The almanac

Today is Thursday, Sept. 19, the 262nd day of 2013 with 103 to follow.

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

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 87) baseball Hall of Fame member Duke Snider, also in 1926; singer Brook Benton in 1931; actors Adam West (TV's Batman) in 1928 (age 85) and David McCallum (TV's "NCIS") in 1933 (age 80); 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 73); singers Mama Cass Elliot in 1941 and Freda Payne in 1942 (age 71); baseball Hall of Fame member Joe Morgan in 1943 (age 70); singer/songwriter David Bromberg in 1945 (age 68); actors Randolph Mantooth in 1945 (age 68) and Jeremy Irons in 1948 (age 65); model and actor Twiggy, whose real name is Lesley Hornby, in 1949 (age 64); television personality Joan Lunden in 1950 (age 63); actor/director Kevin Hooks in 1958 (age 55); celebrity chef Mario Batali in 1960 (age 43); actor Cheri Oteri in 1962 (age 51); country singer Trisha Yearwood in 1964 (age 49); journalist Soledad O'Brien in 1966 (age 47); and comedian Jimmy Fallon in 1974 (age 39).

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 1995, The Washington Post published the 35,000-word manifesto written by the Unabomber, who had said he wouldn't try to kill again if it was published. The Post and The New York Times shared the costs of publication.

In 2004, Iran refused a plea by the International Atomic Energy Agency to end its enrichment of uranium, usually a first step toward producing fuel for nuclear reactors or bombs. Iran says it had only peaceful purposes in mind.

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.

In 2011, the FBI reported violent crime in the United States declined 6 percent in 2010 from the previous year, the fourth consecutive year of decreases.

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.

A thought for the day: U.S. Army Gen. Omar Bradley said: "The world has achieved brilliance without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants."