The almanac

Today is Saturday, Sept. 19, the 262nd day of 2009 with 103 to follow.

The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Saturn, Mars and Venus. The evening stars are Neptune, Mercury, Jupiter and Uranus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski in 1905; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell in 1907; author William Golding ("Lord of the Flies") in 1911; actors Adam West (TV's Batman) in 1928 (age 81) and David McCallum in 1933 (age 76); singer/songwriter Paul Williams and singer Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, both in 1940 (age 69); actors Randolph Mantooth in 1945 (age 64) and Jeremy Irons in 1948 (age 61); model and actress Twiggy, whose real name is Lesley Hornby, in 1949 (age 60); television personality Joan Lunden in 1950 (age 59); actor/director Kevin Hooks in 1958 (age 51); and country singer Trisha Yearwood in 1964 (age 45).

On this date in history:

In 1777, American soldiers won the first Battle of Saratoga in the Revolutionary War.

In 1881, U.S. President James Garfield died in Elberon, N.J., of gunshot wounds inflicted by a disgruntled office-seeker. Vice President Chester Arthur was sworn in as his successor.

In 1893, with the signing of the Electoral Bill by Gov. Lord Glasgow, New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant national voting rights to women.

In 1955, after a decade of rule, Argentine President Juan Domingo Peron was deposed in a military coup.

In 1985, an earthquake collapsed hundreds of buildings and killed 7,000 people in Mexico City.

In 1988, U.S. swimmer Greg Louganis took the gold medal in 3-meter springboard diving at the Seoul Olympics after hitting his head on the board during preliminary competition.

In 1991, the U.N. Security Council authorized Iraq to sell $1.6 billion in oil to buy food and essential supplies.

In 1994, the first 3,000 U.S. troops entered Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on a mission to ensure democracy, returned to the Caribbean nation.

In 1995, The Washington Post published the 35,000-word manifesto written by the Unabomber, who had said he wouldn't try to kill again if it was published. The Post and The New York Times shared the costs of publication.

In 2001, in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the Defense Department ordered deployment of combat aircraft to the Persian Gulf, Indian Ocean, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The following day, the U.S. Army said ground troops were being sent to the region.

In 2004, Iran refused a plea by the International Atomic Energy Agency to end its enrichment of uranium, usually a first step toward producing fuel for nuclear reactors or bombs. Iran says it had only peaceful purposes in mind.

In 2005, in New Orleans, residents beginning to return after Hurricane Katrina and the flood were told by Mayor Ray Nagin to stay away as Hurricane Rita headed toward the Texas-Louisiana coast.

Also in 2005, North Korea agreed in principle to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs in exchange for oil and energy in a deal signed in Beijing. However, the deal fell through.

In 2006, Thailand Premier Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown in a bloodless military coup.

Also in 2006, in an address before the U.N. General Assembly, the president of Sudan again refused to allow peacekeepers in Sudan's devastated Darfur region where 200,000 are reported to have died in civil strife.

In 2008, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced a temporary ban on short selling for 799 financial stocks to stabilize stock prices. Short selling is a method of profiting on declining stocks.

Also in 2008, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said the country is restoring its nuclear reactor and is no longer concerned whether the United States lists it as a supporter of terrorism.

A thought for the day: U.S. Army Gen. Omar Bradley said: "The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants."