Today in History

Today in History

Today is Thursday, Sept. 3, the 247th day of 2020. There are 119 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Sept. 3, 2005, President George W. Bush ordered more than 7,000 active duty forces to the Gulf Coast as his administration intensified efforts to rescue Katrina survivors and send aid to the hurricane-ravaged region in the face of criticism it did not act quickly enough.

On this date:

In 1609, English explorer Henry Hudson and his crew aboard the Half Moon entered present-day New York Harbor and began sailing up the river that now bears his name. (They reached present-day Albany before turning back.)

In 1861, during the Civil War, Confederate forces invaded the border state of Kentucky, which had declared its neutrality in the conflict.

In 1939, Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand declared war on Germany, two days after the Nazi invasion of Poland; in a radio address, Britain’s King George VI said, “With God’s help, we shall prevail.” The same day, a German U-boat torpedoed and sank the British liner SS Athenia some 250 miles off the Irish coast, killing more than 100 out of the 1,400 or so people on board.

In 1943, Allied forces invaded Italy during World War II, the same day Italian officials signed a secret armistice with the Allies.

In 1967, Nguyen Van Thieu (nwen van too) was elected president of South Vietnam under a new constitution.

In 1970, legendary football coach Vince Lombardi, 57, died in Washington, D.C.

In 1976, America’s Viking 2 lander touched down on Mars to take the first close-up, color photographs of the red planet’s surface.

In 1978, Pope John Paul I was installed as the 264th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1995, the online auction site eBay was founded in San Jose, California, by Pierre Omidyar under the name “AuctionWeb.”

In 1999, a French judge closed a two-year inquiry into the car crash that killed Princess Diana, dismissing all charges against nine photographers and a press motorcyclist, and concluding the accident was caused by an inebriated driver.

In 2003, Paul Hill, a former minister who said he murdered an abortion doctor and his bodyguard to save the lives of unborn babies, was executed in Florida by injection, becoming the first person put to death in the United States for anti-abortion violence.

In 2012, Sun Myung Moon, 92, a self-proclaimed messiah who founded the Unification Church, died in Gapeyeong, South Korea. Prolific character actor Michael Clarke Duncan, 54, died in Los Angeles.

Ten years ago: Defense Secretary Robert Gates toured U.S. bases and war zones in Afghanistan, saying he saw and heard evidence that the American counterinsurgency strategy was taking hold in critical Kandahar province. The Fox network announced that Kara DioGuardi was stepping down as one of the judges on “American Idol,” following the departures of Simon Cowell and Ellen DeGeneres.

Five years ago: A federal judge jailed Rowan County, Kentucky, Clerk Kim Davis for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples, but five of her deputies agreed to issue the licenses themselves, potentially ending the church-state standoff. (Davis was freed five days later.) Tom Brady had his four-game “Deflategate” suspension lifted after U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman criticized NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for dispensing “his own brand of industrial justice.” Judy Carne, 76, a star of the comedy show “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In,” died at Northampton General Hospital in England.

One year ago: Relief officials reported scenes of utter ruin in parts of the Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian, the most powerful storm on record ever to hit the islands. Walmart said it would stop selling ammunition for handguns and short-barrel rifles, and the store chain requested that customers not openly carry firearms in its stores; the announcement followed a shooting at a Walmart store in Texas that left 22 people dead. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson suffered a major defeat in Parliament as rebellious lawmakers voted to seize control of the Brexit agenda; they sought to keep Britain from leaving the EU without a deal in place.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Pauline Collins is 80. Rock singer-musician Al Jardine is 78. Actor Valerie Perrine is 77. Rock musician Donald Brewer (Grand Funk Railroad) is 72. Rock guitarist Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols) is 65. Actor Steve Schirripa is 63. Actor Holt McCallany is 56. Rock singer-musician Todd Lewis is 55. Actor Costas Mandylor is 55. Actor Charlie Sheen is 55. Singer Jennifer Paige is 47. Dance-rock musician Redfoo is 45. Actor Ashley Jones is 44. Actor Nichole Hiltz is 42. Actor Joel Johnstone is 42. Actor Nick Wechsler is 42. Rock musician Tomo Milicevic (30 Seconds to Mars) is 41. Bluegrass musician Darren Nicholson (Balsam Range) is 37. Actor Christine Woods is 37. Actor Garrett Hedlund is 36. Olympic gold medal snowboarder Shaun White is 34. Hip-hop singer August Alsina is 28.