The Almanac

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 17, the 290th day of 2001 with 75 to follow.

The moon is waxing, moving toward its first quarter.

The morning stars are Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.

The evening stars are Mercury and Mars.

Those born on this day are under the sign of Libra. They include Jupiter Hammon, America's first published black poet, in 1711; actress Irene Ryan in 1903; playwright Arthur Miller in 1915 (age 86); actress Rita Hayworth in 1918; actor Tom Poston in 1927 (age 74); newspaper columnist Jimmy Breslin in 1930 (age 71); daredevil Robert "Evel" Knievel in 1938 (age 63) actors Michael McKean ("Laverne and Shirley") in 1940 (age 61), and Margot Kidder and George Wendt, both in 1948 (age 53); and former astronaut Mae Jemison, the first African-American woman in space, in 1956 (age 45).

On this date in history:

In 1777, at one of the turning points of the American Revolution, British Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered to American Gen. Horatio Gates at Saratoga, N.Y.

In 1945, Juan Peron became dictator of Argentina. He remained in power for 11 years before being overthrown.

In 1967, the rock musical "Hair" opened at the Public Theater in New York City.

In 1979, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a Roman Catholic nun who cares for the sick and poor, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1986, Congress passed a landmark immigration bill, the first U.S. immigration law authorizing penalties for employers who hire illegal aliens.

In 1989, the most powerful California earthquake since the legendary temblor of 1906 struck the San Francisco Bay Area at evening rush hour, just before scheduled start of Game Three of the World Series in San Francisco. At least 67 people were killed or eventually died of injuries.

In 1990, U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar said military force would be a legitimate response to the Iraqi occupation of Kuwait if sanctions did not work.

In 1992, the Justice Department said it'd probe the case of a prison inmate who says he was silenced during the 1988 presidential campaign after claiming he once sold marijuana to Dan Quayle.

In 1994, North Korea agreed to freeze its nuclear weapons program and allow international inspections of its facilities.

In 1996, the O.J. Simpson civil trial began.

In 1998, by request of Spanish authorities, British police arrested former Chilean dictator Gen. Augusto Pinochet for questioning about "crimes of genocide and terrorism that include murder."

In 2000, Vice President Gore and his Republican challenger, Texas Gov. George W. Bush, meet in St. Louis for the third and final of their presidential debates.

A thought for the day: Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky wrote, "With love one can live even without happiness."