Today in History

Today in History

Today is Thursday, Oct. 6, the 280th day of 2016. There are 86 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 6, 1976, President Gerald R. Ford, in his second presidential debate with Democrat Jimmy Carter, asserted that there was "no Soviet domination of eastern Europe." (Ford later conceded such was not the case.)

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 1891, Charles Stewart Parnell, the "Uncrowned King of Ireland," died in Brighton, Sussex, England.

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 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.)

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: The U.N. Security Council adopted a statement warning North Korea of unspecified consequences if it carried out a nuclear test. Petty Officer 3rd Class Melson J. Bacos, a Navy medic, pleaded guilty to kidnapping and conspiracy, telling his court-martial at Camp Pendleton, California, that he stood and watched as seven members of a Marine squadron murdered an innocent Iraqi civilian. (Bacos was sentenced to a year in military prison and was released two months early; the Marines were convicted or pleaded guilty in the killing.)

Five years ago: In a poor quality audio recording, a voice identified as that of Moammar Gadhafi called on Libyans to take to the streets and wage a campaign of civil disobedience against the country's new leader. The Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to psychologist Tomas Transtromer, Sweden's most famous poet. Actress Diane Cilento, 78, died in Cairns, Queensland, Australia.

One year ago: Gen. John F. Campbell, the top U.S. commander in Afghanistan, recommended before Congress that President Barack Obama revise his plan to cut the current U.S. force of 9,800 and keep more than 1,000 U.S. troops in the country beyond 2016. Takaaki Kajita of Japan and Arthur McDonald of Canada won the Nobel Prize in physics for key discoveries about neutrinos, a cosmic particle that whizzes through space at nearly the speed of light, passing easily through Earth and even people's bodies. Convicted killer Juan Martin Garcia was executed by Texas for fatally shooting another man in a robbery that yielded just $8. Singer Billy Joe Royal, 73, who'd popularized the song "Down in the Boondocks" and crossed over into country music, died in Morehead City, North Carolina.

Today's Birthdays: Broadcaster and writer Melvyn Bragg is 77. Actress Britt Ekland is 74. Singer Millie Small is 70. The president of Sinn Fein, Gerry Adams, is 68. Singer-musician Thomas McClary is 67. Musician Sid McGinnis is 67. CBS chief executive officer Les Moonves is 67. Rock singer Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon) is 65. Rock singer-musician David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) is 62. Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dungy is 61. Actress Elisabeth Shue is 53. Singer Matthew Sweet is 52. Actress Jacqueline Obradors is 50. Country singer Tim Rushlow is 50. Rock musician Tommy Stinson is 50. Actress Amy Jo Johnson is 46. Actress Emily Mortimer is 45. Actor Lamman Rucker is 45. Actor Ioan Gruffudd is 43. Actor Jeremy Sisto is 42. Rhythm-and-blues singer Melinda Doolittle is 39. Actor Wes Ramsey is 39. Singer-musician Will Butler is 34.

Thought for Today: "Talking comes by nature, silence by wisdom." -- Author unknown.