Today In History

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 18, the 291st day of 2017. There are 74 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1767: The MasonDixon line, the boundary between colonial Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware, was set as astronomers Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon completed their survey.

ON THIS DATE

› 1867: The United States took formal possession of Alaska from Russia.

› 1892: The first long-distance telephone line between New York and Chicago was officially opened (it could only handle one call at a time).

› 1922: The British Broadcasting Co., Ltd. (later the British Broadcasting Corp.) was founded.

› 1954: Texas Instruments unveiled the Regency TR-1, the first commercially produced transistor radio.

› 1967: The first issue of Rolling Stone magazine (which carried a cover date of Nov. 9) was published.

› 1969: The federal government banned artificial sweeteners known as cyclamates because of evidence they caused cancer in laboratory rats.

› 1997: A monument honoring American servicewomen, past and present, was dedicated at Arlington National Cemetery.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Sportscaster Keith Jackson is 89. Actress Dawn Wells is 79. College and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka is 78. Singer-musician Russ Giguere is 74. Actor Joe Morton is 70. Actress Pam Dawber is 67. Author Terry McMillan is 66. Writer-producer Chuck Lorre is 65. Gospel singer Vickie Winans is 64. Director-screenwriter David Twohy is 62. International Tennis Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova is 61. International Hall of Fame boxer Thomas Hearns is 59. Actor JeanClaude Van Damme is

57. Jazz musician Wynton Marsalis is 56. Rock musician Tim Cross is

51. Tennis player Michael Stich is 49. Singer Nonchalant is 44. Actress Joy Bryant is 43. Rock musician Peter Svenson (The Cardigans) is 43. Country singer Josh Gracin is 37. Country musician Jesse Littleton (Marshall Dyllon) is 36. Olympic gold medal skier Lindsey Vonn is 33. Actor Zac Efron is

30. Actress Joy Lauren is

28. TV personality Bristol Palin is 27. Actor Tyler Posey is 26. Actor Toby Regbo is 26.