Today in History

Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 26, the 269th day of 2017. There are 96 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 26, 1892, John Philip Sousa and his newly formed band performed publicly for the first time at the Stillman Music Hall in Plainfield, New Jersey.

On this date:

In 1777, British troops occupied Philadelphia during the American Revolution.

In 1789, Thomas Jefferson was confirmed by the Senate to be the first United States secretary of state; John Jay, the first chief justice; Edmund Randolph, the first attorney general.

In 1835, the opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" by Gaetano Donizetti was first performed at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Italy.

In 1907, New Zealand went from being a colony to a dominion within the British Empire.

In 1914, the Federal Trade Commission was established.

In 1937, the radio drama "The Shadow," starring Orson Welles, premiered on the Mutual Broadcasting System.

In 1957, the musical play "West Side Story" opened on Broadway.

In 1960, the first-ever debate between presidential nominees took place as Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon faced off before a national TV audience from Chicago.

In 1977, Sir Freddie Laker began his cut-rate "Skytrain" service from London to New York. (However, the carrier went out of business in 1982.)

In 1986, William H. Rehnquist was sworn in as the 16th chief justice of the United States, while Antonin Scalia joined the Supreme Court as its 103rd member.

In 1991, four men and four women began a two-year stay inside a sealed-off structure in Oracle, Arizona, called Biosphere 2. (They emerged from Biosphere on this date in 1993.)

In 1997, a Garuda Indonesia Airbus A-300 crashed while approaching Medan Airport in north Sumatra, killing all 234 people aboard.

Ten years ago: A judge in Los Angeles declared a mistrial in Phil Spector's murder trial after the jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of convicting the music producer of killing actress Lana Clarkson. (Spector was convicted in a 2009 retrial.) Myanmar began a violent crackdown on protests, beating and dragging away dozens of monks.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney both campaigned in the battleground state of Ohio. Egypt's new President Mohammed Morsi, making his debut on the global stage at the United Nations, said he would not rest until the civil war in Syria was brought to an end.

One year ago: Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton participated in their first debate of the presidential campaign at Hofstra University in New York; Clinton emphatically denounced Trump for keeping his personal tax returns and business dealings secret from voters while Trump repeatedly cast Clinton as a "typical politician." Colombia's government and its largest rebel movement signed a historic peace accord in an emotional ceremony aimed at ending a half-century of combat.

Today's Birthdays: Retired baseball All-Star Bobby Shantz is 92. Actor Philip Bosco is 87. Actor Richard Herd is 85. South African nationalist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela is 81. Country singer David Frizzell is 76. Actor Kent McCord is 75. Television host Anne Robinson is 73. Singer Bryan Ferry is 72. Actress Mary Beth Hurt is 71. Singer Olivia Newton-John is 69. Actor James Keane is 65. Rock singer-musician Cesar Rosas (Los Lobos) is 63. Country singer Carlene Carter is 62. Actress Linda Hamilton is 61. Country singer Doug Supernaw is 57. Rhythm-and-blues singer Cindy Herron (En Vogue) is 56. Actress Melissa Sue Anderson is 55. Actor Patrick Bristow is 55. Rock musician Al Pitrelli is 55. Singer Tracey Thorn (Everything But The Girl) is 55. TV personality Jillian Barberie is 51. Contemporary Christian guitarist Jody Davis (Newsboys) is 50. Actor Jim Caviezel is 49. Actress Tricia O'Kelley is 49. Actor Ben Shenkman is 49. Actress Melanie Paxon is 45. Singer Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men) is 45. Music producer Dr. Luke is 44. Jazz musician Nicholas Payton is 44. Actor Mark Famiglietti is 38. Singer-actress Christina Milian is 36. Tennis player Serena Williams is 36.

Thought for Today: "Whatever you think, be sure it is what you think; whatever you want, be sure that is what you want; whatever you feel, be sure that is what you feel." -- T.S. Eliot, American-Anglo poet (born on this date in 1888, died 1965).