Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 28, the 271st day of 2021. There are 94 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 28, 1920, eight members of the Chicago White Sox were indicted for allegedly throwing the 1919 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds. (All were acquitted at trial, but all eight were banned from the game for life.)

On this date:

In 1066, William the Conqueror invaded England to claim the English throne.

In 1781, American forces in the Revolutionary War, backed by a French fleet, began their successful siege of Yorktown, Virginia.

In 1787, the Congress of the Confederation voted to send the just-completed Constitution of the United States to state legislatures for their approval.

In 1850, flogging was abolished as a form of punishment in the U.S. Navy.

In 1924, three U.S. Army planes landed in Seattle, having completed the first round-the-world trip by air in 175 days.

In 1928, Scottish medical researcher Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin, the first effective antibiotic.

In 1939, during World War II, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed a treaty calling for the partitioning of Poland, which the two countries had invaded.

In 1962, a federal appeals court found Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett in civil contempt for blocking the admission of James Meredith, a Black student, to the University of Mississippi. (Federal marshals escorted Meredith onto the campus two days later.)

In 1991, jazz great Miles Davis died in Santa Monica, California, at age 65.

In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat signed an accord at the White House ending Israel's military occupation of West Bank cities and laying the foundation for a Palestinian state.

In 2000, capping a 12-year battle, the government approved use of the abortion pill RU-486.

In 2019, voters in Afghanistan went to the polls to elect a president for the fourth time since a U.S.-led coalition ousted the Taliban regime in 2001; the vote was marred by violence, Taliban threats and widespread allegations of mismanagement. (After a series of delays, the country's independent election commission announced months later that Ashraf Ghani had won a second term as president.)

Ten years ago: The Obama administration formally appealed a federal appeals court ruling striking down a key provision of President Barack Obama's health care law requiring Americans to buy health insurance or pay a penalty. (The U.S. Supreme Court later upheld the individual mandate.)

Five years ago: In a resounding rebuke, Democrats joined with Republicans to hand Barack Obama the first veto override of his presidency, voting overwhelmingly to allow families of 9/11 victims to sue Saudi Arabia in U.S. courts for its alleged backing of the attackers. Israeli statesman Shimon Peres, 93, died of complications from a stroke.

One year ago: The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus pandemic topped 1 million, according to a count by Johns Hopkins University. The University of Notre Dame's president, the Rev. John I. Jenkins, apologized for not wearing a mask at a White House Rose Garden ceremony for Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett after pictures surfaced that showed him shaking hands and sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with people without one. Northern California's wine country was on fire, as strong winds fanned flames, destroying homes and prompting orders for nearly 70,000 people to be evacuated. Brayden Point scored his playoff-best 14th goal and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Dallas Stars 2-0 to win the Stanley Cup and finish off a postseason that was staged nearly entirely in quarantine because of the pandemic.

Today's Birthdays: Actor Brigitte Bardot is 87. Actor Joel Higgins is 78. Singer Helen Shapiro is 75. Actor Vernee Watson is 72. Movie writer-director-actor John Sayles is 71. Rock musician George Lynch is 67. Zydeco singer-musician C.J. Chenier (sheh-NEER') is 64. Actor Steve Hytner is 62. Actor-comedian Janeane Garofalo is 57. Country singer Matt King is 55. Actor Mira Sorvino is 54. TV personality/singer Moon Zappa is 54. Actor-model Carre Otis is 53. Actor Naomi Watts is 53. Country singer Karen Fairchild (Little Big Town) is 52. Singer/songwriter A.J. Croce is 50. Country singer Mandy Barnett is 46. Rapper Young Jeezy is 44. World Golf Hall of Famer Se Ri Pak is 44. Actor Peter Cambor is 43. Writer-producer-director-actor Bam Margera is 42. Actor Melissa Claire Egan is 40. Actor Jerrika Hinton is 40. Neo-soul musician Luke Mossman (Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats ) is 40. Pop-rock singer St. Vincent is 39. Comedian/actor Phoebe Robinson is 37. Rock musician Daniel Platzman (Imagine Dragons) is 35. Actor Hilary Duff is 34. Actor Keir Gilchrist is 29.