A thought for the day: The problem is that the people with the most ridiculous ideas are always the people who are most certain of them. -- Bill Maher

On this date in history:

In 1776, the British hanged American Revolutionary War hero and patriot Nathan Hale. His famous last words were, I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.

In 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing some 3 million slaves.

In 1888, ...Read more

Those born on this date include:

- English chemist/physicist Michael Faraday in 1791
- actor Allan Rocky Lane, B-movie cowboy star/TV voice of Mr. Ed, in 1909
- co-founder of Amnesty International Eric Baker in 1920
- baseball Hall of Fame member Bob Lemon in 1920
- baseball Hall of Fame member Tommy Lasorda in ...Read more

Today is Friday, Sept. 22, the 265th day of 2017 with 100 to follow.

This is the first day of autumn.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter and Saturn.

A thought for the day: A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves. -- Edward R. Murrow

On this date in history:

In 1780, American Gen. Benedict Arnold gave plans to the British for the surrender of West Point, New York. Arnold's name was forever after associated with the word traitor.

In 1792, the Legislative Assembly of revolutionary France voted to abolish the monarchy and establish the First Republic, ...Read more

Those born on this date include:

- Louis Joliet, French-Canadian explorer of the Mississippi River, in 1645
- British author/historian H.G. Wells in 1866
- animator Chuck Jones (Bugs Bunny, Porky Pig, Wile E. Coyote) in 1912
- actor Larry Hagman in 1931
- singer/songwriter Leonard Cohen in 1934
- radio ...Read more

Today is Thursday, Sept. 21, the 264th day of 2017 with 101 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter and Saturn.

A thought for the day: It's better to explore life and make mistakes than to play it safe. Mistakes are part of the dues one pays for a full life. -- Sophia Loren

On this date in history:

In 1946, the first Cannes Film Festival opened on the French Riviera. An earlier attempt (in 1939) to begin the international movie showcase was halted by the outbreak of World War II.

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy proposed a joint venture between the United States and Russia to reach the moon....Read more

Those born on this date include:

- Novelist Upton Sinclair in 1878
- Sister Elizabeth Kenny, Australian nurse who pioneered the care of polio victims, in 1880
- basketball Hall of Fame Coach Arnold Jacob Red Auerbach in 1917
- actor Sophia Loren in 1934 (age 83)
- artist Dale Chihuly in 1941 (age 76)
- ...Read more

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 20, the 263rd day of 2017 with 102 to follow.

The moon is new. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter and Saturn.

A thought for the day: Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. -- Gen. Omar Bradley

On this date in history:

In 1777, American soldiers won the first Battle of Saratoga in the Revolutionary War.

In 1881, U.S. President James Garfield, 49, who had been shot in July by a disgruntled office-seeker, died of his wounds. Vice President Chester Arthur was sworn in as the successor to Garfield, who had been ...Read more

Those born on this date include:

- Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski in 1905
- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Lewis Powell in 1907
- Austrian automobile designer Ferdinand Anton Ernst Porsche in 1909
- British author William Golding (Lord of the Flies) in 1911
- James Lipton, actor/writer/host of Inside the Actors ...Read more

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 19, the 262nd day of 2017 with 103 to follow.

The moon is waning. Morning stars are Mars, Mercury and Venus. Evening stars are Jupiter and Saturn.