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 Today's highlight in history:
On Nov. 1, 1765, the Stamp Act went into effect, prompting stiff resistance from American colonists.
On this date:
In 1512, Michelangelo finished painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican.
In 1604, William Shakespeare's tragedy "Othello" was first presented at Whitehall Palace in London.
In 1611, Shakespeare's romantic comedy "The Tempest" was first presented at Whitehall.
In 1861, Gen. George B. McClellan was made General-in-Chief of the Union armies, succeeding Winfield Scott.
In 1870, the U.S. Weather Bureau made its first meteorological observations.
In 1936, in a speech in Milan, Italy, Benito Mussolini described the alliance between his country and Nazi Germany as an "axis" running between Rome and Berlin.
In 1950, two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to force their way into Blair House in Washington, D.C., to assassinate President Truman. The attempt failed, and one of the pair was killed, along with a White House police officer.
In 1952, the United States exploded the first hydrogen bomb, codenamed "Ivy Mike," at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
In 1954, Algerian nationalists began their successful rebellion against French rule.
In 1973, following the "Saturday Night Massacre," Acting Attorney General Robert H. Bork appointed Leon Jaworski to be the new Watergate special prosecutor, succeeding Archibald Cox.
Ten years ago: Chinese President Jiang Zemin defended his government during an appearance at Harvard University, but conceded that China had made mistakes. Meanwhile, about 2,000 people demonstrated outside both for and against the Beijing government.
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 Five years ago: A federal judge approved most provisions of an antitrust settlement between Microsoft and the Justice Department. A Russian spacecraft carrying two cosmonauts and a Belgian astronaut docked with the international space station. Queen Elizabeth II's surprise revelation that she knew butler Paul Burrell had taken some of Princess Diana's possessions for safekeeping prompted prosecutors to drop theft charges against the servant.
One year ago: Senator John Kerry, D-Mass., apologized to "any service member, family member or American" offended by his "botched joke" about how young people might get "stuck in Iraq" if they did not study hard and do their homework. An Ethiopian immigrant was convicted in Lawrenceville, Ga., of the genital mutilation of his 2-year-old daughter in what's believed to be the first such criminal case in the U.S. (Khalid Adem was sentenced to 10 years in prison.) Author William Styron died on Martha's Vineyard at age 81.
Today's birthdays: Newspaper columnist James J. Kilpatrick is 87. Golfer Gary Player is 72. Country singer Bill Anderson is 70. Actress Barbara Bosson is 68. Actor Robert Foxworth is 66. Actress Marcia Wallace is 65. Magazine publisher Larry Flynt is 65. Country singer Kinky Friedman is 63. Actress Jeannie Berlin is 58. Pop singer-musician Dan Peek is 57. Rhythm-and-blues musician Khalis Bayyan (aka Ronald Bell) (Kool and the Gang) is 56. Country singer-songwriter-producer Keith Stegall is 53. Country singer Lyle Lovett is 50. Actress Rachel Ticotin is 49. Rock musician Eddie MacDonald (The Alarm) is 48. Rock singer Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 45. Pop singer-musician Mags Furuholmen (a-ha) is 45. Rock musician Rick Allen (Def Leppard) is 44. Country singer "Big Kenny" Alphin (Big and Rich) is 44. Rapper Willie D (Geto Boys) is 41. Singer Sophie B. Hawkins is 40. Country musician Dale Wallace (Emerson Drive) is 38. Actress Toni Collette is 35. Actress Jenny McCarthy is 35. Rock musician Andrew Gonzales is 35. Actress Aishwarya Rai is 34. Rock singer Bo Bice ("American Idol") is 32. Actor Penn Badgley is 21. Actor-musician Alex Wolff is 10.
Thought for today: "People who bite the hand that feeds them usually lick the boot that kicks them."
-- Eric Hoffer, American author and philosopher (1902-1983).
[Associated Press]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press.
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