UPI Almanac for Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2017

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 20, the 263rd day of 2017 with 102 to follow.

The moon is new. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter and Saturn.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Virgo. They include novelist Upton Sinclair in 1878; Sister Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse who pioneered the care of polio victims, in 1880; basketball Hall of Fame Coach Arnold Jacob "Red" Auerbach in 1917; actor Sophia Loren in 1934 (age 83); artist Dale Chihuly in 1941 (age 76); writer George R.R. Martin in 1948 (age 69); hockey Hall of Fame member Guy Lafleur in 1951 (age 66); actor Gary Cole in 1956 (age 61); actor Crispin Glover in 1964 (age 53); actor Kristen Johnston in 1967 (age 50); musicians Gunnar and Matthew Nelson in 1967 (age 50); actor Jon Bernthal in 1976 (age 41); actor/producer Aaron Paul in 1979 (age 39); Phillip Phillips in 1990 (age 27).

On this date in history:

In 1946, the first Cannes Film Festival opened on the French Riviera. An earlier attempt (in 1939) to begin the international movie showcase was halted by the outbreak of World War II.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy proposed a joint venture between the United States and Russia to reach the moon.

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In 2011, the "don't ask, don't tell" ban on openly gay U.S. service members was officially repealed at 1 minute past midnight, ending a policy under which about 14,000 men and women were discharged.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.

In 2012, a Cleveland jury found 16 Amish men and women guilty of hate crimes for cutting their Amish rivals' beards and head hair.

In 2013, Chicago police said at least three people were killed and 23 injured -- 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.

In 2014, the Vatican announced that Blase J. Cupich, bishop of Spokane, Wash., would become the archbishop of Chicago in November, succeeding the ailing Cardinal Francis George, who headed the 2.3-million-member diocese for 17 years.

A thought for the day: " It's better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life." -- Sophia Loren