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The almanac

By United Press International
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Today is Thursday, July 25, the 206th day of 2013 with 159 to follow.

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

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Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include Revolutionary War Gen. Henry Knox in 1750; artists Thomas Eakins in 1844 and Maxfield Parrish in 1870; actors Walter Brennan in 1894, Jack Gilford in 1908, Estelle Getty in 1923 and Barbara Harris in 1935 (age 78); Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members Jim McCarty (the Yardbirds) in 1943 (age 70) and Jose Areas (Santana) in 1946 (age 67); folk singer/songwriter Steve Goodman in 1948; football Hall of Fame member Walter Payton in 1954; model/actor Iman Abdulmajid in 1955 (age 58); actor Matt LeBlanc in 1967 (age 46); Louise Joy Brown, the first "test-tube" baby, in 1978 (age 35); and actor Brad Renfro in 1982.

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On this date in history:

In 1832, one man was killed and three others injured in the first recorded railroad accident in U.S. history. The four were thrown from an otherwise vacant car on the Granite Railway near Quincy, Mass.

In 1898, during the Spanish-American War, U.S. forces launched their invasion of Puerto Rico, the island that was one of Spain's two principal possessions in the Caribbean.

In 1909, French pioneer aviator Louis Bleriot became the first person to fly a "heavier-than-air machine" across the English Channel. It took him 36 minutes.

In 1917, Mata Hari, the archetype of the seductive female spy, was sentenced to death in France as a German spy.

In 1952, Puerto Rico became a self-governing U.S. commonwealth.

In 1956, the Italian luxury liner Andrea Doria sank off Long Island, N.Y., after colliding with the Swedish liner Stockholm. The accident's death toll was 52.

In 1965, folk legend Bob Dylan performed for the first time with electric instruments, so upsetting his fans that they booed him.

In 1972, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, U.S. Sen. Thomas Eagleton of Missouri, disclosed he had undergone psychiatric treatment in the 1960s. Presidential nominee George McGovern replaced him on the ticket with Sargent Shriver.

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In 1978, the world's first "test-tube" baby, Louise Brown, was born in Oldham, England.

In 1986, former Navy radioman Jerry Whitworth was convicted of selling U.S. military secrets to the Soviets through the John Walker spy ring. The government called it the most damaging espionage case since World War II.

In 1994, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan's King Hussein signed a declaration that ended the 46-year state of war between their countries.

In 1997, captured Khmer Rouge leader Pol Pot was sentenced to life imprisonment in a trial by his former comrades in Cambodia.

In 2000, an Air France Concorde supersonic jet crashed on takeoff from Paris, killing all 113 people aboard. It was the first crash of a Concorde.

In 2007, as Iraqis celebrated their national soccer team's victory over South Korea in the Asian Cup semifinals, panic took over when two suicide bombers attacked crowds in Baghdad, killing at least 50 people and injuring about 140.

In 2008, California banned the use of trans fats in all restaurants and retail bakeries in the state, beginning in 2010.

In 2011, the Vatican recalled its special envoy in Ireland after a blistering report on the Catholic Church's handling of child abuse by priests there and the alleged covering up of charges. Prime Minister Enda Kenny accused the church of putting its reputation ahead of child rape victims.

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In 2012, North Korea announced its leader, Kim Jong Un, had married Ri Sol Ju.


A thought for the day: Phil Jackson, who coached 11 teams to NBA titles, said, "Approach the game with no preset agendas and you'll probably come away surprised at your overall efforts."

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