This day in history

[September 22, 2011]  (AP)  Today is Thursday, Sept. 22, the 265th day of 2011. There are 100 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On Sept. 22, 1776, during the Revolutionary War, Capt. Nathan Hale, 21, was hanged as a spy by the British in New York.

On this date:

In 1761, Britain's King George III and his wife, Charlotte, were crowned in Westminster Abbey.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves in rebel states should be free as of Jan. 1, 1863.

In 1911, pitcher Cy Young, 44, gained his 511th and final career victory as he hurled a 1-0 shutout for the Boston Rustlers against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field.

In 1927, Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in the famous "long-count" fight in Chicago.

In 1938, the musical comedy revue "Hellzapoppin'," starring Ole (OH'-lee) Olsen and Chic Johnson, began a three-year run on Broadway.

In 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission issued rules prohibiting racial discrimination on interstate buses. Actress Marion Davies died in Los Angeles at age 64.

In 1964, the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 3,242 performances.

In 1975, Sara Jane Moore attempted to shoot President Gerald R. Ford outside a San Francisco hotel, but missed. (Moore served 32 years in prison before being paroled on Dec. 31, 2007.)

In 1980, the Persian Gulf conflict between Iran and Iraq erupted into full-scale war that lasted nearly eight years.

In 1989, songwriter Irving Berlin died in New York City at age 101.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush consulted at length with Russian President Vladimir Putin (POO'-tihn) as the United States mustered a military assault on terrorism in the wake of Sept. 11. Master violinist Isaac Stern died in New York at age 81. Miss Oregon Katie Harman was crowned Miss America 2002 in a patriotic telecast from Atlantic City, N.J.

Five years ago: A high-speed maglev train crashed in northwestern Germany, killing 23 people in the first fatal wreck involving the high-tech system. Three Christian militants were executed in Indonesia for leading attacks on Muslims in May 2000 that left at least 70 people dead. Hewlett-Packard Co. Chairwoman Patricia Dunn resigned in the wake of the company's ill-fated investigation of boardroom media leaks. Actor Edward Albert died in Malibu, Calif., at age 55.

One year ago: Rutgers University freshman Tyler Clementi committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge into the Hudson River after an intimate gay encounter in his dormitory room was allegedly captured by a webcam and streamed online by his roommate without his knowledge. (The former roommate, Dharun Ravi (DAHR'-uhn RAH'-vee), is accused of the hate crime of bias intimidation.) South African Ernie Els was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame; Doug Ford and two-time major winner Jock Hutchison from Scotland were elected through the Veteran's Category. "American Idol" announced that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler would join Randy Jackson as judges the next season. Pop singer Eddie Fisher, 82, died in Los Angeles.

Today's birthdays: Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is 84. NBA Commissioner David Stern is 69. Musician King Sunny Ade is 65. Actor Paul Le Mat is 65. Capt. Mark Phillips is 63. Rock singer David Coverdale (Deep Purple, Whitesnake) is 60. Actress Shari Belafonte is 57. Singer Debby Boone is 55. Country singer June Forester (The Forester Sisters) is 55. Singer Nick Cave is 54. Rock singer Johnette Napolitano is 54. Classical crossover singer Andrea Bocelli (an-DRAY'-ah boh-CHEL'-ee) is 53. Singer-musician Joan Jett is 53. Actor Scott Baio is 51. Actress Catherine Oxenberg is 50. Actor Rob Stone is 49. Rock musician Matt Sharp is 42. Rock musician Dave Hernandez (The Shins) is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Big Rube (Society of Soul) is 40. Actress Mireille Enos is 36. Actor Michael Graziadei (GRAHT'-zee-uh-day-ee) is 32. Actress Ashley Drane (Eckstein) is 30. Actor Tom Felton is 24.

Thought for today: "Life resembles a novel more often than novels resemble life." -- George Sand, French author (1804-1876)

[Associated Press]

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