Today in History

Today in History

Today is Sunday, Sept. 11, the 255th day of 2016. There are 111 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed on an unprecedented day of terror as 19 members of al-Qaida hijacked four passenger jetliners, sending two of the planes smashing into New York's World Trade Center, one into the Pentagon and the fourth into a field in western Pennsylvania.

On this date:

In 1714, the forces of King Philip V of Spain overcame Catalan defenders to end the 13-month-long Siege of Barcelona during the War of the Spanish Succession.

In 1789, Alexander Hamilton was appointed the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

In 1814, an American fleet scored a decisive victory over the British in the Battle of Lake Champlain in the War of 1812.

In 1857, the Mountain Meadows Massacre took place in present-day southern Utah as a 120-member Arkansas immigrant party was slaughtered by Mormon militiamen aided by Paiute Indians.

In 1936, Boulder Dam (now Hoover Dam) began operation as President Franklin D. Roosevelt pressed a key in Washington to signal the startup of the dam's first hydroelectric generator.

In 1941, groundbreaking took place for the Pentagon. In a speech that drew accusations of anti-Semitism, Charles A. Lindbergh told an America First rally in Des Moines, Iowa, that "the British, the Jewish and the Roosevelt administration" were pushing the United States toward war.

In 1954, the Miss America pageant made its network TV debut on ABC; Miss California, Lee Meriwether, was crowned the winner.

In 1962, The Beatles completed their first single for EMI, "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You," at EMI studios in London.

In 1974, Eastern Airlines Flight 212, a DC-9, crashed while attempting to land in Charlotte, North Carolina, killing 72 of the 82 people on board. The family drama "Little House on the Prairie" premiered on NBC-TV.

In 1984, country star Barbara Mandrell was seriously injured in an automobile accident near Nashville that claimed the life of the other driver, Mark White.

In 1985, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds cracked career hit number 4,192 off Eric Show (rhymes with "how") of the San Diego Padres, eclipsing the record held by Ty Cobb.

In 1997, Scots voted to create their own Parliament after 290 years of union with England.

Ten years ago: The nation paused to remember the victims of 9/11 on the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks. In a prime-time address, President George W. Bush invoked the memory of the victims as he staunchly defended the war in Iraq, though he acknowledged that Saddam Hussein was not responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

Five years ago: The nation, and the world, marked the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In New York, a tree-covered memorial plaza at ground zero opened to the families of the victims for the first time. President Barack Obama, after visiting the sites where terrorists struck, declared: "It will be said of us that we kept that faith; that we took a painful blow, and emerged stronger." Australian Sam Stosur beat Serena Williams, pulling off a 6-2, 6-3 upset in the U.S. Open for her first Grand Slam title.

One year ago: A crane collapsed onto the Grand Mosque in Mecca, killing 111 people ahead of the annual hajj pilgrimage. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry ended his second bid for the Republican presidential nomination, becoming the first major candidate of the 2016 campaign to give up on the White House. Roberta Vinci stunned Serena Williams to end her Grand Slam bid in one of the greatest upsets in tennis history; the 43rd-ranked Italian won 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the U.S. Open semifinals.

Today's Birthdays: Former Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, is 92. Actor Earl Holliman is 88. Comedian Tom Dreesen is 77. Movie director Brian De Palma is 76. Singer-actress-dancer Lola Falana is 74. Rock musician Mickey Hart (The Dead) is 73. Singer-musician Leo Kottke is 71. Actor Phillip Alford is 68. Actress Amy Madigan is 66. Rock singer-musician Tommy Shaw (Styx) is 63. Sports reporter Lesley Visser is 63. Actor Reed Birney is 62. Singer-songwriter Diane Warren is 60. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson is 59. Musician Jon Moss (Culture Club) is 59. Actor Scott Patterson is 58. Rock musician Mick Talbot (The Style Council) is 58. Actress Roxann Dawson is 58. Actor John Hawkes is 57. Actress Anne Ramsay is 56. Actress Virginia Madsen is 55. Actress Kristy McNichol is 54. Musician-composer Moby is 51. Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is 51. Business reporter Maria Bartiromo is 49. Singer Harry Connick Jr. is 49. Rock musician Bart Van Der Zeeuw is 48. Actress Taraji P. Henson is 46. Actress Laura Wright is 46. Rock musician Jeremy Popoff (Lit) is 45. Blogger Markos Moulitsas is 45. Singer Brad Fischetti (LFO) is 41. Rapper Mr. Black is 39. Rock musician Jon Buckland (Coldplay) is 39. Rapper Ludacris is 39. Rock singer Ben Lee is 38. Actor Ryan Slattery is 38. Actress Ariana Richards is 37. Actress Elizabeth Henstridge is 29. Actor Tyler Hoechlin (HEK'-lihn) is 29. Country singer Charles Kelley (Lady Antebellum) is 35. Actress Mackenzie Aladjem is 15.

Thought for Today: "If a person has lived through war, poverty and love, he has lived a full life." -- O. Henry (William Sydney Porter), American author (born this date in 1862, died in 1910).