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The almanac

By United Press International
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Today is Monday, Oct. 22, the 296th day of 2012 with 70 to follow.

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

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Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include American pioneer Daniel Boone in 1734; Hungarian composer Franz Liszt in 1811; actors Sarah Bernhardt in 1844 and Joan Fontaine in 1917 (age 95); comic actor Curly Howard of "The Three Stooges" in 1903; baseball Hall of Fame member Jimmie Foxx in 1907; English author Doris Lessing, winner of the 2007 Nobel Prize for literature, in 1919 (age 93); psychologist and LSD advocate Timothy Leary in 1920; artist Robert Rauschenberg in 1925; actors Derek Jacobi and Christopher Lloyd, both in 1938 (age 74), Tony Roberts in 1939 (age 73), Annette Funicello in 1942 (age 70), Catherine Deneuve in 1943 (age 69) and Jeff Goldblum in 1952 (age 60); writer Deepak Chopra in 1946 (age 66); champion skater Brian Boitano in 1963 (age 49); film producer Spike Jonze in 1969 (age 43); and musician Zac Hanson in 1985 (age 27).

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On this date in history:

In 1797, the first parachute jump was made by Andre-Jacques Garnerin, who dropped from a height of about 3,300 feet over a Paris park.

In 1836, Gen. Sam Houston was sworn in as the first president of the Republic of Texas.

In 1938, inventor Charles Carlson produced the first dry, or xerographic, copy but had trouble attracting investors.

In 1962, U.S. President John Kennedy announced that Soviet missiles had been deployed in Cuba and ordered a blockade of the island.

In 1966, The Supremes became the first all-female group to score a No. 1 album, with "Supremes a Go-Go."

In 1978, Pope John Paul II was installed as pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1990, U.S. President George H.W. Bush vetoed the Civil Rights Act of 1990, saying it would lead to a quota system.

In 1991, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir warned that Israel would refuse to negotiate with any Palestinians who claimed alliance to the PLO.

In 1992, pioneer sportscaster Red Barber died at age 84.

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In 2001, anthrax spores were found in a mail-opening machine serving the White House. Preliminary tests on 120 workers who sort mail for the executive mansion were negative.

Also in 2001, the Pentagon announced nearly 200 U.S. jets struck Taliban and al-Qaida facilities in western Afghanistan and disputed Taliban claims that 100 civilians died when a bomb hit a hospital.

And in 2001, an estimated 500 people were killed when the Nigerian army attacked villages throughout the eastern state of Benue.

In 2003, a poll indicated 59 percent of Palestinians wanted attacks against Israel to continue even if Israel leaves the West Bank and Gaza.

Also in 2004, rescuers confirmed 64 dead following an explosion in a central China coal mine. Eighty-four miners were missing in the toxic gas-filled shaft.

In 2009, the U.S. Congress expanded the law against hate crimes as an addition to a new $680 billion defense measure. The provision makes it a federal crime for the first time to assault someone because of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Also in 2009, faced with a surge in neighborhood violence, London's Metropolitan Police decided to put armed officers on street patrol for the first time.

In 2010, nearly 400,000 previously secret U.S. documents on the war in Iraq were posted on the WikiLeaks Internet website. Three months earlier, more than 75,000 undisclosed Afghan conflict documents appeared.

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In 2011, Libyan officials said ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi stashed away more than $200 billion outside the country during his 42-year reign, reportedly enriched by Libyan oil.

Also in 2011, Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, heir to the Saudi Arabian throne, died after several years of medical problems. A half-brother of King Abdullah and a long-time power in the Saudi government, he was reported to be 81.


A thought for the day: of the existence of God, Clarence Darrow said: "I do not consider it an insult, but rather a compliment to be called an agnostic. I do not pretend to know where many ignorant men are sure -- that is all that agnosticism means."

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