Today is Saturday, Sept. 19, the 263rd day of 2020. There are 103 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On Sept. 19, 1881, the 20th president of the United States, James A. Garfield, died 2½ months after being shot by Charles Guiteau; Chester Alan Arthur became president.
On this date:
In 1783, Jacques Etienne Montgolfier launched a duck, a sheep and a rooster aboard a hot-air balloon at Versailles in France.
In 1796, President George Washington’s farewell address was published. In it, America’s first chief executive advised, “Observe good faith and justice toward all nations. Cultivate peace and harmony with all.”
In 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was arrested in New York and charged with the kidnap-murder of 20-month-old Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.
In 1986, federal health officials announced that the experimental drug AZT would be made available to thousands of AIDS patients.
In 1995, The New York Times and The Washington Post published the manifesto of Unabomber Ted Kaczynski, which proved instrumental in identifying and capturing him.
In 1996, IBM announced it would extend health benefits to the partners of its gay employees.
In 2001, The Pentagon ordered dozens of advanced aircraft to the Persian Gulf region as the hour of military retaliation for deadly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 drew closer.
In 2008, struggling to stave off financial catastrophe, the Bush administration laid out a radical bailout plan calling for a takeover of a half-trillion dollars or more in worthless mortgages and other bad debt held by tottering institutions. Relieved investors sent stocks soaring on Wall Street and around the globe.
Today’s Birthdays: Author Roger Angell is 100. Actor Rosemary Harris is 93. Actor David McCallum is 87. Singer-songwriter Paul Williams is 80. Singer Bill Medley is 80. Actor Randolph Mantooth is 75. Actor Jeremy Irons is 72. Actor Twiggy Lawson is 71. TV personality Joan Lunden is 70. Musician-producer Nile Rodgers is 68. Country singer Trisha Yearwood is 56. News anchor Soledad O’Brien is 54. “Tonight Show” host Jimmy Fallon is 46.
