The almanac

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 3, the 246th day of 2013 with 119 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include teacher Prudence Crandall, controversial for her efforts to educate black girls, in 1803; architect Louis Sullivan, called the father of the skyscraper, in 1856; automobile designer Ferdinand Porsche in 1875; actor Alan Ladd in 1913; actor/singer Kitty Carlisle in 1910; cartoonist Mort Walker ("Beetle Bailey") in 1923 (age 90); Albert DeSalvo, known as the Boston Strangler, in 1931; Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Al Jardine (Beach Boys) in 1942 (age 71); actors Anne Jackson and Irene Papas, both in 1926 (age 87), Eileen Brennan in 1932; Pauline Collins in 1940 (age 73), Valerie Perrine in 1943 (age 70) and Charlie Sheen in 1965 (age 48); and Olympic gold medal snowboarder Shaun White in 1986 (age 27).

On this date in history:

In 1777, the U.S. flag was flown in battle for the first time during a Revolutionary War skirmish at Cooch's Bridge, Del.

In 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed, officially ending the American Revolutionary War and recognizing U.S. independence from Britain.

In 1916, the Allies turned back the Germans in the World War I Battle of Verdun.

In 1936, Britain's Malcolm Campbell set a land-speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah, averaging 301.129 mph in two runs.

In 1939, Britain declared war on Germany and was quickly joined by France, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada.

In 1942, Frank Sinatra began his solo singing career after leaving Tommy Dorsey's orchestra.

In 1991, film director Frank Capra, best known for such feel-good movies as "It Happened One Night" and "It's a Wonderful Life," died at the age of 94.

In 1997, Arizona Gov. Fife Symington was convicted of fraud by a federal jury in Phoenix. He resigned two days later.

In 2004, a three-day Russian school crisis ended in a 13-hour battle between security forces that stormed the Beslan school building and Chechen terrorists who had opened fire on hostages. At least 350 people, including about 155 children, were killed. All but one of the 31 suspected hostage-takers also died.

In 2005, William H. Rehnquist, the chief justice of the United States, died at the age of 80 after a long bout with thyroid cancer. He had been on the Supreme Court since 1971.

In 2008, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona was officially nominated as the Republican presidential candidate at the GOP National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was nominated for vice president, the first Republican woman candidate for such a high office.

In 2009, the United States said it had cut off all non-humanitarian aid to Honduras to try to pressure the de facto government into reinstating ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

In 2012, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, founder of the Unification Church, died in South Korea. He was 92.

A thought for the day: Bill Clinton said, "The future is not an inheritance, it is an opportunity and an obligation."