Today in History for October 27

Today is Sunday, Oct. 27, the 300th day of 2013. There are 65 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On October 27th, 1858, the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was born in New York City.

On this date:

In 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, was published under the pseudonym "Publius" (the essays were a collaborative effort by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay).

In 1795, the United States and Spain signed the Treaty of San Lorenzo (also known as Pinckney's Treaty), which provided for free navigation of the Mississippi River.

In 1880, Theodore Roosevelt married his first wife, Alice Lee.

In 1886 (New Style date), the musical fantasy "A Night on Bald Mountain," written by Modest Mussorgsky and revised after his death by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, was performed in St. Petersburg, Russia.

In 1904, the first rapid transit subway, the IRT, was inaugurated in New York City.

In 1922, the first annual celebration of Navy Day took place.

In 1938, Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn: "nylon."

In 1947, "You Bet Your Life," starring Groucho Marx, premiered on ABC Radio. (It later became a television show on NBC.)

In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down while flying over Cuba, killing the pilot, U.S. Air Force Maj. Rudolf Anderson Jr.

In 1971, the Democratic Republic of Congo was renamed the Republic of Zaire (but it went back to its previous name in 1997).

In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord.

In 1992, Petty Officer Allen Schindler, a gay U.S. Navy sailor, was beaten to death near Sasebo Naval Base in southwestern Japan by shipmate Terry Helvey, who pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

In 2001, in Washington, the search for deadly anthrax widened to thousands of businesses and 30 mail distribution centers.

Ten years ago: Suicide bombers in Baghdad struck Red Cross headquarters and three police stations, killing dozens of people. Former Washington, D.C. Mayor Walter Edward Washington died at age 88. Rod Roddy, announcer on "The Price is Right," died in Los Angeles at age 66.

Five years ago: Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens was convicted in Washington of seven corruption charges for lying about free home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy oil contractor. (A judge later dismissed the case, saying prosecutors had withheld evidence that might have been favorable to Stevens at trial.) The body of singer-actress Jennifer Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found in an SUV three days after Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in the Chicago home they'd shared. (The estranged husband of Hudson's sister, William Balfour, is charged in the killings.) Umpires halted play in Game 5 of the World Series with the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays tied at 2 because of rain. (The game was completed two days later, at which time the Phillies beat the Rays 4-3 to win the Series.)

One year ago: Sixty million people in the eastern United States braced for high winds, torrential rains, power outages and even snow from Hurricane Sandy, which was headed toward a merger with two wintry weather systems. The San Francisco Giants, with a 2-0 victory, took a three-games-to-none lead in the World Series against the Detroit Tigers.

Today's Birthdays: Actress Nanette Fabray is 93. Baseball Hall-of-Famer and sportscaster Ralph Kiner is 91. Actress Ruby Dee is 91. Actor-comedian John Cleese is 74. Author Maxine Hong Kingston is 73. Country singer Lee Greenwood is 71. Producer-director Ivan Reitman is 67. Country singer-musician Jack Daniels is 64. Rock musician Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band) is 64. Author Fran Lebowitz is 63. Rock musician K.K. Downing is 62. TV personality Jayne Kennedy is 62. Actor-director Roberto Benigni is 61. Actor Peter Firth is 60. Actor Robert Picardo is 60. World Golf Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan is 57. Singer Simon Le Bon is 55. Country musician Jerry Dale McFadden (The Mavericks) is 49. Internet news editor Matt Drudge is 47. Rock musician Jason Finn (Presidents of the United States of America) is 46. Rock singer Scott Weiland is 46. Actor Sean Holland is 45. Actress Sheeri Rappaport is 36. Violinist Vanessa-Mae is 35. Actress-singer Kelly Osbourne is 29. Actress Christine Evangelista is 27.

Thought for Today: "In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing." -- Theodore Roosevelt, American president (1858-1919).

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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