Today in History

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 29, the 272nd day of 2021. There are 93 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 29, 1789, the U.S. War Department established a regular army with a strength of several hundred men.

On this date:

In 1829, London's reorganized police force, which became known as Scotland Yard, went on duty.

In 1918, Allied forces began their decisive breakthrough of the Hindenburg Line during World War I.

In 1938, British, French, German and Italian leaders concluded the Munich Agreement, which was aimed at appeasing Adolf Hitler by allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland.

In 1943, General Dwight D. Eisenhower and Italian Marshal Pietro Badoglio signed an armistice aboard the British ship HMS Nelson off Malta.

In 1962, Canada joined the space age as it launched the Alouette 1 satellite from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The musical "My Fair Lady" closed on Broadway after 2,717 performances.

In 1978, Pope John Paul I was found dead in his Vatican apartment just over a month after becoming head of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1982, Extra-Strength Tylenol capsules laced with deadly cyanide claimed the first of seven victims in the Chicago area. (To date, the case remains unsolved.)

In 1986, the Soviet Union released Nicholas Daniloff, an American journalist confined on spying charges.

In 2000, Israeli riot police stormed a major Jerusalem shrine and opened fire on stone-throwing Muslim worshippers, killing four Palestinians and wounding 175.

In 2001, President George W. Bush condemned Afghanistan's Taliban rulers for harboring Osama bin Laden and his followers as the United States pressed its military and diplomatic campaign against terror.

In 2005, John G. Roberts Jr. was sworn in as the nation's 17th chief justice after winning Senate confirmation.

In 2006, U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., resigned after being confronted with sexually explicit computer messages he'd sent to former House pages.

Ten years ago: Germany kept alive hopes that the 17-nation euro currency could survive the debt crisis as lawmakers in Europe's largest economy voted overwhelmingly in favor of expanding the powers of the eurozone's bailout fund.

Five years ago: A New Jersey Transit commuter train slammed into the Hoboken station, killing one person and injuring more than 100 others.

One year ago: The first debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden deteriorated into bitter taunts and near chaos, as Trump repeatedly interrupted his opponent with angry and personal jabs and the two men talked over each other. Trump refused to condemn white supremacists who had supported him, telling one such group known as Proud Boys to "stand back, stand by." Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was buried in a private ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. The NFL saw its first COVID-19 outbreak in the season's fourth week, as three Tennessee Titans players and five other personnel tested positive; the Titans' next scheduled game against the Steelers would be postponed. Death claimed country star Mac Davis in Nashville and "I Am Woman" singer Helen Reddy in Los Angeles, both were 78.

Today's Birthdays: Conductor Richard Bonynge is 91. Writer-director Robert Benton is 89. Singer Jerry Lee Lewis is 86. Soul-blues-gospel singer Sherman Holmes is 82. Former Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., is 79. Actor Ian McShane is 79. Jazz musician Jean-Luc Ponty is 79. Nobel Peace laureate Lech Walesa is 78. Television-film composer Mike Post is 77. Actor Patricia Hodge is 75. TV personality Bryant Gumbel is 73. Rock singer-musician Mark Farner is 73. Rock singer-musician Mike Pinera is 73. Country singer Alvin Crow is 71. Actor Drake Hogestyn is 68. Olympic gold medal runner Sebastian Coe is 65. Singer Suzzy Roche (The Roches) is 65. Comedian-actor Andrew "Dice" Clay is 64. Rock singer John Payne (Asia) is 63. Actor Roger Bart is 59. Singer-musician Les Claypool is 58. Actor Jill Whelan is 55. Actor Ben Miles is 55. Actor Luke Goss is 53. Actor Erika Eleniak is 52. R&B singer Devante Swing (Jodeci) is 52. Country singer Brad Cotter (TV: "Nashville Star") is 51. Actor Emily Lloyd is 51. Actor Natasha Gregson Wagner is 51. Actor Rachel Cronin is 50. Country musician Danick Dupelle (Emerson Drive) is 48. Actor Alexis Cruz is 47. Actor Zachary Levi is 41. Actor Chrissy Metz (TV: "This Is Us") is 41. Actor Kelly McCreary (TV: "Grey's Anatomy") is 40. Rock musician Josh Farro is 34. NBA All-Star Kevin Durant is 33. Actor Doug Brochu is 31. Singer Phillip Phillips is 31. Pop singer Halsey is 27. Actor Clara Mamet is 27.