Advertisement

The almanac

By United Press International
Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 24, the 267th day of 2013 with 98 to follow.

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

Advertisement


Those born on this date are under the sign of Libra. They include English novelist Horace Walpole in 1717; Irish brewmaster Arthur Guinness in 1725; John Marshall, fourth chief justice of the United States, in 1755; French chemist Georges Claude, inventor of the neon lamp, in 1870; candy company founder Franklin Mars in 1883; golf Hall of Fame member Tommy Armour in 1894; novelist F. Scott Fitzgerald in 1896; sports announcer Jim McKay in 1921; actors/singers Sheila MacRae in 1924 (age 89) and Anthony Newley in 1931; Muppet creator Jim Henson in 1936; singer/photographer Linda Eastman McCartney, wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney, in 1941; television commentator Lou Dobbs in 1945 (age 68); football Hall of Fame member "Mean" Joe Greene in 1946 (age 67); actor Gordon Clapp in 1948 (age 65); comedian Phil Hartman in 1948; actor Kevin Sorbo in 1958 (age 55); and gymnasts Morgan and Paul Hamm in 1982 (age 31).

Advertisement


On this date in history:

The Judiciary Act of 1789 was passed by Congress and signed by President George Washington, establishing the Supreme Court of the United States as a tribunal made up of six justices who were to serve on the court until death or retirement. The number of justices became nine in 1869.

In 1929, aviator James Doolittle demonstrated the first "blind" takeoff and landing, using only instruments to guide his aircraft.

In 1942, as World War II raged, popular bandleader Glenn Miller ended his long-running radio show and announced he was going into the U.S. Army. He was succeeded on radio by Harry James.

In 1959, U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev met at Camp David, Md.

In 1986, the U.S. Congress adopted the rose as the national flower.

In 1994, it was reported that CIA turncoat Aldrich Ames had exposed 55 secret U.S. and allied operations to the Soviet Union.

In 1996, Israel opened a second entrance to a tunnel used by archeologists at the Temple Mount, sacred to Muslims and Jews. The action sparked deadly rioting.

In 1998, Iran's foreign minister announced the country had dropped its 1989 call for the death of Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses," which many Muslims found blasphemous.

Advertisement

In 2003, a Gallup poll indicated that 67 percent of Baghdad residents polled said the removal of Saddam Hussein was worth the hardships they had endured.

In 2005, less than a month after Hurricane Katrina devastated wide areas of the U.S. Gulf Coast, Hurricane Rita came ashore near the Texas-Louisiana state line with another destructive blow.

In 2007, about 73,000 members of the United Auto Workers went on strike against General Motors after contract negotiations bogged down over wages and benefits. The walkout lasted less than two days.

In 2008, the FBI opened investigations into possible fraud at four entities involved in the turmoil in U.S. financial markets. The inclusion of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, Lehman Brothers and American International Group brought to 26 the number linked into an inquiry involving the mortgage crisis.

In 2009, the discovery of a treasure trove of more than 1,500 finely crafted gold, silver and copper artifacts, found with a metal detector and believed buried by seventh-century Anglo-Saxon rulers, was termed one of most important in British archaeological history.

In 2011, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev revealed plans to step aside in 2012 to allow Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to again run for the presidency. Putin was head of state from 2000-08 but was barred constitutionally from seeking a third consecutive term.

Advertisement

In 2012, Amy Bishop Anderson, a biology professor who killed three members of the University of Alabama faculty and wounded three others in 2010, was sentenced to life in prison without parole.


A thought for the day: Muppet creator Jim Henson said: "The most sophisticated people I know -- inside they are all children."

Latest Headlines