This Day in History
1789: The Supreme Court is created by the Federal Judiciary Act.
1869: An attempt to "corner" gold by Jay Gould and James Fisk leads to financial panic, subsequently called "Black Friday," in New York.
1952: Rocky Marciano becomes world heavyweight boxing champion by knocking out Joe Walcott in the 13th round in Philadelphia.
1957: Pres. Dwight Eisenhower sends federal troops to enforce a court order on desegregating Little Rock, AR, schools.
1960: The first U.S. atomic-powered aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Enterprise, is launched at Newport News, VA.
1964: The Warren Commission submits its report, finding that Lee Harvey Oswald, "acting alone and without advice or assistance," fired the shots that killed President John F. Kennedy .
1998: Iran drops its 1989 call for the death of British author Salman Rushdie.
2001: President George W. Bush signs an order freezing the assets of 27 people and organizations suspected of involvement with terrorists.
2002: Assailants wielding automatic weapons kill 29 Hindu worshippers at a temple in Gandhinagar, India.
2005: Hurricane Rita, one of the most intense Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded, strikes the TX and LA coasts, killing several people and causing billions of dollars in damages.
Today's Birthdays
1583: Albrecht Wenzel von Wallenstein, military leader (Hermanec, Bohemia; died 1634)
1717: Horace Walpole, writer (London, England; died 1797)
1739: Grigori Potemkin, statesman (Chizovo, Russia; died 1791)
1755: John Marshall, chief justice of the Supreme Court/congressman/statesman (Germantown, VA; died 1835)
1884: Ismet Inönü, president of Turkey (Izmir, Turkey; died 1973)
1896: F. Scott Fitzgerald, novelist/short-story writer (St. Paul, MN; died 1940)
1911: Konstantin Chernenko, Soviet leader (Bolshaya Tes, Siberia; died 1985)
1921: Jim McKay, sportscaster (Philadelphia, PA)
1923: Sheila MacRae, singer/actress (London, England)
1931: Anthony Newley, actor/singer/songwriter (London, England; died 1999)
1936: Jim Henson, puppeteer/TV producer and creator of the Muppets (Greenville, MS; died 1990)
1945: Lou Dobbs, TV journalist (Childress, TX)
1952: Joseph Kennedy, 2d, former U.S. rep. (Boston, MA)
1958: Kevin Sorbo, actor (Mound, MN)
1962: Nia Vardalos, actress (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
1973: Eddie George, football player (Philadelphia, PA)
