Today is Wednesday, Oct. 24, the 297th day of 2001 with 68 to follow.
This is United Nations Day.
The moon is waxing, moving toward its full phase.
The morning stars are Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.
The evening stars are Mercury and Mars.
Those born on this date are under the sign of Scorpio. They include pioneering Dutch microscope maker Anton Van Leeuwenhoek in 1632; journalist Sarah Josepha Hale, author of "Mary Had a Little Lamb," in 1788; attorney Belva Lockwood, the first woman candidate for U.S. president, nominated by the National Equal Rights Party, in 1830; film producer-director Merian Cooper ("King Kong") in 1893; former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman, whose year of birth has been given variously as 1936 or 1941 (age 65 or 60); NAACP president Kweisi Mfume in 1948 (age 53); actors David Nelson (Ozzie and Harriet's other son) in 1936 (age 65), F. Murray Abraham in 1940 (age 61) and Kevin Kline in 1947 (age 54); and singer Monica (Arnold) in 1980 (age 21).
On this date in history:
In 1648, the Treaty of Westphalia ended the Thirty Years' War in Europe.
In 1861, the first telegram was transmitted across the United States from California Chief Justice Stephen Field to President Abraham Lincoln in Washington, D.C.
In 1945, following Soviet ratification, U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes announced the United Nations charter was in effect.
In 1984, the FBI arrested 11 alleged chiefs of the Colombo crime family on charges of racketeering in New York City.
In 1989, TV evangelist Jim Bakker was sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $500,000 dollars for fleecing his flock.
Also in 1989, former Hungarian beauty queen Zsa Zsa Gabor was sentenced to 72 hours in jail, 120 hours of community service and nearly $13,000 in fines and court costs for slapping a traffic officer.
In 1990, Rep. Donald Lukens, R-Ohio, resigned over new sex charges.
In 1993, the death of Burundi's President Melchior Ndadaye in a military coup was confirmed.
In 1995, the United Nations marked its 50th anniversary. The celebration was the largest gathering of world leaders in history.
A thought for the day: Hindu nationalist leader Mohandas Gandhi said, "I believe that a man is the strongest soldier for daring to die unarmed."
