This day in history

[November 23, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Tuesday, Nov. 23, the 327th day of 2010. There are 38 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On Nov. 23, 1910, American-born physician Hawley Harvey Crippen was hanged at Pentonville Prison in London for murdering his wife, Cora. (Crippen's mistress, Ethel Le Neve, was acquitted in a separate trial of being an accessory.)

On this date:

In 1765, Frederick County, Md., became the first colonial entity to repudiate the British Stamp Act.

In 1804, the 14th president of the United States, Franklin Pierce (puhrs), was born in Hillsboro, N.H.

In 1889, the first jukebox made its debut in San Francisco, at the Palais Royale Saloon.

In 1903, singer Enrico Caruso made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, appearing in "Rigoletto."

In 1943, during World War II, U.S. forces seized control of Tarawa and Makin (MAH'-kihn) atolls from the Japanese.

In 1959, the musical "Fiorello!," starring Tom Bosley as legendary New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia, opened on Broadway.

In 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson proclaimed Nov. 25 a day of national mourning following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.

In 1971, the People's Republic of China was seated in the U.N. Security Council.

In 1980, some 2,600 people were killed by a series of earthquakes that devastated southern Italy.

In 1996, a commandeered Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the water off the Comoros Islands, killing 125 of the 175 people on board, including all three hijackers.

Ten years ago: In a setback for Al Gore, the Florida Supreme Court refused to order Miami-Dade County officials to resume hand-counting its election-day ballots. Meanwhile, Gore's lawyers argued in a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court that the high court should stay out of the Florida election controversy.

Five years ago: In Iraq, gunmen broke into the home of a senior Sunni Arab leader and killed him, his three sons and his son-in-law. A commuter train slammed into several vehicles caught in a traffic jam on a busy road in Elmwood Park, Ill., starting a chain reaction that injured at least 10 people. American-born actress Constance Cummings died in Oxfordshire, England, at age 95.

One year ago: One of the worst massacres in Philippine history took place as gunmen targeted an election campaign convoy in southern Maguindanao (mah-GIHN'-dah-NOW') province, killing 57 people. Joe Mauer became only the second catcher in 33 years to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award, finishing first in a near-unanimous vote.

Today's birthdays: Actor Michael Gough (goff) is 93. Former Labor Secretary William E. Brock is 80. Actor Franco Nero is 69. Actress Susan Anspach is 68. Screenwriter Joe Eszterhas is 66. Actor Steve Landesberg is 65. Actor-comedy writer Bruce Vilanch is 63. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., is 60. Singer Bruce Hornsby is 56. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., is 55. Actor Maxwell Caulfield is 51. Actor John Henton is 50. TV personality Robin Roberts ("Good Morning America") is 50. Rock singer-musician Ken Block (Sister Hazel) is 44. Rock musician Charlie Grover is 44. Actress Salli Richardson-Whitfield is 43. Actor Oded Fehr (OH'-dehd fayr) is 40. Rapper-actor Kurupt (Tha Dogg Pound) is 38. Actor Page Kennedy is 34. Actress Kelly Brook is 31. Actor Lucas Grabeel (GRAY'-beel) is 26. Actress-singer Miley Cyrus (TV: "Hannah Montana") is 18. Actor Austin Majors is 15.

Thought for today: "The ultimate aim of the human mind, in all its efforts, is to become acquainted with Truth." -- Eliza Farnham, American reformer (1815-1864)

[Associated Press]

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