Today in History

Today is Friday, Oct. 25, the 298th day of 2019. There are 67 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Oct. 25, 1971, the U.N. General Assembly voted to admit mainland China and expel Taiwan.

On this date:

In 1760, Britain's King George III succeeded his late grandfather, George II.

In 1812, the frigate USS United States, commanded by Stephen Decatur, captured the British vessel HMS Macedonian during the War of 1812.

In 1854, the "Charge of the Light Brigade" took place during the Crimean War as an English brigade of more than 600 men charged the Russian army, suffering heavy losses.

In 1910, "America the Beautiful," with words by Katharine Lee Bates and music by Samuel A. Ward, was first published.

In 1954, a meeting of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Cabinet was carried live on radio and television.

In 1962, during a meeting of the U.N. Security Council, U.S. Ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson II demanded that Soviet Ambassador Valerian Zorin confirm or deny the existence of Soviet-built missile bases in Cuba; Stevenson then presented photographic evidence of the bases to the Council.

In 1964, The Rolling Stones made the first of six appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

In 1983, a U.S.-led force invaded Grenada at the order of President Ronald Reagan, who said the action was needed to protect U.S. citizens there.

In 1994, Susan Smith of Union, South Carolina, claimed that a black carjacker had driven off with her two young sons (Smith later confessed to drowning the children in John D. Long Lake, and was convicted of murder). Three defendants were convicted in South Africa of murdering American exchange student Amy Biehl. (In 1998, all three were granted amnesty by South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission.)

In 1999, golfer Payne Stewart and five others were killed when their Learjet flew uncontrolled for four hours before crashing in South Dakota; Stewart was 42.

In 2001, a day after the House signed on, the Senate sent President Bush the U-S-A Patriot Act, a package of anti-terror measures giving police sweeping new powers to search people's homes and business records secretly and to eavesdrop on telephone and computer conversations.

In 2002, U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., was killed in a plane crash in northern Minnesota along with his wife, daughter and five others, a week and a-half before the election. Actor Richard Harris died in London at age 72.

Ten years ago: A pair of suicide car bombings devastated the heart of Iraq's capital, Baghdad, killing 155 people, including 24 children. Philanthropist Jeffry Picower, accused of making more than $7 billion from the investment schemes of his longtime friend Bernard Madoff, drowned after suffering a heart attack in the swimming pool of his Palm Beach, Florida, mansion; he was 67. The New York Yankees won their first pennant in six years, beating the Los Angeles Angels 5-2 in Game 6 of the AL championship series.

Five years ago: The World Health Organization said more than 10,000 people had been infected with Ebola and that nearly half of them had died as the outbreak continued to spread. Jack Bruce, 71, the bassist and lead vocalist of the 1960s power trio Cream, died in London. The San Francisco Giants defeated the Kansas City Royals, 11-4, to even the World Series at two games each.

One year ago: Investigators searched coast-to-coast for the culprit behind the mail-bomb plot aimed at critics of President Donald Trump as three more devices were linked to the plot - two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden and one to actor Robert De Niro.

Today's Birthdays: Former American League president Dr. Bobby Brown is 95. Actress Marion Ross is 91. Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Knight is 79. Pop singer Helen Reddy is 78. Author Anne Tyler is 78. Rock singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 75. Political strategist James Carville is 75. Singer Taffy Nivert (Starland Vocal Band) is 75. Rock musician Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) is 72. Actor Brian Kerwin is 70. Actor Mark L. Taylor is 69. Movie director Julian Schnabel is 68. Rock musician Matthias Jabs is 63. Actress Nancy Cartwright (TV: "The Simpsons") is 62. Country singer Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown) is 61. Rock musician Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers; Chickenfoot) is 58. Actress Tracy Nelson is 56. Actor Michael Boatman is 55. Actor Kevin Michael Richardson is 55. Actor Mathieu Amalric is 54. Singer Speech is 51. Actress-comedian-TV host Samantha Bee is 50. Actor Adam Goldberg is 49. Actor-singer Adam Pascal is 49. Rock musician Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) is 49. Actress Persia White is 49. Country singer Chely Wright is 49. Actress Leslie Grossman is 48. Violinist Midori is 48. Actor Craig Robinson is 48. Actor Michael Weston is 46. Actor Zachary Knighton is 41. Actress Mariana Klaveno is 40. Actor Mehcad Brooks is 39. Actor Ben Gould is 39. Actor Josh Henderson is 38. Rhythm-and-blues singer Young Rome is 38. Pop singer Katy Perry is 35. Rock singer Austin Winkler is 35. Singer Ciara is 34. Actress Krista Marie Yu (TV: "Dr. Ken") is 31. Actress Conchita Campbell is 24.

Thought for Today: Is it really so difficult to tell a good action from a bad one? I think one usually knows right away or a moment afterward, in a horrid flash of regret." -- Mary McCarthy, American author and critic (born in 1912, died this day in 1989).

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