This day in history

[May 10, 2011]  (AP)  Today is Wednesday, Nov. 24, the 328th day of 2010. There are 37 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On Nov. 24, 1859, British naturalist Charles Darwin published "On the Origin of Species," which explained his theory of evolution by means of natural selection.

On this date:

In 1784, Zachary Taylor, the 12th president of the United States, was born in Orange County, Va.

In 1863, the Civil War Battle of Lookout Mountain began in Tennessee; Union forces succeeded in taking the mountain from the Confederates.

In 1939, British Overseas Airways Corp. (BOAC) was formally established.

In 1944, during World War II, U.S. bombers based on Saipan attacked Tokyo in the first raid against the Japanese capital by land-based planes.

In 1950, the musical "Guys and Dolls," based on the writings of Damon Runyon and featuring songs by Frank Loesser (LEH'-suhr), opened on Broadway.

In 1963, Jack Ruby shot and mortally wounded Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, in a scene captured on live television.

In 1969, Apollo 12 splashed down safely in the Pacific.

In 1971, hijacker "D.B. Cooper" parachuted from a Northwest Orient Airlines 727 over Washington state with $200,000 dollars in ransom -- his fate remains unknown.

In 1987, the United States and the Soviet Union agreed on terms to scrap short- and medium-range missiles.

In 1995, voters in Ireland narrowly approved a constitutional amendment legalizing divorce.

Ten years ago: The U.S. Supreme Court stepped into the bitter, overtime struggle for the White House, agreeing to consider George W. Bush's appeal against the hand recounting of ballots in Florida.

Five years ago: A suicide bomber struck outside a hospital south of Baghdad while U.S. troops were handing out candy and food to children; the blast killed some 30 people. A giant balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York snagged a street light and caused part of it to fall, injuring a woman and a child. Actor Pat Morita died in Las Vegas at age 73.

One year ago: President Barack Obama played host at the first state dinner of his presidency to visiting Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, an event marred by two gatecrashers, Tareq and Michaele Salahi (mih-KEL' sah-LAH'-hee). Kentucky officials said census worker Bill Sparkman, found bound and hanging from tree with the word "fed" scrawled across his chest, had committed suicide. Albert Pujols won the National League MVP unanimously, becoming the first player to repeat since Barry Bonds won four in a row from 2001-04.

Today's birthdays: Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson is 72. Country singer Johnny Carver is 70. Former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (TAG'-lee-uh-boo) is 70. Rock-and-roll drummer Pete Best is 69. Rock musician Donald "Duck" Dunn (Booker T. & the MG's) is 69. Actor-comedian Billy Connolly is 68. Former White House news secretary Marlin Fitzwater is 68. Motion Picture Association of America Chairman Dan Glickman is 66. Singer Lee Michaels is 65. Actor Dwight Schultz is 63. Actor Stanley Livingston is 60. Rock musician Clem Burke (Blondie; The Romantics) is 55. Record producer Terry Lewis is 54. Actor Ruben Santiago-Hudson is 54. Actress Denise Crosby is 53. Actress Shae D'Lyn is 48. Rock musician John Squire (The Stone Roses) is 48. Rock musician Gary Stonadge (Big Audio) is 48. Actor Garret Dillahunt is 46. Actor-comedian Scott Krinsky is 42. Rock musician Chad Taylor (Live) is 40. Actress Lola Glaudini is 39. Actress Danielle Nicolet is 37. Olympic bronze medal figure skater Chen Lu is 34. Actor Colin Hanks is 33. Actress Katherine Heigl (HY'-guhl) (TV: "Grey's Anatomy") is 32. Actress Sarah Hyland (TV: "Modern Family") is 20.

Thought for today: "You can become a winner only if you are willing to walk over the edge." -- Damon Runyon, American writer (1884-1946)

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.