UPI Almanac for Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015

Today is Thursday, Sept. 10, the 253rd day of 2015 with 112 to follow.

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

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include English scientist/clergyman John Needham in 1713; physicist Arthur Holly Compton in 1892; dancer Adele Astaire in 1896; English critic Cyril Connolly in 1903; film director Robert Wise in 1914; Hall of Fame golfer Arnold Palmer in 1929 (age 86); television journalist Charles Kuralt in 1934; home run-hitting baseball star Roger Maris in 1934; football Hall of Fame member Buck Buchanan in 1940; science writer Stephen Jay Gould in 1941; singer Jose Feliciano in 1945 (age 70); basketball Hall of Fame member Bob Lanier in 1948 (age 67); political commentator Bill O'Reilly in 1949 (age 66); musician Joe Perry (Aerosmith) in 1950 (age 65), actor Amy Irving in 1953 (age 62); actor Clark Johnson in 1954 (age 61); film director Chris Columbus in 1958 (age 57); actor Colin Firth in 1960 (age 55); baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Randy "The Big Unit" Johnson in 1963 (age 52); film director Guy Ritchie in 1968 (age 47); actor Ryan Phillippe in 1974 (age 41).

On this date in history:

In 1813, U.S. naval units under the command of Capt. Oliver Perry defeated a British squadron in the Battle of Lake Erie.

In 1823, Simon Bolivar, who led the wars for independence from Spain in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, was named president of Peru with dictatorial powers.

In 1846, Elias Howe received a patent for the sewing machine.

In 1963, blacks entered the white public schools of Birmingham, Tuskegee and Mobile in Alabama after U.S. President John F. Kennedy federalized the state's National Guard.

In 2002, Switzerland and Timor-Leste joined the United Nations, expanding the membership roll to 191. (It eventually increased to 193.)

In 2008, scientists in a Geneva lab activated the Large Hadron Collider, the world's largest and most powerful subatomic particle accelerator, built over a 14-year period and costing an estimated $8 billion. (It had to be shut down after nine days for repairs.)

In 2009, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted "You lie!" during President Barack Obama's address on healthcare reform to a joint session of Congress. Wilson's outburst brought sharp criticism from colleagues and he apologized to Obama for "inappropriate and regrettable" behavior and letting "my emotions get the best of me."

In 2010, a gas pipeline explosion and fire leveled 37 houses in San Bruno, Calif. Eight people were killed and more than 50 others injured.

In 2011, nearly 200 people died after an overloaded ferry capsized and sank off the coast of Tanzania. More than 600 were rescued.

In 2012, Chicago's first teachers' strike in 25 years began after school officials and union leaders failed to reach a contract agreement. (The walkout, which affected 675 schools with 350,000 students, lasted more than a week.)

In 2013, Thomas Bach of Germany was elected president of the International Olympic Committee. Bach competed in fencing in the 1976 Games in Montreal.

In 2014, in a speech to the nation, President Barack Obama said the United States and a "broad coalition" will "degrade and ultimately destroy" Islamic State terrorists.

A thought for the day: "You can't get spoiled if you do your own ironing." -- Meryl Streep.