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UPI Almanac for Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014

Official end of the U.S. military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy ... on this date in history.

By United Press International
U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appear at a Pentagon briefing Sept. 20, 2011, to discuss the termination that day of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg
1 of 7 | U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appear at a Pentagon briefing Sept. 20, 2011, to discuss the termination that day of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. UPI/Roger L. Wollenberg | License Photo

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Today is Saturday, Sept. 20, the 263rd day of 2014 with 102 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 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 90), actors Anne Meara in 1929 (age 85) and Sophia Loren in 1934 (age 80); writer George R.R. Martin in 1948 (age 66); hockey Hall of Fame member Guy Lafleur in 1951 (age 63); actors Gary Cole in 1956 (age 58) and Kristen Johnston in 1967 (age 47); and musicians Gunnar and Matthew Nelson in 1967 (age 47).

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

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

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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.

In 2013, Chicago police said at least three people were killed and 23 wounded -- 13 in one gang-related outburst of gunfire in a park -- in a two-day spate of shootings. Police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said it was "a miracle there has been no fatality" in the park attack. One of the victims was a 3-year-old boy, shot in the head. (Days later, the child's mother said he would need surgery many times in the years ahead.)


A thought for the day: "Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies." -- Groucho Marx

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