Today in History

Today is Thursday, Sept. 10, the 254th day of 2020. There are 112 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 10, 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the University of Mississippi to admit James Meredith, a Black student.

On this date:

In 1813, an American naval force commanded by Oliver H. Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812. (Afterward, Perry sent the message, "We have met the enemy and they are ours.")

In 1846, Elias Howe received a patent for his sewing machine.

In 1919, New York City welcomed home Gen. John J. Pershing and 25,000 soldiers who'd served in the U.S. First Division during World War I.

In 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long died in Baton Rouge two days after being shot in the Louisiana state Capitol, allegedly by Dr. Carl Weiss.

In 1960, Hurricane Donna, a dangerous Category 4 storm eventually blamed for 364 deaths, struck the Florida Keys.

In 1963, 20 Black students entered Alabama public schools following a standoff between federal authorities and Gov. George C. Wallace.

In 1987, Pope John Paul II arrived in Miami, where he was welcomed by President Ronald Reagan and first lady Nancy Reagan as he began a 10-day tour of the United States.

In 1991, the Senate Judiciary Committee opened hearings on the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court.

In 2005, Cadaver dogs and boatloads of forensic workers fanned out across New Orleans to collect the corpses left behind by Hurricane Katrina; cleanup crews towed away abandoned cars and even began readying a hotel for reopening.

In 2006, Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts defeated Eli Manning and the New York Giants 26-21 in the first NFL game to feature two brothers starting at quarterback.

In 2016, John Hinckley Jr., the man who tried to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in 1981, was released from a Washington mental hospital for good.

In 2018, Florence exploded into a potentially catastrophic Category 4 hurricane as it closed in on North and South Carolina with winds up to 140 mph. The Trump administration ordered the closure of the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Washington, citing the refusal of Palestinian leaders to enter into peace talks with Israel.

Ten years ago: During a White House press conference, President Barack Obama blamed Republicans and election-year politics for thwarting his efforts to do more to spur a listless national economy. Juan Mari Bras, 82, an elder statesman of Puerto Rico's independence movement, died in Rio Piedras.

Five years ago: Senate Democrats voted to uphold the hard-fought nuclear accord with Iran, overcoming ferocious Republican opposition. New York State approved gradually raising the minimum wage for fast-food workers to $15 an hour -- the first time any state had set the minimum that high.

One year ago: President Donald Trump abruptly forced out his national security adviser, John Bolton, with whom he had strong disagreements on Iran, Afghanistan and other global challenges. Conservative Republican Dan Bishop won a special election for an open House seat in North Carolina by a little more than two percentage points, averting a Democratic capture of a district held by the GOP for nearly six decades. Apple announced the launch of its own streaming television service, while also unveiling three new iPhones boasting an additional camera for taking pictures from extra-wide angles.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Philip Baker Hall is 89. Actor Greg Mullavey is 87. Jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers is 80. Actor Tom Ligon is 80. Singer Danny Hutton (Three Dog Night) is 78. Singer Jose Feliciano is 75. Actor Judy Geeson is 72. Former Canadian first lady Margaret Trudeau is 72. Political commentator Bill O'Reilly is 71. Rock musician Joe Perry (Aerosmith) is 70. Country singer Rosie Flores is 70. Actor Amy Irving is 67. Actor-director Clark Johnson is 66. Actor Kate Burton is 63. Movie director Chris Columbus is 62. Actor Colin Firth is 60. Rock singer-musician David Lowery (Cracker) is 60. Actor Sean O'Bryan is 57. Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson is 57. Actor Raymond Cruz is 56. Rock musician Robin Goodridge (Bush) is 55. Rock musician Stevie D. (Buckcherry) is 54. Rock singer-musician Miles Zuniga (Fastball) is 54. Actor Nina Repeta is 53. Rapper Big Daddy Kane is 52. Movie director Guy Ritchie is 52. Actor Johnathan Schaech is 51. Contemporary Christian singer Sara Groves is 48. Actor Ryan Phillippe is 46. Actor Kyle Bornheimer is 45. Actor Jacob Young is 41. Rock musician Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance) is 40. Olympic bronze medal figure skater Timothy Goebel is 40. Ballerina Misty Copeland is 38. MLB All-Star first-baseman Joey Votto is 37. Rock musician Matthew Followill (Kings of Leon) is 36. Singer Ashley Monroe (Pistol Annies) is 34. MLB All-Star first-baseman Paul Goldschmidt is 33. Singer Sanjaya Malakar ("American Idol") is 31. Actor Chandler Massey is 30. Actor Hannah Hodson is 29. Actor Gabriel Bateman is 16.