Today in History

Today is Saturday, October 3, the 276th day of 2015. There are 89 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On October 3, 1995, the jury in the O.J. Simpson murder trial in Los Angeles found the former football star not guilty of the 1994 slayings of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman (however, Simpson was later found liable for damages in a civil trial).

On this date:

In 1789, President George Washington declared November 26, 1789, a day of Thanksgiving to express gratitude for the creation of the United States of America.

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November Thanksgiving Day.

In 1922, Rebecca L. Felton, D-Ga., became the first woman to be appointed to the U.S. Senate (however, she ended up serving only a day).

In 1932, Iraq became independent of British administration.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. Army troops cracked the Siegfried Line north of Aachen, Germany.

In 1951, the New York Giants captured the National League pennant by a score of 5-4 as Bobby Thomson hit a three-run homer off the Brooklyn Dodgers' Ralph Branca in the "shot heard 'round the world."

In 1955, "Captain Kangaroo" and "The Mickey Mouse Club" premiered on CBS and ABC, respectively.

In 1962, astronaut Wally Schirra became the fifth American to fly in space as he blasted off from Cape Canaveral aboard the Sigma 7 on a 9-hour flight.

In 1974, Frank Robinson was named major league baseball's first black manager as he was placed in charge of the Cleveland Indians.

In 1981, Irish nationalists at the Maze Prison near Belfast, Northern Ireland, ended seven months of hunger strikes that had claimed 10 lives.

In 1990, West Germany and East Germany ended 45 years of postwar division, declaring the creation of a reunified country.

In 2008, O.J. Simpson was found guilty of robbing two sports-memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room. (Simpson was later sentenced to nine to 33 years in prison.)

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush nominated White House counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court (however, she withdrew three weeks later after criticism over her lack of judicial experience and Republican concerns about her conservatism). A Russian space capsule with American tourist Gregory Olsen aboard docked with the international space station. Australians Barry J. Marshall and Robin Warren won the 2005 Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine for showing that bacterial infection -- not stress -- caused ulcers in the stomach and intestine. British actor-comedian Ronnie Barker, half of the long-established and much-loved duo The Two Ronnies, died at age 76.

Five years ago: Ruling-party candidate Dilma Rousseff, trying to become Brazil's first female leader, fell short of getting a majority of votes in presidential elections. (Rousseff prevailed in a runoff against her centrist rival, Jose Serra.) Angel McCoughtry had 18 points as the U.S. won gold at the women's basketball world championship with an 89-69 victory over the host Czech Republic.

One year ago: An Internet video was released showing an Islamic State group militant beheading British hostage Alan Henning, the fourth such killing carried out by the extremist group being targeted by U.S.-led airstrikes.

Today's Birthdays: Composer Steve Reich is 79. Rock and roll star Chubby Checker is 74. Actor Alan Rachins is 73. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-N.M., is 72. Magician Roy Horn is 71. Singer Lindsey Buckingham is 66. Jazz musician Ronnie Laws is 65. Blues singer Keb' Mo' is 64. Former astronaut Kathryn Sullivan is 64. Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield is 64. Baseball Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley is 61. Civil rights activist Rev. Al Sharpton is 61. Actor Hart Bochner is 59. Actor Peter Frechette is 59. World Golf Hall of Famer Fred Couples is 56. Actor-comedian Greg Proops is 56. Actor Jack Wagner is 56. Rock musician Tommy Lee is 53. Actor Clive Owen is 51. Actress Janel Moloney is 46. Singer Gwen Stefani (No Doubt) is 46. Pop singer Kevin Richardson is 44. Rock singer G. Love is 43. Actress Keiko Agena is 42. Actress Neve Campbell is 42. Actress Lena Headey is 42. Singer India.Arie is 40. Rapper Talib Kweli is 40. Actress Alanna Ubach is 40. Actor Seann William Scott is 39. Actress Shannyn Sossamon is 37. Rock musician Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 36. Actor Seth Gabel is 34. Rock musician Mark King (Hinder) is 33. Actor Erik Von Detten is 33. Singer-musician Cherrill Green (Edens Edge) is 32. Actress Tessa Thompson is 32. Actress-singer Ashlee Simpson is 31. Rapper A$AP Rocky is 27. Actress Alicia Vikander is 27.

Thought for Today: "Life has got a habit of not standing hitched. You got to ride it like you find it. You got to change with it." -- Woody Guthrie, American folk singer-songwriter (1912-1967).

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