Today in History

Today in History

Today is Tuesday, Oct. 27, the 301st day of 2020. There are 65 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Oct. 27, 1904, the first rapid transit subway, the IRT, was inaugurated in New York City.

On this date:

In 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, was published.

In 1858, the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was born in New York City.

In 1941, the Chicago Daily Tribune dismissed the possibility of war with Japan, editorializing, “She cannot attack us. That is a military impossibility. Even our base at Hawaii is beyond the effective striking power of her fleet.”

In 1954, U.S. Air Force Col. Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was promoted to brigadier general, the first Black officer to achieve that rank in the USAF. Walt Disney’s first television program, titled “Disneyland” after the yet-to-be completed theme park, premiered on ABC.

In 1962, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft was shot down while flying over Cuba, killing the pilot, U.S. Air Force Maj. Rudolf Anderson Jr.

In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin (men-AH’-kem BAY’-gihn) were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord.

In 1995, a sniper killed one soldier and wounded 18 others at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. (Paratrooper William J. Kreutzer was convicted in the shootings, and condemned to death; the sentence was later commuted to life in prison.)

In 1998, Hurricane Mitch cut through the western Caribbean, pummeling coastal Honduras and Belize; the storm caused several thousand deaths in Central America in the days that followed.

In 2001, in Washington, the search for deadly anthrax widened to thousands of businesses and 30 mail distribution centers.

In 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4, 3-0.

In 2005, White House counsel Harriet Miers withdrew her nomination to the Supreme Court after three weeks of brutal criticism from fellow conservatives.

In 2018, a gunman shot and killed 11 congregants and wounded six others at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue in the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history; authorities said the suspect, Robert Bowers, raged against Jews during and after the rampage. (Bowers, who is awaiting trial, has pleaded not guilty; prosecutors are seeking a death sentence.) Hundreds of Mexican federal officers carrying plastic shields blocked a Central American caravan from advancing toward the United States after several thousand migrants turned down the chance to apply for refugee status in Mexico and obtain a Mexican offer of benefits.

Ten years ago: Dozens of Jewish extremists hoisting Israeli flags defiantly marched through the Arab-Israeli town of Umm el-Fahm, chanting “death to terrorists” and touching off clashes between rock-hurling residents and police. Former Argentine President Nestor Kirchner died at age 60. The San Francisco Giants won the first game of the World Series, defeating the Texas Rangers 11-7.

Five years ago: President Barack Obama, addressing the International Association of Chiefs of Police in Chicago, defended officers who had come under intense scrutiny amid a breakdown in relations between law enforcement and minority communities, and said police couldn’t be expected to contain problems that society refuses to solve. Walgreens confirmed it was buying rival pharmacy chain Rite Aid for about $9.4 billion in cash.

One year ago: In an address from the White House, President Donald Trump announced that Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had died after U.S. special operations forces cornered him during a raid in Syria. (Al-Baghdadi blew himself up as U.S. forces approached.) Former U.S. Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus who’d been one of the longest-serving members of Congress, died at his home in Detroit at the age of 90; he’d been among the high-profile politicians toppled by sexual harassment allegations in 2017. Freshman Rep. Katie Hill, a rising Democratic star in the House, resigned amid an ethics probe; she said explicit private photos of her with a campaign staffer had been “weaponized” by her husband and political operatives.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor-comedian John Cleese is 81. Author Maxine Hong Kingston is 80. Country singer Lee Greenwood is 78. Producer-director Ivan Reitman is 74. Rock musician Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band) is 71. Author Fran Lebowitz is 70. Rock musician K.K. Downing is 69. TV personality Jayne Kennedy is 69. Actor-director Roberto Benigni is 68. Actor Peter Firth is 67. Actor Robert Picardo is 67. World Golf Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan is 64. Singer Simon Le Bon is 62. Country musician Jerry Dale McFadden (The Mavericks) is 56. Internet news editor Matt Drudge is 54. Rock musician Jason Finn (Presidents of the United States of America) is 53. Actor Sean Holland is 52. Actor Channon Roe is 51. Actor Sheeri Rappaport is 43. Actor David Walton is 42. Violinist Vanessa-Mae is 42. Actor-singer Kelly Osbourne is 36. Actor Christine Evangelista is 34. Actor Bryan Craig is 29. Actor Troy Gentile is 27.