Today in History

Today is Friday, September 18, the 261st day of 2015. There are 104 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 18, 1793, President George Washington laid the cornerstone of the U.S. Capitol.

On this date:

In A.D. 14, the Roman Senate officially confirmed Tiberius as the second emperor of the Roman Empire, succeeding the late Augustus.

In 1759, the French formally surrendered Quebec to the British.

In 1810, Chile made its initial declaration of independence from Spain with the forming of a national junta.

In 1927, the Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System (later CBS) made its on-air debut with a basic network of 16 radio stations.

In 1931, an explosion in the Chinese city of Mukden damaged a section of Japanese-owned railway track; Japan, blaming Chinese nationalists, invaded Manchuria the next day.

In 1940, Harper and Brothers published "You Can't Go Home Again" by Thomas Wolfe, two years after the author's death.

In 1961, United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was killed in a plane crash in northern Rhodesia.

In 1965, the situation comedies "I Dream of Jeannie" and "Get Smart" premiered on NBC.

In 1970, rock star Jimi Hendrix died in London at age 27.

In 1975, newspaper heiress Patricia Hearst was captured by the FBI in San Francisco, 19 months after being kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army.

In 1984, retired U.S. Air Force Col. Joe Kittinger became the first person to complete a solo balloon flight across the Atlantic Ocean as he landed in Italy, four days after leaving Maine.

In 1990, the city of Atlanta was named the site of the 1996 Summer Olympics. The organized crime drama "GoodFellas," directed by Martin Scorsese, had its U.S. premiere in New York.

Ten years ago: Tropical Storm Rita formed southeast of the Florida Keys. Millions of Afghans defied a Taliban boycott call and militant attacks to vote for a new parliament. German conservative challenger Angela Merkel's bloc won the most votes in elections, but fell short of a clear mandate to govern. "Everybody Loves Raymond" won the Emmy for best comedy in its final season; first-year hit "Lost" was named best drama.

Five years ago: Despite Taliban rocket strikes and bombings, Afghans voted for a new parliament in the first election since a fraud-marred ballot cast doubt on the legitimacy of the embattled government. During his visit to Britain, Pope Benedict XVI apologized to five people who'd been molested by priests as children in his latest effort to defuse the sex abuse crisis shaking the Roman Catholic Church.

One year ago: In a show of solidarity with Ukraine, President Barack Obama welcomed the new president of the embattled former Soviet republic, Petro Poroshenko, to the White House. Congress cleared the way for the U.S. military to train and equip Syrian rebels for a war against Islamic Group militants. Home Depot said a data breach that lasted for months at its stores in the U.S. and Canada had affected 56 million debit and credit cards. Don Spirit, a convicted felon living in Bell, Florida, fatally shot his six grandchildren and his daughter before killing himself. Voters in Scotland rejected independence, opting to remain part of the United Kingdom in a historic referendum. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, Scotland, ended years of male-only exclusivity as its members voted overwhelmingly in favor of inviting women to join. Will Radcliff, 74, who'd built a multi-billion-dollar global business from flavored, icy Slush Puppie drinks, died in Cincinnati.

Today's Birthdays: Voice actress June Foray is 98. Singer Jimmie Rodgers is 82. Actor Robert Blake is 82. Former Sen. Robert Bennett, R-Utah, is 82. Actor Fred Willard is 82. Actor Eddie Jones is 81. Gospel singer Bobby Jones is 77. Singer Frankie Avalon is 75. Actress Beth Grant is 66. Rock musician Kerry Livgren is 66. Actress Anna Deavere Smith is 65. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino is 63. College Football Hall of Famer and retired NFL player Billy Sims is 60. Movie director Mark Romanek is 56. Baseball Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg is 56. Alt-country-rock musician Mark Olson is 54. Singer Joanne Catherall (Human League) is 53. Actress Holly Robinson Peete is 51. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ricky Bell (Bell Biv Devoe and New Edition) is 48. Actress Aisha Tyler is 45. Former racing cyclist Lance Armstrong is 44. Opera singer Anna Netrebko is 44. Actress Jada Pinkett Smith is 44. Actor James Marsden is 42. Actress Emily Rutherfurd is 41. Actor Travis Schuldt is 41. Rapper Xzibit is 41. Comedian-actor Jason Sudeikis is 40. Actress Sophina Brown is 39. Actor Barrett Foa is 38. TV correspondent Sara Haines is 38. Actress Alison Lohman is 36. Actors Taylor and Brandon Porter are 22. Actor C.J. Sanders is 19.

Thought for Today: "Make your mistakes, take your chances, look silly, but keep on going. Don't freeze up." -- From "You Can't Go Home Again" by Thomas Wolfe (1900-1938).

Copyright 2015, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.