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UPI Almanac for Friday, Sept. 19, 2014.

A U.S. president dies of gunshot wounds, a catastrophic earthquake in Mexico ... on this date in history.

By United Press International
Jimmy Fallon at the MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif., Aug. 24, 2014. UPI/Pat Benic
1 of 7 | Jimmy Fallon at the MTV Video Music Awards in Inglewood, Calif., Aug. 24, 2014. UPI/Pat Benic | License Photo

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Today is Friday, Sept. 19, the 262nd day of 2014 with 103 to follow.

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

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Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include Irvin Westheimer, who founded the American "Big Brothers" movement, in 1879; Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski in 1905; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell in 1907; Austrian automobile designer Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche in 1909; British author William Golding ("Lord of the Flies") in 1911; writer Roger Angell in 1920; James Lipton, actor and writer and host of "Inside the Actors Studio," in 1926 (age 88); baseball Hall of Fame member Duke Snider, also in 1926; singer Brook Benton in 1931; actors Adam West (TV's Batman) in 1928 (age 86) and David McCallum (TV's "NCIS") in 1933 (age 81); four-time Olympic gold medal discus thrower Al Oerter in 1936; singer/songwriter Paul Williams and singer Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers, both in 1940 (age 74); singers Mama Cass Elliot in 1941 and Freda Payne in 1942 (age 72); baseball Hall of Fame member Joe Morgan in 1943 (age 71); singer/songwriter David Bromberg in 1945 (age 69); actors Randolph Mantooth in 1945 (age 69) and Jeremy Irons in 1948 (age 66); model and actor Twiggy, whose real name is Lesley Hornby, in 1949 (age 65); television personality Joan Lunden in 1950 (age 64); actor/director Kevin Hooks in 1958 (age 56); celebrity chef Mario Batali in 1960 (age 44); actor Cheri Oteri in 1962 (age 52); country singer Trisha Yearwood in 1964 (age 50); journalist Soledad O'Brien in 1966 (age 48); and comedian Jimmy Fallon in 1974 (age 40).

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On this date in history:

In 1777, American soldiers won the first Battle of Saratoga in the Revolutionary War.

In 1881, U.S. President James Garfield died in Elberon, N.J., of gunshot wounds inflicted by a disgruntled office-seeker. Vice President Chester Arthur was sworn in as his successor.

In 1893, with the signing of the Electoral Bill by Gov. David Boyle, New Zealand became the first country to grant national voting rights to women.

In 1955, after a decade of rule, Argentine President Juan Domingo Peron was deposed in a military coup.

In 1985, an earthquake collapsed hundreds of buildings and killed 7,000 people in Mexico City.

In 1988, U.S. swimmer Greg Louganis took the gold medal in 3-meter springboard diving at the Seoul Olympics after hitting his head on the board during preliminary competition.

In 2006, Thailand Premier Thaksin Shinawatra was overthrown in a bloodless military coup.

In 2008, North Korea's Foreign Ministry said the country was restoring its nuclear reactor and wasn't concerned if the United States listed it as a supporter of terrorism.

In 2010, 42-year-old Frenchman Philippe Croizon, a quadruple amputee, swam across the English Channel in 13 1/2 hours. Croizon covered the 21 miles with flippers attached to the stumps of his legs and special steering attachments in the arm areas.

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In 2012, hundreds of thousands of Chicago Public School students were back in class after teachers voted to end a strike that lasted more than a week.

In 2013, Hiroshi Yamauchi, who led the transformation of Nintendo from a small Japanese company to a worldwide video gaming giant, died of pneumonia in Japan at the age of 85. Yamauchi was Nintendo's president from 1949 to 2002. He also was the majority owner of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners.


A thought for the day: "Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants." -- Gen. Omar Bradley

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