Today in History

Today in History

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 27, the 270th day of 2017. There are 95 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 27, 1942, Glenn Miller and his Orchestra performed together for the last time, at the Central Theater in Passaic, New Jersey, prior to Miller's entry into the Army.

On this date:

In 1540, Pope Paul III issued a papal bull establishing the Society of Jesus, or Jesuits, as a religious order.

In 1779, John Adams was named by Congress to negotiate the Revolutionary War's peace terms with Britain.

In 1854, the first great disaster involving an Atlantic Ocean passenger vessel occurred when the steamship SS Arctic sank off Newfoundland; of the more than 400 people on board, only 86 survived.

In 1917, French sculptor and painter Edgar Degas died in Paris at age 83.

In 1928, the United States said it was recognizing the Nationalist Chinese government.

In 1939, Warsaw, Poland, surrendered after weeks of resistance to invading forces from Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union during World War II.

In 1943, Bing Crosby, the Andrews Sisters and the Vic Schoen Orchestra recorded "Pistol Packin' Mama" and "Jingle Bells" for Decca Records.

In 1954, "Tonight!" hosted by Steve Allen, made its network debut on NBC-TV.

In 1962, "Silent Spring," Rachel Carson's study on the effects of pesticides on the environment, was published in book form by Houghton Mifflin.

In 1979, Congress gave its final approval to forming the U.S. Department of Education.

In 1989, Columbia Pictures Entertainment Inc. agreed to a $3.4 billion cash buyout by Sony Corp.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush announced in a nationally broadcast address that he was eliminating all U.S. battlefield nuclear weapons, and called on the Soviet Union to match the gesture. The Senate Judiciary Committee deadlocked, 7-7, on the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Ten years ago: Soldiers fired into crowds of anti-government demonstrators in Yangon, Myanmar, reportedly killing at least nine people; Kenji Nagai, 50, a video journalist for Japan's APF News, was among the dead. President George W. Bush promised to take steps to reduce air traffic congestion and long delays that were leaving travelers grounded.

Five years ago: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the U.N. General Assembly that the world had only a matter of months to stop Iran before it could build a nuclear bomb. NFL referees returned to the field after a tentative deal with the league ended a lockout; games had been marred by controversy, blown calls and confusion as substitute referees officiated during the first three weeks of the season. Actor Herbert Lom, 95, best known as Inspector Clouseau's long-suffering boss in the "Pink Panther" movies, died in London.

One year ago: The United States provided another $364 million in humanitarian aid to Syrians as their nation's civil war appeared to be getting worse. President Barack Obama announced career diplomat Jeffrey DeLaurentis as his choice to become the first U.S. ambassador to Cuba in more than a half-century. Scientists announced the first baby born from a controversial new technique that combined DNA from three people -- the mother, the father and an egg donor. (The goal was to prevent the child from inheriting a fatal genetic disease from his mother.)

Today's Birthdays: Actress Kathleen Nolan is 84. Actor Wilford Brimley is 83. Actor Claude Jarman Jr. is 83. Author Barbara Howar is 83. World Golf Hall of Famer Kathy Whitworth is 78. Singer-musician Randy Bachman (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) is 74. Rock singer Meat Loaf is 70. Actress Liz Torres is 70. Actor A Martinez is 69. Baseball Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt is 68. Actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is 67. Singer Shaun Cassidy is 59. Comedian Marc Maron is 54. Rock singer Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind) is 53. Former Democratic National Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz is 51. Actor Patrick Muldoon is 49. Singer Mark Calderon is 47. Actress Amanda Detmer is 46. Actress Gwyneth Paltrow is 45. Rock singer Brad Arnold (3 Doors Down) is 39. Christian rock musician Grant Brandell (Underoath) is 36. Actress Anna Camp is 35. Rapper Lil' Wayne is 35. Singer Avril Lavigne is 33. Bluegrass singer/musician Sierra Hull is 26.

Thought for Today: "Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once." -- Lillian Dickson, American missionary (1901-1983).