This day in history

[September 14, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Tuesday, Sept. 14, the 257th day of 2010. There are 108 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On Sept. 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote a poem after witnessing how Fort McHenry in Maryland had endured a night of British bombardment during the War of 1812; that poem, "Defence of Fort McHenry," later became the lyrics to "The Star-Spangled Banner," the American national anthem.

On this date:

In 1836, former Vice President Aaron Burr died in Staten Island, N.Y. at age 80.

In 1847, during the Mexican-American War, U.S. forces under Gen. Winfield Scott took control of Mexico City.

In 1901, President William McKinley died in Buffalo, N.Y., of gunshot wounds inflicted by an assassin. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt succeeded him.

In 1927, modern dance pioneer Isadora Duncan died in Nice (nees), France, when her scarf became entangled in a wheel of the sports car she was riding in.

In 1948, a groundbreaking ceremony took place in New York at the site of the United Nations' world headquarters.

In 1960, representatives of Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela concluded a conference in Baghdad where they had created the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC.

In 1964, Pope Paul VI opened the third session of the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, also known as "Vatican II." (The session closed two months later.)

In 1982, Princess Grace of Monaco, formerly actress Grace Kelly, died at age 52 of injuries from a car crash the day before; Lebanon's president-elect, Bashir Gemayel (bah-SHEER' jeh-MAY'-el), was killed by a bomb.

In 1985, Shiite (SHEE'-eyet) Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon released the Rev. Benjamin Weir (weer) after holding him captive for 16 months. The situation comedy "The Golden Girls" premiered on NBC.

In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert slammed into Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula as a Category 5 storm after forcing thousands of residents to flee.

Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton said he was "quite troubled" by the way the Energy and Justice departments had handled the Wen Ho Lee case, and expressed his regrets. Government scientists narrowly rejected a proposal to ease the ban on gay male blood donors, citing uncertainty over whether the move would increase the AIDS risk to the nation's blood supply.

Five years ago: The United Nations opened a three-day summit marking the 60th anniversary of the world body. More than a dozen coordinated bombings killed at least 178 people in Baghdad. Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines each filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. (Both carriers emerged from bankruptcy reorganization in 2007.) Movie director Robert Wise ("West Side Story"; "The Sound of Music") died in Los Angeles at age 91.

One year ago: Lecturing Wall Street on its own turf, President Barack Obama warned financial leaders not to use the recovering economy to race back into "reckless behavior" that could cause a new meltdown. Death claimed "Dirty Dancing" star Patrick Swayze at 57; former White House press secretary Jody Powell at age 65; and comic character actor Henry Gibson at age 73. Roger Federer let the U.S. Open championship slip from his grasp two points from victory against Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina. The sixth-seeded del Potro came back to win his first Grand Slam title by upsetting the No. 1-seeded Federer 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2.

Today's birthdays: Actress Zoe Caldwell is 77. Feminist author Kate Millett is 76. Actor Walter Koenig is 74. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown is 70. Singer-actress Joey Heatherton is 66. Actor Sam Neill is 63. Singer Jon "Bowzer" Bauman (Sha Na Na) is 63. Rock musician Ed King is 61. Rock musician Steve Berlin (Los Lobos) is 55. Country singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman is 54. Actress Mary Crosby is 51. Singer Morten Harket (a-ha) is 51. Country singer John Berry is 51. Actress Melissa Leo is 50. Actress Faith Ford is 46. Actor Jamie Kaler is 46. Actress Michelle Stafford is 45. Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is 45. Rock musician Mike Cooley (Drive-By Truckers) is 44. Actor Dan Cortese is 42. Contemporary Christian singer Mark Hall is 41. Actor-writer-director-producer Tyler Perry is 41. Actor Ben Garant is 40. Rock musician Craig Montoya (Tri Polar) is 40. Actress Kimberly Williams-Paisley is 39. Rapper Nas is 37. Country singer Danielle Peck is 32. Pop singer Ayo is 30. Singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse is 27. Actor Adam Lamberg is 26.

Thought for today: "Civilizations die from philosophical calm, irony and the sense of fair play quite as surely as they die of debauchery." -- Joseph Wood Krutch, American author, critic and educator (1893-1970)

[Associated Press]

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