Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 24, the 267th day of 2019. There are 98 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On September 24, 1976, former hostage Patricia Hearst was sentenced to seven years in prison for her part in a 1974 bank robbery in San Francisco carried out by the Symbionese Liberation Army. (Hearst was released after 22 months after receiving clemency from President Jimmy Carter.)

On this date:

In 1789, President George Washington signed a Judiciary Act establishing America's federal court system and creating the post of attorney general.

In 1869, thousands of businessmen were ruined in a Wall Street panic known as "Black Friday" after financiers Jay Gould and James Fisk attempted to corner the gold market.

In 1896, author F. Scott Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota.

In 1934, Babe Ruth made his farewell appearance as a player with the New York Yankees in a game against the Boston Red Sox. (The Sox won, 5-0.)

In 1960, the USS Enterprise, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, was launched at Newport News, Virginia. "The Howdy Doody Show" ended a nearly 13-year run with its final telecast on NBC.

In 1968, the TV news magazine "60 Minutes" premiered on CBS; the undercover police drama "The Mod Squad" premiered on ABC.

In 1969, the trial of the Chicago Eight (later seven) began. (Five were later convicted of crossing state lines to incite riots at the 1968 Democratic convention, but the convictions were ultimately overturned.)

In 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson won the men's 100-meter dash at the Seoul Summer Olympics -- but he was disqualified three days later for using anabolic steroids. Members of the eastern Massachusetts Episcopal diocese elected Barbara C. Harris the first female bishop in the church's history.

In 1996, the United States and 70 other countries became the first to sign a treaty at the United Nations to end all testing and development of nuclear weapons. (The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty has yet to enter into force because of the refusal so far of eight nations -- including the United States -- to ratify it.)

In 2001, President George W. Bush ordered a freeze on the assets of 27 people and organizations with suspected links to terrorism, including Islamic militant Osama bin Laden, and urged other nations to do likewise.

In 2002, British Prime Minister Tony Blair asserted that Iraq had a growing arsenal of chemical and biological weapons and planned to use them, as he unveiled an intelligence dossier to a special session of Parliament.

In 2007, United Auto Workers walked off the job at General Motors plants in the first nationwide strike during auto contract negotiations since 1976; a tentative pact ended the walkout two days later.

Ten years ago: With President Barack Obama presiding, the U.N. Security Council unanimously endorsed a sweeping strategy aimed at halting the spread of nuclear weapons and ultimately eliminating them. The heads of the Group of 20 nations began a two-day meeting in Pittsburgh aimed at making sure a fledgling global recovery remained on track. Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick tapped former Democratic National Chairman Paul G. Kirk Jr. to temporarily fill the Senate seat held by the late Edward M. Kennedy. Susan Atkins, 61, a member of the Charles Manson "family" who admitted stabbing actress Sharon Tate to death in the cult's 1969 murder rampage, died in prison at Chowchilla, California.

Five years ago: At the opening of the U.N. General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for world leaders to join an international campaign to ease the plight of nearly unprecedented numbers of refugees, the displaced and victims of violence in a world wracked by wars and the swift-spreading and deadly Ebola epidemic. President Barack Obama implored the leaders to rally behind his expanded military campaign to stamp out the violent Islamic State group and its "network of death."

One year ago: China and the United States imposed new tariff hikes on each other's goods; U.S. regulators went ahead with a planned 10 percent tax on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, and China said it responded with taxes on $60 billion in American goods. As the president and top GOP lawmakers continued an aggressive drive to rally the public behind his Supreme Court nomination, Brett Kavanaugh reiterated to Fox News that he had never sexually assaulted anyone.

Today's Birthdays: Rhythm-and-blues singer Sonny Turner (The Platters) is 80. Singer Barbara Allbut Brown (The Angels) is 79. Singer Phyllis "Jiggs" Allbut Sirico (The Angels) is 77. Singer Gerry Marsden (Gerry and the Pacemakers) is 77. News anchor Lou Dobbs is 74. Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Joe Greene is 73. Actor Gordon Clapp is 71. Actress Harriet Walter is 69. Songwriter Holly Knight is 63. Former U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II, D-Mass., is 67. Actor Kevin Sorbo is 61. Christian/jazz singer Cedric Dent is 57. Actress-writer Nia Vardalos is 57. Rock musician Shawn Crahan (AKA Clown) (Slipknot) is 50. Country musician Marty Mitchell is 50. Actress Megan Ward is 50. Singer-musician Marty Cintron (No Mercy) is 48. Contemporary Christian musician Juan DeVevo (Casting Crowns) is 44. Actor Ian Bohen is 43. Actor Justin Bruening is 40. Olympic gold medal gymnast Paul Hamm (hahm) is 37. Actor Erik Stocklin is 37. Actor Spencer Treat Clark is 32. Actor Grey Damon is 32. Actor Kyle Sullivan is 31. Actor Ben Platt is 26.

Thought for Today: "Do not weep; do not wax indignant. Understand." -- Baruch Spinoza, Dutch philosopher (1632-1677).

Copyright 2019, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.