Today in History

Today is Saturday, Nov. 15, the 319th day of 2014. There are 46 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 15, 1864, during the Civil War, Union forces led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman began their "March to the Sea" from Atlanta, with the goal of crippling the region's military and economic resources; the campaign ended with the capture of Savannah on Dec. 21.

On this date:

In 1777, the Second Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation.

In 1806, explorer Zebulon Pike sighted the mountaintop now known as Pikes Peak in present-day Colorado.

In 1889, Brazil was proclaimed a republic as its emperor, Dom Pedro II, was overthrown.

In 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt laid the cornerstone of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In 1942, the naval Battle of Guadalcanal ended during World War II with a decisive U.S. victory over Japanese forces.

In 1954, actor-director Lionel Barrymore, 76, died in Van Nuys, California.

In 1958, actor Tyrone Power, 44, died in Madrid, Spain, while filming "Solomon and Sheba." (Power's part was recast with Yul Brynner.)

In 1959, four members of the Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas, were found murdered in their home. (Ex-convicts Richard Hickock and Perry Smith were later convicted of the killings and hanged.)

In 1964, Bonanza Air Lines Flight 114, a Fairchild F-27A, crashed outside of Las Vegas, killing all 29 people on board.

In 1974, the disaster movie "Earthquake" was released by Universal Pictures in "Sensurround," which bombarded the audience with low-frequency sound waves during the quake scenes.

In 1984, Stephanie Fae Beauclair, the infant publicly known as "Baby Fae" who had received a baboon's heart to replace her own congenitally deformed one, died at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California three weeks after the transplant.

In 1989, Polish labor activist Lech Walesa addressed a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress. Time Warner launched The Comedy Channel, which later merged with Viacom's HA! network to form Comedy Central.

Ten years ago: The White House announced that Secretary of State Colin Powell was leaving President George W. Bush's Cabinet, along with Education Secretary Rod Paige, Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham. The U.N. Security Council imposed an arms embargo on Ivory Coast's hard-line government after its violent confrontation with France.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama concluded a two-day summit with Asia-Pacific leaders in Singapore, where they pledged to persist with stimulus spending until a global recovery was assured. Kosovo's first independent elections ended peacefully, with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci claiming victory for his party. Michelle Wie earned her first win on the LPGA Tour, closing with a 3-under 69 to finish two strokes ahead of Paula Creamer in the Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

One year ago: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford vowed to take the City Council to court after it voted overwhelmingly to strip him of some of his powers over his admitted drug use, public drinking and increasingly erratic behavior. China's leaders announced the first significant easing of their one-child policy in nearly 30 years and moved to abolish its labor camp system. Dressed in a black Batman costume, 5-year-old leukemia patient Miles Scott fulfilled his wish to be his favorite superhero, fighting villains and rescuing a damsel in distress in an elaborate fantasy staged by the city of San Francisco and arranged by the Make-a-Wish Foundation. (The event cost the city $105,000, but the tab was picked up by the John and Marcia Goldman Foundation.)

Today's Birthdays: Judge Joseph Wapner is 95. Actor Ed Asner is 85. Singer Petula Clark is 82. Comedian Jack Burns is 81. Actress Joanna Barnes is 80. Actor Yaphet Kotto is 75. Actor Sam Waterston is 74. Classical conductor Daniel Barenboim is 72. Pop singer Frida (ABBA) is 69. Actor Bob Gunton is 69. Former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson is 67. Actress Beverly D'Angelo is 63. Director-actor James Widdoes is 61. Rock singer-producer Mitch Easter is 60. News correspondent John Roberts is 58. Former "Jay Leno Show" bandleader Kevin Eubanks is 57. Comedian Judy Gold is 52. Actress Rachel True is 48. Rapper E-40 is 47. Country singer Jack Ingram is 44. Actor Jay Harrington is 43. Actor Jonny Lee Miller is 42. Actress Sydney Tamiia Poitier is 41. Christian rock musician David Carr (Third Day) is 40. Rock singer-musician Chad Kroeger is 40. Rock musician Jesse Sandoval is 40. Actress Virginie Ledoyen is 38. Actor Sean Murray (TV: "NCIS") is 37. Pop singer Ace Young (TV: "American Idol") is 34. Golfer Lorena Ochoa is 33. Hip-hop artist B.o.B is 26. Actress Shailene Woodley is 23. Actress-dancer Emma Dumont is 20.

Thought for Today: "My father used to say superior people never make long visits." -- Marianne Moore, American poet (1887-1972).

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