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The almanac

By United Press International
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Today is Friday, Sept. 20, the 263rd day of 2013 with 102 to follow.

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

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Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include Italian pacifist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ernesto Teodoro Moneta in 1833; novelist Upton Sinclair in 1878; Sister Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse who pioneered the care of polio victims, in 1880; musician Jelly Roll Morton in 1885, basketball Hall of Fame Coach Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach and actor Fernando Rey, both in 1917; fashion designer James Galanos in 1924 (age 89), actors Anne Meara in 1929 (age 84) and Sophia Loren in 1934 (age 79); writer George R.R. Martin in 1948 (age 65); hockey Hall of Fame member Guy Lafleur in 1951 (age 62); actors Gary Cole in 1956 (age 57) and Kristen Johnston in 1967 (age 46); musicians Gunnar and Matthew Nelson in 1967 (age 46); and boxing champion Hector Camacho Jr. in 1978 (age 35).

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On this date in history:

In 1519, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan began a voyage to find a western passage to the East Indies.

In 1873, financial chaos forced the New York Stock Exchange to close. It remained closed for 10 days.

In 1946, the first Cannes Film Festival opened on the French Riviera. An earlier attempt to begin the international movie showcase in 1939 was halted by the outbreak of World War II.

In 1966, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II launched the Cunard liner bearing her name, often shortened to QE-2. It eventually became the only ocean liner on the once thriving trans-Atlantic route.

In 1973, Billy Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in a "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match.

In 1984, Muslim militants bombed the U.S. Embassy annex in Lebanon, killing 23 people, including two Americans. It was the third terrorist attack on U.S. installations in Beirut in 17 months.

In 2000, the six-year Whitewater investigation of U.S. President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton ended without any indictments being issued. Independent Counsel Robert Ray said there was insufficient evidence to establish criminal wrongdoing.

In 2001, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge was named to lead the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

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In 2004, CBS News said it regretted broadcasting a controversial report about U.S. President George W. Bush's military service duty, saying its source misled the network.

In 2005, the Bush administration's disapproval rating reached a reported all-time high of 58 percent in a USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll.

In 2006, Venezuela President Hugo Chavez called U.S. President George W. Bush "the devil" in a U.N. speech and accused the United States of trying to dominate the world.

In 2007, Norman Hsu, a major Democratic fundraiser for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, was charged with defrauding investors of $60 million. Clinton said funds donated on her behalf would be returned.

In 2011, the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on openly gay U.S. service members was officially repealed at 1 minute past midnight, ending a policy under which about 14,000 men and women were discharged. The controversial 1993 law had allowed gays to serve only if they kept their sexual orientation private.

In 2012, the year-old repeal of a ban on gays in the U.S. military has had "no overall negative impact" on readiness, a UCLA study found.


A thought for the day: American preacher, physician and suffragist Anna Howard Shaw said, "It is better to be true to what you believe, though that be wrong, than to be false to what you believe, even if that belief is correct."

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