This day in history

[December 10, 2008]  (AP)  Today is Wednesday, Dec. 10, the 345th day of 2008. There are 21 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

Fifty years ago, on Dec. 10, 1958, National Airlines opened the era of U.S. domestic jet passenger service as it began flights between New York and Miami using Boeing 707s leased from Pan Am.

On this date:

In 1520, Martin Luther publicly burned the papal edict demanding that he recant, or face excommunication.

In 1817, Mississippi was admitted as the 20th state.

In 1869, women were granted the right to vote in the Wyoming Territory.

In 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt became the first American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, for helping mediate an end to the Russo-Japanese War.

In 1931, Jane Addams became the first American woman to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize (the co-recipient was Nicholas Murray Butler).

In 1948, the U.N. General Assembly adopted its Universal Declaration on Human Rights.

In 1950, Ralph J. Bunche was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the first black American to receive the award.

In 1964, Martin Luther King Jr. received his Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1967, singer Otis Redding, 26, and six others were killed in the crash of their plane in Lake Monona, Wis.

In 1978, movie director Edward D. Wood Jr. ("Plan 9 From Outer Space") died in North Hollywood, Calif., at age 54.

Ten years ago: Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee lined up one by one in favor of impeaching President Bill Clinton; Democrats vowed opposition after lawyers clashed in closing arguments over alleged "high crimes and misdemeanors." Six astronauts jubilantly swung open the doors to the new international space station, becoming the first guests aboard the orbiting outpost. The Palestinian leadership scrapped constitutional clauses rejecting Israel's existence.

Five years ago: A divided Supreme Court upheld the broadest restrictions on campaign donations in nearly 30 years. An appeals court ordered a new trial for Lionel Tate, a Florida teen sentenced to life for causing the death of a 6-year-old playmate, Tiffany Eunick. (Lionel, who'd originally been convicted of first-degree murder, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and went free in January 2004.) Iranian democracy activist Shirin Ebadi, the first Muslim woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize, accepted the award in Oslo, Norway.

One year ago: Suspended NFL star Michael Vick was sentenced by a federal judge in Richmond, Va., to 23 months in prison for bankrolling a dogfighting operation and killing dogs that underperformed. Madison Square Garden and New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas reached an $11.5 million settlement of a sexual harassment case brought by former team executive Anucha Browne Sanders. Cristina Fernandez was sworn in as Argentina's first elected female president. Former Vice President Al Gore accepted the Nobel Peace Prize with a call for humanity to rise up against a looming climate crisis and stop waging war on the environment.

Today's birthdays: Actor Harold Gould is 85. Former Agriculture Secretary Clayton Yeutter is 78. Actor Tommy Kirk is 67. Actress Fionnula Flanagan is 67. Pop singer Chad Stuart (Chad and Jeremy) is 67. Actress-singer Gloria Loring is 62. Pop-funk musician Walter "Clyde" Orange (The Commodores) is 62. Rhythm-and-blues singer Ralph Tavares is 60. Rhythm-and-blues singer Jessica Cleaves (Friends of Distinction) is 60. Country singer Johnny Rodriguez is 57. Actress Susan Dey is 56. Actor Michael Clarke Duncan is 51. Jazz musician Paul Hardcastle is 51. Actor-director Kenneth Branagh is 48. Actress Nia Peeples is 47. TV chef Bobby Flay is 44. Rock singer-musician J Mascis is 43. Country singer Kevin Sharp is 38. Rock musician Scot Alexander (Dishwalla) is 37. Rock musician Meg White (The White Stripes) is 34. Violinist Sarah Chang is 28. Actress Raven-Symone is 23.

Thought for today: "It is only in romances that people undergo a sudden metamorphosis. In real life, even after the most terrible experiences, the main character remains exactly the same." -- Isadora Duncan, American modern dance pioneer (1878-1927)

[Associated Press]

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