The almanac

Today is Tuesday, Nov. 3, the 307th day of 2009 with 58 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Scorpio. They include early Texas leader Stephen Austin, for whom the state capital is named, in 1793; poet William Cullen Bryant in 1794; Chicago Bears legend Bronislau "Bronko" Nagurski in 1908; actor Charles Bronson in 1922; conductor/composer John Barry, entertainer Ken Berry and former Massachusetts governor and 1986 Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis, all in 1933 (age 76); comedian Roseanne Barr in 1952 (age 57); comedian Dennis Miller and actress Kate Capshaw, both in 1953 (age 56); and actress Kathy Kinney ("The Drew Carey Show") in 1954 (age 55).

On this date in history:

In 1783, with American independence established, Congress ordered the Continental Army demobilized.

In 1803, with the support of the U.S. government, Panama issued a declaration of independence from Colombia.

In 1928, Mickey Mouse appeared for the first time, with Walt Disney doing the voice of his soon-to-be-famous creation, in "Steamboat Willie," the first fully synchronized sound cartoon produced.

In 1948, the Chicago Daily Tribune printed the famously premature (and incorrect) headline, "Dewey defeats Truman."

In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first animal into space -- a dog named Laika -- aboard the Sputnik 2 spacecraft.

In 1964, Lyndon Johnson was elected U.S. president with a margin larger than in any previous election, defeating Republican Barry Goldwater.

In 1976, former Democratic Gov. Jimmy Carter of Georgia was elected the 39th U.S. president, defeating Republican incumbent Gerald Ford.

In 1979, five members of the Communist Workers Party, participating in a "Death to the Klan" rally in Greensboro, N.C., were shot to death by a group of Klansmen and neo-Nazis. Seven others were wounded.

In 1992, Democrat Bill Clinton, the governor of Arkansas, defeated incumbent Republican President George H.W. Bush in the race for president of the United States.

In 1995, Typhoon Angela killed more than 700 people in the northern Philippines.

In 2001, Osama bin Laden, in a taped message, called the U.S.-led attack on Afghanistan a war against Islam.

Also in 2001, anthrax spores were confirmed in India and Pakistan and on additional postal equipment in the United States.

In 2002, North Korea was reported ready to negotiate its newly disclosed nuclear weapons program with the United States, including the dismantling of its uranium-enrichment facilities.

In 2004, Hamid Karzai was officially declared the winner in Afghanistan's first presidential election.

In 2006, Katharine Jefferts Schori was installed as the first female presiding bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church.

Also in 2006, Taipei protesters demanded the ouster of Taiwan President Chen Shui-Bian whose wife and former aides were accused of misusing state funds.

In 2007, citing a rising Islamic insurgency, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency, suspended the country's constitution and fired members of the supreme court. Former premier and opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was held under house arrest to keep her from a planned protest march.

In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain wound up their campaigning for the presidency of the United States with one more thrust into key election states. The final pre-election Gallup poll indicated Obama as the probable winner with an 11-percentage-point edge.

Also in 2008, Afghan officials said a U.S. airstrike hit a wedding party in the southern province of Kandahar, killing a reported 40 civilians and wounding 30 others.

A thought for the day: in his second inaugural address, U.S. President Bill Clinton said: "Government is not the problem and government is not the solution. We, the American people, we are the solution."