This day in history

[November 09, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Tuesday, Nov. 9, the 313th day of 2010. There are 52 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On Nov. 9, 1965, the great Northeast blackout occurred as a series of power failures lasting up to 13 1/2 hours left 30 million people in seven states and part of Canada without electricity.

On this date:

In 1872, fire destroyed nearly 800 buildings in Boston.

In 1918, it was announced that Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II would abdicate. He then fled to the Netherlands.

In 1935, United Mine Workers president John L. Lewis and other labor leaders formed the Committee for Industrial Organization (later renamed the Congress of Industrial Organizations).

In 1938, Nazis looted and burned synagogues as well as Jewish-owned stores and houses in Germany and Austria in a pogrom that became known as "Kristallnacht."

In 1953, author-poet Dylan Thomas died in New York at age 39.

In 1963, twin disasters struck Japan as some 450 miners were killed in a coal-dust explosion, and about 160 people died in a train crash.

In 1967, a Saturn V rocket carrying an unmanned Apollo spacecraft blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a successful test flight.

In 1970, former French President Charles de Gaulle died at age 79.

In 1976, the U.N. General Assembly approved resolutions condemning apartheid in South Africa, including one characterizing the white-ruled government as "illegitimate."

In 1989, communist East Germany threw open its borders, allowing citizens to travel freely to the West; joyous Germans danced atop the Berlin Wall.

Ten years ago: George W. Bush's lead over Al Gore in all-or-nothing Florida slipped beneath 300 votes in a suspense-filled recount, as Democrats threw the presidential election to the courts, claiming "an injustice unparalleled in our history." Hussein Abayat, a West Bank militia commander, was killed by a missile from an Israeli helicopter gunship.

Five years ago: Three suicide bombers carried out nearly simultaneous attacks on three U.S.-based hotels in Amman, Jordan, killing 60 victims, and wounding hundreds. Oil executives testified before Congress that their huge profits were justified, but got a skeptical reaction from lawmakers. Carolina's Erik Cole became the first player in NHL history to be awarded two penalty shots in one game. (Cole scored on the first, helping the Hurricanes defeat Buffalo 5-3.)

One year ago: The Dow Jones industrial average rose 203.52, or 2 percent, to 10,226.94, its highest finish since Oct. 3, 2008, as a falling dollar boosted prices for gold, oil and other commodities. Germany celebrated the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Today's birthdays: Former Democratic vice-presidential candidate R. Sargent Shriver is 95. Baseball Hall of Famer Whitey Herzog is 79. Baseball Hall of Famer Bob Gibson is 75. Actor Charlie Robinson is 65. Movie director Bille August is 62. Actor Robert David Hall ("CSI") is 62. Actor Lou Ferrigno is 59. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is 58. Gospel singer Donnie McClurkin is 51. Rock musician Dee Plakas (L7) is 50. Actress Ion Overman is 41. Rapper Pepa (Salt-N-Pepa) is 41. Rapper Scarface (Geto Boys) is 40. Blues singer Susan Tedeschi (teh-DES'-kee) is 40. Actor Jason Antoon is 39. Actor Eric Dane is 38. Singer Nick Lachey (98 Degrees) is 37. Rhythm-and-blues singer Sisqo (Dru Hill) is 32. Actress Nikki Blonsky is 22.

Thought for today: "Half the world is composed of people who have something to say and can't, and the other half who have nothing to say and keep on saying it." -- Robert Frost, American poet (1874-1963)

[Associated Press]

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