Today in History

Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 11, the 285th day of 2016. There are 81 days left in the year. The Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, begins at sunset.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 11, 1986, President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev opened two days of talks concerning arms control and human rights in Reykjavik, Iceland.

On this date:

In 1779, Polish nobleman Casimir Pulaski, fighting for American independence, died two days after being wounded during the Revolutionary War Battle of Savannah, Georgia.

In 1890, the Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in Washington, D.C.

In 1905, the Juilliard School was founded as the Institute of Musical Art in New York.

In 1910, Theodore Roosevelt became the first former U.S. president to fly in an airplane during a visit to St. Louis.

In 1932, the first American political telecast took place as the Democratic National Committee sponsored a program from a CBS television studio in New York.

In 1944, the classic films "To Have and Have Not," starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall, and "Laura," starring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews, opened in New York.

In 1958, the lunar probe Pioneer 1 was launched; it failed to go as far out as planned, fell back to Earth, and burned up in the atmosphere.

In 1968, Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, was launched with astronauts Wally Schirra, Donn Fulton Eisele and R. Walter Cunningham aboard. The government of Panama was overthrown in a military coup.

In 1975, Bill Clinton and Hillary Diane Rodham were married in Fayetteville, Arkansas. "NBC Saturday Night" (later "Saturday Night Live") made its debut with guest host George Carlin.

In 1984, Challenger astronaut Kathryn D. Sullivan became the first American woman to walk in space as she and fellow Mission Specialist David C. Leestma spent 3 1/2 hours outside the shuttle.

In 1985, Arab-American activist Alex Odeh was killed by a bomb blast in Santa Ana, California. (The case remains unsolved.)

In 1991, testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Anita Hill accused Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas of sexually harassing her; Thomas re-appeared before the panel to denounce the proceedings as a "high-tech lynching."

In 2002, former President Jimmy Carter was named the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ten years ago: A single-engine plane carrying New York Yankees pitcher Cory Lidle and flight instructor Tyler Stanger crashed into a high-rise apartment building in New York City, killing both men. The charge of treason was used for the first time in the U.S. war on terrorism, filed against Adam Yehiye Gadahn, also known as "Azzam the American," who'd appeared in propaganda videos for al-Qaida. (Gadahn was killed by a U.S. drone strike in Pakistan in Jan. 2015.)

Five years ago: Presidential challenger Mitt Romney accused President Barack Obama of failing to lead in a time of economic peril but sounded less conservative than his Republican rivals in their debate in Hanover, New Hampshire, defending the 2008-2009 Wall Street bailout and declaring he could work with "good" Democrats. U.S. officials accused agents of the Iranian government of plotting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador to the U.S., Adel al-Jubeir. The U.S. women rolled to their third title at the world gymnastics championships held in Tokyo. The Detroit Tigers won their first game of the 2011 AL championship series, sweeping past the Texas Rangers 5-2 in Game 3.

One year ago: In an interview that aired on CBS' "60 Minutes," President Barack Obama said that Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server to conduct government business when she served as secretary of state was a mistake but didn't endanger national security. A spokesman for Iran's judiciary said that Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian (reh-ZY'-ahn), detained for more than a year on charges including espionage, had been convicted. (Rezaian was released in Jan. 2016.) In Incheon, South Korea, the United States rallied to win the Presidents Cup for the sixth straight time, 15 1/2-14 1/2.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Earle Hyman is 90. Former U.S. Defense Secretary William Perry is 89. Actor Ron Leibman is 79. Actor Amitabh Bachchan is 74. Country singer Gene Watson is 73. Singer Daryl Hall (Hall and Oates) is 70. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., is 66. Rhythm-and-blues musician Andrew Woolfolk is 66. Actress-director Catlin Adams is 66. Country singer Paulette Carlson is 65. Actor David Morse is 63. Actor Stephen Spinella is 60. Actress-writer-comedian Dawn French is 59. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Steve Young is 55. Actress Joan Cusack is 54. Rock musician Scott Johnson (Gin Blossoms) is 54. Comedy writer and TV host Michael J. Nelson is 52. Actor Sean Patrick Flanery is 51. Actor Lennie James is 51. College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL player Chris Spielman is 51. Actor Luke Perry is 50. Country singer-songwriter Todd Snider is 50. Actor-comedian Artie Lange is 49. Actress Jane Krakowski is 48. Rapper U-God (Wu-Tang Clan) is 46. Actress Constance Zimmer is 46. Bluegrass musician Leigh Gibson (The Gibson Brothers) is 45. Rapper MC Lyte is 45. Figure skater Kyoko Ina is 44. Actor/writer Nat Faxon is 41. Singer NeeNa Lee is 41. Actress Emily Deschanel is 40. Actor Matt Bomer is 39. Actor Trevor Donovan is 38. Actress Michelle Trachtenberg is 31. Actress Lucy Griffiths is 30. Golfer Michelle Wie is 27.

Thought for Today: "When a friend speaks to me, whatever he says is interesting." -- Jean Renoir, French movie director (1894-1979).