Today in History: Oct. 27.
Today is Thursday, Oct. 27, the 301st day of 2016. There are 65 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Oct. 27, 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the United States Constitution, was published.
On this date:
In 1858, the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was born in New York City.
In 1880, Theodore Roosevelt married his first wife, Alice Lee.
In 1886 (New Style date), the musical fantasy “A Night on Bald Mountain,” written by Modest Mussorgsky and revised after his death by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, was performed in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1922, the first annual celebration of Navy Day took place.
In 1938, Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn: “nylon.”
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 were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord.
In 1986, the New York Mets won the World Series, coming from behind to defeat the Boston Red Sox, 8-5, in game 7 played at Shea Stadium.
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 2004, the Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918, sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 4, 3-0.
Ten years ago: President George W. Bush said the United States did not torture prisoners, trying to calm a controversy created when Vice President Dick Cheney embraced the suggestion that a “dunk in water” might be useful to get terrorist suspects to talk, a comment the White House said did not refer to “water boarding.” The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers 4-2 in Game 5 to wrap up their first World Series title in nearly a quarter-century and 10th overall. Former major league pitcher Joe Niekro, 61, died at a hospital in Tampa, Florida.
Five years ago: European leaders clinched a deal they hoped would mark a turning point in their two-year debt crisis, agreeing to have banks take bigger losses on Greece’s debts and to boost the region’s weapons against market turmoil. The St. Louis Cardinals stunned the Texas Rangers 10-9 with an 11th inning homer by David Freese, forcing the World Series to a seventh game.
One year 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 $9.41 billion in cash. Actress Betsy Drake, 92, died in London. The Kansas City Royals won the first game of the World Series, defeating the New York Mets 5-4 in 14 innings.