Today in History

Today is Friday, Nov. 16, the 320th day of 2018. There are 45 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Nov. 16, 1933, the United States and the Soviet Union established diplomatic relations.

On this date:

In 1776, British troops captured Fort Washington in New York during the American Revolution.

In 1907, Oklahoma became the 46th state of the union.

In 1914, the newly created Federal Reserve Banks opened in 12 cities.

In 1939, mob boss Al Capone, ill with syphilis, was released from prison after serving 7 1/2 years for tax evasion and failure to file tax returns.

In 1959, the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "The Sound of Music" opened on Broadway.

In 1961, House Speaker Samuel T. Rayburn died in Bonham, Texas, having served as speaker since 1940 except for two terms.

In 1966, Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard was acquitted in Cleveland at his second trial of murdering his pregnant wife, Marilyn, in 1954.

In 1973, Skylab 4, carrying a crew of three astronauts, was launched from Cape Canaveral on an 84-day mission.

In 1981, actor William Holden was found dead in his apartment in Santa Monica, California; he was 63.

In 1982, an agreement was announced in the 57th day of a strike by National Football League players.

In 1997, China's most prominent pro-democracy campaigner, Wei Jingsheng, arrived in the United States after being released following nearly 18 years of imprisonment in his country.

In 2006, Democrats embraced Nancy Pelosi as the first woman House speaker in history, but then selected Steny Hoyer as majority leader against her wishes.

Ten years ago: Iraq's Cabinet overwhelmingly approved a security pact with the United States calling for American forces to remain in the country until 2012. Space shuttle Endeavour linked up with the international space station. The Pittsburgh Steelers rallied to beat the San Diego Chargers 11-10, the first such final score in NFL history.

Five years ago: In his weekly Saturday radio and Internet address, President Barack Obama said improved energy efficiency and higher energy production in the United States were yielding environmental and economic benefits that were helping ensure cleaner air and a more competitive business landscape.

One year ago: Minnesota Democratic Sen. Al Franken became the first member of Congress to be caught up in a wave of allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate behavior, after a Los Angeles radio anchor accused him of forcibly kissing her and groping her during a 2006 USO tour. The federal bribery trial of Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey ended with the jury hopelessly deadlocked on all charges. (Federal prosecutors decided in January not to retry him.) Jose Altuve of the World Champion Houston Astros won the American League Most Valuable Player award; Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins was the winner in the National League. At the Latin Grammy Awards in Las Vegas, several artists dedicated their performances and awards to Puerto Rico as the island struggled to recover from Hurricane Maria.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Clu Gulager is 90. Journalist Elizabeth Drew is 83. Blues musician W.C. Clark is 79. Actress Joanna Pettet is 76. Actor Steve Railsback is 73. Actor David Leisure is 68. Actor Miguel Sandoval is 67. Actress Marg Helgenberger is 60. Rock musician Mani is 56. Country singer-musician Keith Burns (Trick Pony) is 55. Former pro tennis player Zina Garrison is 55. Former MLB All-Star pitcher Dwight Gooden is 54. Jazz singer Diana Krall is 54. Actor Harry Lennix is 54. Rock musician Dave Kushner (Velvet Revolver) is 52. Actress Lisa Bonet is 51. Actress Tammy Lauren is 50. Rhythm-and-blues singer Bryan Abrams (Color Me Badd) is 49. Actress Martha Plimpton is 48. Actor Michael Irby is 46. Actress Missi Pyle is 46. Rock musician Corey McCormick (Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real) is 42. Olympic gold medal figure skater Oksana Baiul is 41. Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal is 41. Pop singer Trevor Penick is 39. Former NBA player Amare Stoudemire is 36. Actress Kimberly J. Brown is 34. Rock singer Siva Kaneswaran (The Wanted) is 30. Actor-comedian Pete Davidson (TV: "Saturday Night Live") is 25. Actor Casey Moss is 25. Actor Noah Gray-Cabey is 23.

Thought for Today: "History is a gallery of pictures in which there are few originals and many copies." -- Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian (1805-1859).