Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Nov. 10, the 314th day of 2015. There are 51 days left in the year.

Today's Highlights in History:

On Nov. 10, 1975, the U.N. General Assembly approved a resolution equating Zionism with racism (the world body repealed the resolution in Dec. 1991). The ore-hauling ship SS Edmund Fitzgerald mysteriously sank during a storm in Lake Superior with the loss of all 29 crew members.

On this date:

In 1775, the U.S. Marines were organized under authority of the Continental Congress.

In 1871, journalist-explorer Henry M. Stanley found Scottish missionary David Livingstone, who had not been heard from for years, near Lake Tanganyika in central Africa.

In 1919, the American Legion opened its first national convention in Minneapolis.

In 1925, actor Richard Burton was born Richard Walter Jenkins in Pontrhydyfen, Wales.

In 1938, Kate Smith first sang Irving Berlin's "God Bless America" on her CBS radio program. Turkish statesman Mustafa Kemal Ataturk died in Istanbul at age 57.

In 1942, Winston Churchill delivered a speech in London in which he said, "I have not become the King's First Minister to preside over the liquidation of the British Empire."

In 1951, customer-dialed long-distance telephone service began as Mayor M. Leslie Denning of Englewood, New Jersey, called Alameda, California, Mayor Frank Osborne without operator assistance.

In 1954, the U.S. Marine Corps Memorial, depicting the raising of the American flag on Iwo Jima in 1945, was dedicated by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in Arlington, Virginia.

In 1969, the children's educational program "Sesame Street" made its debut on National Educational Television (later PBS).

In 1982, the newly finished Vietnam Veterans Memorial was opened to its first visitors in Washington, D.C., three days before its dedication. Soviet leader Leonid I. Brezhnev died at age 75.

In 1990, the movie comedy "Home Alone," starring Macaulay Culkin, premiered in Chicago.

In 2004, word reached the United States of the death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat at age 75 (because of the time difference, it was the early hours of Nov. 11 in Paris, where Arafat died).

Ten years ago: A suicide bomber killed some three dozen people at a Baghdad restaurant frequented by police. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a former finance minister of Liberia, claimed victory in the country's presidential election. Chris Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals won the National League Cy Young Award.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama cut short his visit to his boyhood home in Indonesia because of an ash cloud from Mount Merapi, and flew to South Korea for an economic summit. French President Nicolas Sarkozy's reform raising the retirement age from 60 to 62 became law, a victory for the conservative government and a defeat for unions that had waged massive strikes and street protests. Miranda Lambert received three Country Music Association Awards on her 27th birthday, including album of the year; Brad Paisley was named entertainer of the year. Movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, 91, died in Beverly Hills, California.

One year ago: President Barack Obama, at the start of a visit to Beijing, announced that the United States and China would start granting visas to each other's citizens valid for up to a decade. A suicide bomber set off explosives at a school in northern Nigeria, killing at least 48 students in the latest attack by suspected Boko Haram militants. Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu was a unanimous winner of the AL Rookie of the Year award and New York Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom was voted NL Rookie of the Year.

Today's Birthdays: Film composer Ennio Morricone is 87. Blues singer Bobby Rush is 81. Actor Albert Hall is 78. Country singer Donna Fargo is 74. Former Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., is 72. Lyricist Tim Rice is 71. Rock singer-musician Greg Lake (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) is 68. Actress-dancer Ann Reinking is 66. Actor Jack Scalia is 65. Movie director Roland Emmerich is 60. Actor Matt Craven is 59. Actor-comedian Sinbad is 59. Actress Mackenzie Phillips is 56. Author Neil Gaiman is 55. Actress Vanessa Angel is 52. Actor Hugh Bonneville (TV: "Downton Abbey") is 52. Actor-comedian Tommy Davidson is 52. Actor Michael Jai White is 51. Country singer Chris Cagle is 47. Actor-comedian Tracy Morgan is 47. Actress Ellen Pompeo (pahm-PAY'-oh) (TV: "Grey's Anatomy") is 46. Actor-comedian Orny Adams is 45. Rapper-producer Warren G is 45. Actor Walton Goggins is 44. Comedian-actor Chris Lilley is 41. Contemporary Chrisian singer Matt Maher is 41. Rock singer-musician Jim Adkins (Jimmy Eat World) is 40. Rapper Eve is 37. Rock musician Chris Joannou (Silverchair) is 36. Actor Bryan Neal is 35. Actress Heather Matarazzo is 33. Country singer Miranda Lambert is 32. Actor Josh Peck is 29. Pop singer Vinz Dery (Nico & Vinz) is 25. Actress Zoey Deutch is 21. Actress Kiernan Shipka is 16. Actress Mackenzie Foy (Film: the "Twilight" films) is 15.

Thought for Today: "Not doing more than the average is what keeps the average down." -- William M. Winans, American clergyman (1788-1857).

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