Today in History

Today is Tuesday, October 6, the 279th day of 2015. There are 86 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On October 6, 1973, war erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Yom Kippur holiday. (Israel, initially caught off-guard, suffered heavy losses before rebounding and pushing back the Arab forces before a cease-fire finally took hold in the nearly three-week conflict.)

On this date:

In 1683, thirteen families from Krefeld, Germany, arrived in Philadelphia to begin Germantown, one of America's oldest settlements.

In 1884, the Naval War College was established in Newport, Rhode Island.

In 1921, the musical "Bombo," starring Al Jolson, opened on Broadway.

In 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of "The Jazz Singer" starring Al Jolson, a movie featuring both silent and sound-synchronized sequences.

In 1939, in a speech to the Reichstag, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler spoke of his plans to reorder the ethnic layout of Europe -- a plan which would entail settling the "Jewish problem."

In 1949, U.S.-born Iva Toguri D'Aquino, convicted of treason for being Japanese wartime broadcaster "Tokyo Rose," was sentenced in San Francisco to 10 years in prison (she ended up serving more than six).

In 1958, the nuclear submarine USS Seawolf surfaced after spending 60 days submerged.

In 1960, the historical drama "Spartacus," starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Stanley Kubrick, had its world premiere in New York.

In 1976, in his second presidential debate with Democrat Jimmy Carter, President Gerald R. Ford asserted there was "no Soviet domination of eastern Europe." (Ford later conceded that was not the case.)

In 1979, Pope John Paul II, on a week-long U.S. tour, became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter.

In 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was shot to death by extremists while reviewing a military parade.

In 1989, actress Bette Davis died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, at age 81.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush sought to rally flagging public support for the war in Iraq, accusing militants of seeking to establish a "radical Islamic empire" with Iraq as the base.

Five years ago: A presidential commission said the Obama administration had blocked efforts by government scientists to tell the American public just how bad the Gulf oil spill could become and committed other missteps that raised questions about its competence and candor during the crisis. Roy Halladay pitched the second no-hitter in postseason history, leading the Philadelphia Phillies over the Cincinnati Reds 4-0 in Game 1 of the NL division series. Social networking app Instagram, which enables users to share photos and videos on smartphones, was launched by Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger.

One year ago: The Supreme Court unexpectedly cleared the way for a dramatic expansion of gay marriage in the United States as it rejected appeals from five states seeking to preserve their bans, effectively making such marriages legal in 30 states. Husband-and-wife scientists Edvard Moser and May-Britt Moser of Norway and New York-born researcher John O'Keefe were named recipients of the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering the brain's GPS-like system. USA Swimming suspended Michael Phelps for six months as a result of the Olympic champion's second DUI arrest. Actress Marian Seldes, 86, died in New York.

Today's Birthdays: Broadcaster and writer Melvyn Bragg is 76. Actress Britt Ekland is 73. Singer Millie Small is 69. The president of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, is 67. Singer-musician Thomas McClary is 66. Musician Sid McGinnis is 66. CBS chief executive officer Les Moonves is 66. Rock singer Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon) is 64. Rock singer-musician David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) is 61. Former NFL player and coach Tony Dungy is 60. Actress Elisabeth Shue is 52. Singer Matthew Sweet is 51. Actress Jacqueline Obradors is 49. Country singer Tim Rushlow is 49. Rock musician Tommy Stinson is 49. Actress Amy Jo Johnson is 45. Actress Emily Mortimer is 44. Actor Lamman Rucker is 44. Actor Ioan Gruffudd is 42. Actor Jeremy Sisto is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Melinda Doolittle is 38. Actor Wes Ramsey is 38. Singer-musician Will Butler is 33.

Thought for Today: "Sin is too stupid to see beyond itself." -- Alfred, Lord Tennyson, British poet laureate (born 1809, died this date in 1892).

Copyright 2015, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.