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 Today's highlight in history:
On Nov. 2, 1947, Howard Hughes piloted his huge wooden flying boat, the Hughes H-4 Hercules (dubbed the "Spruce Goose" by detractors), on its only flight, which lasted about a minute over Long Beach Harbor in California.
On this date:
In 1783, Gen. George Washington issued his Farewell Orders to the Armies of the United States near Princeton, N.J.
In 1795, the 11th president of the United States, James K. Polk, was born in Mecklenburg County, N.C.
In 1865, the 29th president of the United States, Warren G. Harding, was born near Corsica, Ohio.
In 1889, North Dakota and South Dakota became the 39th and 40th states.
In 1917, British Foreign Secretary Arthur Balfour issued a declaration expressing support for a "national home" for the Jews in Palestine.
In 1936, the British Broadcasting Corp. inaugurated "high-definition" television service from Alexandra Palace in London.
In 1948, President Truman surprised the experts by being re-elected in a narrow upset over Republican challenger Thomas E. Dewey.
In 1959, game show contestant Charles Van Doren admitted to a House subcommittee that he'd been given questions and answers in advance when he appeared on the NBC-TV program "Twenty-One."
In 1963, South Vietnamese President Ngo Dihn Diem was assassinated in a military coup.
In 1976, former Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter became the first candidate from the Deep South since the Civil War to be elected president as he defeated incumbent Gerald R. Ford.
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 Ten years ago: A labor agreement between Amtrak and maintenance workers averted a possible national passenger rail strike. Iraq barred two American weapons experts from entering the country, the second such refusal in a week.
Five years ago: President Bush called Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein a "dangerous man" with links to terrorist networks, and said that U.N. inspections for weapons of mass destruction were critical.
One year ago: The Rev. Ted Haggard resigned as president of the National Association of Evangelicals after a man said they had had sexual trysts together (Haggard later confessed he was guilty of sexual immorality). Gunmen in Iraq killed the Shiite dean of Baghdad University's school of administration and economics.
Today's birthdays: Country singer Charlie Walker is 81. Rhythm-and-blues singer Earl "Speedo" Carroll (The Cadillacs; The Coasters) is 70. Singer Jay Black (Jay and the Americans) is 69. Commentator Patrick J. Buchanan is 69. Actress Stefanie Powers is 65. Author Shere Hite is 65. Rock musician Keith Emerson (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) is 63. Country-rock singer-songwriter J.D. Souther is 62. Actress Kate Linder is 60. Rock musician Carter Beauford (The Dave Matthews Band) is 50. Singer-songwriter k.d. lang is 46. Rock musician Bobby Dall (Poison) is 44. Actor David Schwimmer is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Alvin Chea (Take 6) is 40. Rock musician Fieldy is 38. Rock singer-musician John Hampson (Nine Days) is 36. Rapper Nelly is 33. Prodigy (Mobb Deep) is 33. Actor Danny Cooksey is 32. Country singer Erika Jo ("Nashville Star") is 21.
Thought for today: "The harder I work, the luckier I get." -- George Allen, American football coach (1922-1990).
[Associated Press]
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This
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