Wednesday, November 18th
The 322nd day of 2009.
There are 43 days left in the year.
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Today's Highlights in History
On Nov. 18, 1976, Spain's parliament approved a bill to establish a democracy after 37 years of dictatorship. (Go to article.)
On Nov. 18, 1923, Alan B. Shepard, the first American astronaut to travel in space, was born. Following his death on July 21, 1998, his obituary appeared in The Times. (Go to obit. | Other Birthdays)
Editorial Cartoon of the Day
On November 18, 1899, Harper's Weekly featured a cartoon about the Open Door policy towards China. (See the cartoon and read an explanation.)
On this date in:
1883 The United States and Canada adopted a system of standard time zones.
1886 Chester A. Arthur, the 21st president of the United States, died in New York at age 56.
1899 Conductor Eugene Ormandy was born in Budapest, Hungary.
1923 Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., the first American in space, was born in East Derry, N.H.
1928 The first successful sound-synchronized animated cartoon, Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie" starring Mickey Mouse, premiered in New York.
1936 Germany and Italy recognized the Spanish government of Francisco Franco.
1966 U.S. Roman Catholic bishops did away with the rule against eating meat on Fridays.
1969 Financier and diplomat Joseph P. Kennedy died in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 81.
1978 More than 900 people died in Jonestown, Guyana, after Peoples Temple cult leader Jim Jones urged them to kill themselves by drinking cyanide-laced grape punch. Jones died of a bullet wound to the head; whether it was self-inflicted is unknown.
1987 The congressional Iran-Contra committees issued their final report, saying President Ronald Reagan bore "ultimate responsibility" for wrongdoing by his aides.
1988 President Ronald Reagan signed legislation creating a Cabinet-level drug czar and providing the death penalty for drug traffickers who kill.
1991 Shiite Muslim kidnappers in Lebanon freed Anglican Church envoy Terry Waite and educator Thomas Sutherland.
1999 A jury in Jasper, Texas, convicted Shawn Allen Berry of murder for his role in the dragging death of James Byrd Jr., but spared him the death penalty.
2002 U.N. arms inspectors returned to Iraq after a four-year hiatus, calling on Saddam Hussein's government to cooperate with their search for weapons of mass destruction.
2003 The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled 4-3 that the state constitution guarantees gay couples the right to marry.
2004 Bill Clinton's presidential library opened in Little Rock, Ark.
2004 Britain outlawed fox hunting in England and Wales.
2006 Actor Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes were married in Italy.
2008 Big Three automakers pleaded with Congress for a $25 billion lifeline, warning of a national economic catastrophe should they collapse.
2008 Belgium-based InBev SA formed the world's largest brewer with its $52 billion takeover of U.S.-based Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.
Current Birthdays
Kevin Nealon turns 56 years old today.
AP Photo/Dan Steinberg Actor-comedian Kevin Nealon ("Weeds," "Saturday Night Live") turns 56 years old today.
86 Ted Stevens
Former U.S. senator, R-Alaska
70 Brenda Vaccaro
Actress
67 Linda Evans
Actress ("Dynasty")
67 Susan Sullivan
Actress
63 Jacky Ward
Country singer
62 Jameson Parker
Actor
61 Andrea Marcovicci
Actress, singer
60 Herman Rarebell
Rock musician (The Scorpions)
59 Graham Parker
Singer
57 Delroy Lindo
Actor
53 Warren Moon
Football Hall of Famer
51 Oscar Nunez
Actor ("The Office")
49 Elizabeth Perkins
Actress ("Weeds")
49 Kim Wilde
Rock singer
47 Kirk Hammett
Rock musician (Metallica)
44 Tim DeLaughter
Rock singer
41 Romany Malco
Actor
41 Gary Sheffield
Baseball player
41 Owen Wilson
Actor
40 Duncan Sheik
Rock singer
39 Mike Epps
Actor
39 Peta Wilson
Actress
34 David Ortiz
Baseball player
34 Jason Williams
Basketball player
33 Jessi Alexander
Country singer
33 Steven Pasquale
Actor
30 Fabolous
Rapper
30 Nate Parker
Actor
29 Mike Jones
Rapper
Historic Birthdays
Alan B. Shepard
11/18/1923 - 7/21/1998
American astronaut
(Go to obit.)
39 Carl Maria von Weber
11/18/1786 - 6/5/1826
German composer
63 Louis-Jacques Daguerre
11/18/1787 - 7/10/1851
French inventor of the daguerreotype
74 Sir William Gilbert
11/18/1836 - 5/29/1911
English lyricist for comic operas; collaborated with Sir Arthur Sullivan
80 Ignacy Paderewski
11/18/1860 - 6/29/1941
Polish pianist and composer
61 Clarence Day
11/18/1874 - 12/28/1935
American writer
90 Jacques Maritain
11/18/1882 - 4/28/1973
French philosopher
87 Gio Ponti
11/18/1891 - 9/15/1979
Italian architect
76 Patrick Blackett
11/18/1897 - 7/13/1974
English physicist
85 Eugene Ormandy
11/18/1899 - 3/12/1985
Hungarian-born American conductor
82 George Gallup
11/18/1901 - 7/26/1984
American statistician and pioneering opinion researcher
90 George Wald
11/18/1906 - 4/13/1997
American chemist
66 Johnny Mercer
11/18/1909 - 6/25/1976
American composer
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SOURCE: The Associated Press
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