This day in history

[September 22, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Wednesday, Sept. 22, the 265th day of 2010. There are 100 days left in the year. Autumn arrives at 11:09 p.m. EDT.

Today's highlight in history:

On Sept. 22, 1776, during the Revolutionary War, Capt. Nathan Hale, 21, was hanged as a spy by the British in New York.

On this date:

In 1761, Britain's King George III and his wife, Charlotte, were crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in rebel states should be free as of Jan. 1, 1863.

In 1927, Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in the famous "long-count" fight in Chicago.

In 1938, the musical comedy revue "Hellzapoppin'," starring Ole (OH'-lee) Olsen and Chic Johnson, began a three-year run on Broadway.

In 1960, the independent Republic of Mali was proclaimed.

In 1964, the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 3,242 performances.

In 1975, Sara Jane Moore attempted to shoot President Gerald R. Ford outside a San Francisco hotel, but missed. (Moore served 32 years in prison before being paroled on Dec. 31, 2007.)

In 1980, the Persian Gulf conflict between Iran and Iraq erupted into full-scale war that lasted nearly eight years.

In 1985, rock and country music artists participated in "FarmAid," a concert staged in Champaign to help the nation's farmers.

In 1989, songwriter Irving Berlin died in New York City at age 101.

Ten years ago: President Bill Clinton directed the release of 30 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the government's emergency stockpile. Kraft Foods recalled all taco shells sold nationwide in supermarkets under the Taco Bell brand after tests confirmed they were made with StarLink, a genetically engineered corn not approved for human consumption.

Five years ago: Hurricane Rita, weakened to Category 4 status, closed on the Texas coast, sending hundreds of thousands of people fleeing on a frustratingly slow, bumper-to-bumper exodus. John Roberts' nomination as U.S. chief justice cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan vote of 13-5.

One year ago: President Barack Obama, visiting New York, brought together Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas for their first three-way meeting. Al-Qaida released a 106-minute long video predicting President Obama's downfall at the hands of the Muslim world.

Today's birthdays: Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is 83. NBA Commissioner David Stern is 68. Musician King Sunny Ade is 64. Actor Paul Le Mat is 64. Retired Capt. Mark Phillips is 62. Rock singer David Coverdale (Deep Purple, Whitesnake) is 59. Actress Shari Belafonte is 56. Singer Debby Boone is 54. Country singer June Forester (The Forester Sisters) is 54. Singer Nick Cave is 53. Rock singer Johnette Napolitano is 53. Classical crossover singer Andrea Bocelli (an-DRAY'-ah boh-CHEL'-ee) is 52. Singer-musician Joan Jett is 52. Actress Catherine Oxenberg is 49. Actor Scott Baio is 49. Actor Rob Stone is 48. Rock musician Matt Sharp is 41. Rock musician Dave Hernandez (The Shins) is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Big Rube (Society of Soul) is 39. Actress Mireille Enos is 35. Actress Ashley Drane (Eckstein) is 29. Actor Tom Felton is 23.

Thought for today:
     "I saw old Autumn in the misty morn
     Stand shadowless like silence, listening
     To silence."
-- Thomas Hood, English author (1799-1845)

[Associated Press]

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