Today in History

Today in History

Today is Monday, Sept. 19, the 263rd day of 2016. There are 103 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 19th, 1796, President George Washington's farewell address was published. In it, America's first chief executive advised, "Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all."

On this date:

In 1777, the first Battle of Saratoga was fought during the Revolutionary War; although British forces succeeded in driving out the American troops, the Americans prevailed in a second battle the following month.

In 1881, the 20th president of the United States, James A. Garfield, died 21/2 months after being shot by Charles Guiteau; Chester Alan Arthur became president.

In 1906, addressing the annual dinner of The Associated Press in New York, Mark Twain said, "There are only two forces that can carry light to all the corners of the globe -- only two -- the sun in the heavens and The Associated Press down here."

In 1915, vaudeville performer W.C. Fields made his movie debut as "Pool Sharks," a one-reel silent comedy, was released.

In 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was arrested in New York and charged with the kidnap-murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.

In 1945, Nazi radio propagandist William Joyce, known as "Lord Haw-Haw," was convicted of treason and sentenced to death by a British court.

In 1959, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev, in Los Angeles as part of his U.S. tour, reacted angrily upon being told that, for security reasons, he wouldn't get to visit Disneyland.

In 1960, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, in New York to visit the United Nations, angrily checked out of the Shelburne Hotel in a dispute with the management; Castro ended up staying at the Hotel Theresa in Harlem.

In 1970, the situation comedy "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" debuted on CBS-TV.

In 1982, the smiley emoticon was invented by Carnegie Mellon University professor Scott E. Fahlman, who suggested punctuating humorously intended computer messages with a colon followed by a hyphen and a parenthesis as a horizontal "smiley face." :-)

In 1985, the Mexico City area was struck by a devastating earthquake that killed at least 9,500 people.

In 1996, IBM announced it would extend health benefits to the partners of its gay employees.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush, speaking to the U.N. General Assembly, tried to quell anti-Americanism in the Middle East by assuring Muslims he was not waging war against Islam. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan delivered an emotional farewell address, appealing to the world to unite against human rights abuses, religious divisions, brutal conflicts and an unjust world economy. Thailand's army commander staged a coup, ousting Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra over accusations of corruption. Actress Elizabeth Allen, 77, died in Fishkill, New York.

Five years ago: In a White House address, a combative President Barack Obama demanded that the richest Americans pay higher taxes to help cut soaring U.S. deficits by more than $3 trillion. Mariano Rivera set a major league record with his 602nd save, closing out the New York Yankees' 6-4 win over the Minnesota Twins. Dolores Hope, the sultry-voiced songstress who was married to Bob Hope for 69 years and sometimes sang on his shows for U.S. troops and on his television specials, died in Los Angeles at age 102.

One year ago: Pope Francis, arriving in Havana, hailed detente between Cuba and the United States as a model of reconciliation for the world as he launched a 10-day tour of the former Cold War foes. President Barack Obama paid tribute to black women for their role in helping shape American democracy as he delivered the keynote address to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's annual awards dinner. Jackie Collins, 77, the bestselling author of dozens of novels including "Hollywood Wives," died in Los Angeles.

Today's Birthdays: Author Roger Angell is 96. Host James Lipton (TV: "Inside the Actors Studio") is 90. Actress Rosemary Harris is 89. Former Defense Secretary Harold Brown is 89. Actor Adam West is 88. Actor David McCallum is 83. Singer-songwriter Paul Williams is 76. Singer Bill Medley is 76. Singer Sylvia Tyson (Ian and Sylvia) is 76. R&B singer Freda Payne is 74. Golfer Jane Blalock is 71. Singer David Bromberg is 71. Actor Randolph Mantooth is 71. Rock singer-musician Lol Creme (10cc) is 69. Former NFL running back Larry Brown is 69. Actor Jeremy Irons is 68. Actress Twiggy Lawson is 67. TV personality Joan Lunden is 66. Singer-producer Daniel Lanois is 65. Actor Scott Colomby is 64. Musician-producer Nile Rodgers is 64. College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Reggie Williams is 62. Singer-actor Rex Smith is 61. Rock singer Lita Ford is 58. Actor Kevin Hooks is 58. Actress Carolyn McCormick is 57. Celebrity chef Mario Batali is 56. Actress-comedian Cheri Oteri is 54. Country singer Jeff Bates is 53. Country singer Trisha Yearwood is 52. News anchor Soledad O'Brien is 50. Rhythm-and-blues singer Espraronza Griffin (Society of Soul) is 47. Celebrity chef Michael Symon is 47. Actress Sanaa Lathan (suh-NAH' LAY'-thun) is 45. Actress Stephanie J. Block is 44. Rock singer A. Jay Popoff (Lit) is 43. "Tonight Show" host Jimmy Fallon is 42. TV personality Carter Oosterhouse is 40. Actress-TV host Alison Sweeney is 40. Rock musician Ryan Dusick is 39. Folk-rock singers-musicians Tegan and Sara Quin are 36. Actor Columbus Short is 34. Rapper Eamon is 33. Christian rock musician JD Frazier is 33. Actor Kevin Zegers is 32. Actress Danielle Panabaker is 29.

Thought for Today: "Start every day off with a smile and get it over with." -- W.C. Fields, American comedian (1880-1946).