama, visiting New York, brought together Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for their first face-to-face meeting. Al-Qaida released a 106-minute-long video predicting President Obama's downfall at the hands of the Muslim world.

One year ago: President Barack Obama spoke at a memorial service for the 12 men and women killed in the Washington Navy Yard shooting, calling on Americans to raise their voices against gun violence. A pair of Sunni militant suicide bombers blew themselves up inside a church in Peshawar, Pakistan, killing 85 Christian worshippers. German Chancellor Angela Merkel led her conservatives to a stunning election victory. "Breaking Bad" won best drama series while "Modern Family" was recognized as best comedy series at the 65th annual Primetime Emmy Awards.

Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is 87. Former NBA Commissioner David Stern is 72. Musician King Sunny Ade is 68. Actor Paul Le Mat is 68. Capt. Mark Phillips is 66. Rock singer David Coverdale (Deep Purple, Whitesnake) is 63. Actress Shari Belafonte is 60. Singer Debby Boone is 58. Country singer June Forester (The Forester Sisters) is 58. Singer Nick Cave is 57. Rock singer Johnette Napolitano is 57. Actress Lynn Herring is 57. Classical crossover singer Andrea Bocelli is 56. Singer-musician Joan Jett is 56. Actor Scott Baio is 54. Actress Catherine Oxenberg is 53. Actress Bonnie Hunt is 53. Actor Rob Stone (TV: "Mr. Belvedere") is 52. Musician Matt Sharp is 45. Rock musician Dave Hernandez is 44. Rhythm-and-blues singer Big Rube (Society of Soul) is 43. Actress Mireille Enos is 39. Actress Daniella Alonso is 36. Actor Michael Graziadei is 35. Actress Ashley Drane (Eckstein) is 33. Actress Katie Lowes (TV: "Scandal") is 32. Actor Tom Felton is 27. Actress Juliette Goglia is 19.

Thought for Today: "I saw old Autumn in the misty morn/ Stand shadowless like silence, listening/ To silence." -- Thomas Hood, English author (1799-1845).

Copyright 2014, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.