Today in History

Today is Thursday, September 3, the 246th day of 2015. There are 119 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 3, 1783, representatives of the United States and Britain signed the Treaty of Paris, which officially ended the Revolutionary War.

On this date:

In 1189, England's King Richard I (the Lion-Hearted) was crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1658, Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of England, died in London; he was succeeded by his son, Richard.

In 1868, the Japanese city of Edo was renamed Tokyo.

In 1914, Cardinal Giacomo Della Chiesa became pope; he took the name Benedict XV.

In 1923, the United States and Mexico resumed diplomatic relations.

In 1939, Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany, two days after the Nazi invasion of Poland,

In 1940, Artie Shaw and his Gramercy Five recorded "Summit Ridge Drive" and "Special Delivery Stomp" for RCA Victor.

In 1951, the television soap opera "Search for Tomorrow" made its debut on CBS.

In 1967, the original version of the television game show "What's My Line?," hosted by John Charles Daly, broadcast its final episode after more than 17 years on CBS.

In 1976, America's Viking 2 lander touched down on Mars to take the first close-up, color photographs of the planet's surface.

In 1989, a Cubana de Aviacion jetliner crashed after takeoff in Havana, killing all 126 aboard and 45 people on the ground.

In 1995, the online auction site eBay was founded in San Jose, California, by Pierre Omidyar under the name "AuctionWeb."

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush ordered more than 7,000 active duty forces to the Gulf Coast as his administration intensified efforts to rescue Katrina survivors and send aid to the hurricane-ravaged region in the face of criticism it did not act quickly enough. U.S. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist died in Arlington, Virginia, at age 80, after more than three decades on the Supreme Court.

Five years ago: Defense Secretary Robert Gates toured U.S. bases and war zones in Afghanistan, saying he saw and heard evidence that the American counterinsurgency strategy was taking hold in critical Kandahar province. The Fox network announced that Kara DioGuardi was stepping down as one of the judges on "American Idol," following the departures of Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres.

One year ago: President Barack Obama, during a visit to Estonia, harshly condemned Russian aggression in Ukraine as a threat to peace. President Obama also said the United States would not be intimidated by Islamic State militants after the beheading of American journalist Steven Satloff. A judge sentenced Theodore Wafer, a suburban Detroit man who'd killed an unarmed woman on his porch instead of calling police, to at least 17 years in prison after telling the family of 19-year-old Renisha McBride he would carry "guilt and sorrow forever."

Today's Birthdays: "Beetle Bailey" cartoonist Mort Walker is 92. Actress Anne Jackson is 90. Actress Pauline Collins is 75. Rock singer-musician Al Jardine is 73. Actress Valerie Perrine is 72. Rock musician Donald Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad) is 67. Rock guitarist Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols) is 60. Actor Steve Schirripa is 58. Actor Holt McCallany is 51. Rock singer-musician Todd Lewis is 50. Actor Charlie Sheen is 50. Singer Jennifer Paige is 42. Dance-rock musician Redfoo (LMFAO) is 40. Actress Ashley Jones is 39. Actress Nichole Hiltz is 37. Actor Joel Johnstone (TV: "The Astronaut Wives Club") is 37. Actor Nick Wechsler is 37. Rock musician Tomo Milicevic (30 Seconds to Mars) is 36. Actress Christine Woods is 32. Actor Garrett Hedlund is 31. Olympic gold medal snowboarder Shaun White is 29. Hip-hop singer August Alsina is 23.

Thought for Today: "In the arts, the critic is the only independent source of information. The rest is advertising." -- Pauline Kael, American movie critic (1919-2001).

Copyright 2015, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.