Today in History

Today is Friday, Oct. 27, the 300th day of 2017. There are 65 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 27, 1947, "You Bet Your Life," a comedy quiz show starring Groucho Marx, premiered on ABC Radio. (It later became a television show on NBC.)

On this date:

In 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, was published.

In 1858, the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was born in New York City.

In 1880, Theodore Roosevelt married his first wife, Alice Lee.

In 1886 (New Style date), the musical fantasy "A Night on Bald Mountain," written by Modest Mussorgsky and revised after his death by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, was performed in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 1922, the first annual celebration of Navy Day took place.

In 1938, Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn: "nylon."

In 1954, U.S. Air Force Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to brigadier general, the first black officer to achieve that rank in the USAF. Walt Disney's first television program, titled "Disneyland" after the yet-to-be completed theme park, premiered on ABC.

In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down while flying over Cuba, killing the pilot, U.S. Air Force Maj. Rudolf Anderson Jr.

In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord.

In 1980, opera star Beverly Sills gave her last public performance during a farewell gala at New York's Lincoln Center.

In 1992, Petty Officer Allen Schindler, a gay U.S. Navy sailor, was beaten to death near Sasebo Naval Base in southwestern Japan by shipmate Terry Helvey, who pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

In 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4, 3-0.

Ten years ago: Despite significant dissent in the ranks, United Auto Workers members narrowly passed a four-year contract agreement with Chrysler LLC. The Boston Red Sox took a 3-0 World Series lead with a 10-5 win over the Colorado Rockies in Denver.

Five years ago: The eastern United States braced for high winds, torrential rains, power outages and even snow from Hurricane Sandy, which was headed north from the Caribbean toward a merger with two wintry weather systems. The San Francisco Giants, with a 2-0 victory, took a three-games-to-none lead in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers.

One year ago: A jury in Portland, Oregon, delivered an extraordinary blow to the government in a long-running battle over the use of public lands when it acquitted all seven defendants, including group leader Ammon Bundy, who were involved in the armed occupation of a national wildlife refuge in 2014. Law enforcement officers dressed in riot gear evicted protesters from private land in the path of the Dakota Access oil pipeline, dramatically escalating a monthslong dispute over Native American rights and the project's environmental impact. Twitter announced it was cutting about 9 percent of its employees worldwide.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Nanette Fabray is 97. Actor-comedian John Cleese is 78. Author Maxine Hong Kingston is 77. Country singer Lee Greenwood is 75. Producer-director Ivan Reitman is 71. Country singer-musician Jack Daniels is 68. Rock musician Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band) is 68. Author Fran Lebowitz is 67. Rock musician K.K. Downing is 66. TV personality Jayne Kennedy is 66. Actor-director Roberto Benigni is 65. Actor Peter Firth is 64. Actor Robert Picardo is 64. World Golf Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan is 61. Singer Simon Le Bon is 59. Country musician Jerry Dale McFadden (The Mavericks) is 53. Internet news editor Matt Drudge is 51. Rock musician Jason Finn (Presidents of the United States of America) is 50. Actor Sean Holland is 49. Actor Channon Roe is 48. Actress Sheeri Rappaport is 40. Actor David Walton is 39. Violinist Vanessa-Mae is 39. Actress-singer Kelly Osbourne is 33. Actress Christine Evangelista is 31. Actor Bryan Craig is 26. Actor Troy Gentile is 24.

Thought for Today: "If men were angels, no government would be necessary." -- President James Madison (1751-1836).