Today In History

Today is Saturday, Oct. 31, the 305th day of 2020. There are 61 days left in the year. This is Halloween.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1941: Work was completed on the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, begun in 1927.

ON THIS DATE

› 1941: The Navy destroyer USS Reuben James was torpedoed by a German U-boat off Iceland with the loss of some 100 lives, even though the United States had not yet entered World War II.

› 1961: The body of Josef Stalin was removed from Lenin’s Tomb as part of the Soviet Union’s “de-Stalinization” drive.

› 1968: President Lyndon B. Johnson ordered a halt to all U.S. bombing of North Vietnam, saying he hoped for fruitful peace negotiations.

› 1984: Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by two Sikh security guards.

› 1998: A genetic study was released suggesting President Thomas Jefferson did in fact father at least one child by his slave Sally Hemings.

› 2005: Civil rights icon Rosa Parks was honored during a memorial service in Washington, D.C.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Actor Lee Grant is 95. Former astronaut Michael Collins is 90. Former CBS anchorman Dan Rather is 89. Folk singer Tom Paxton is 83. Actor Ron Rifkin is 82. Actor Sally Kirkland is 79. Actor Brian Doyle-Murray is

75. Actor Stephen Rea is

74. Olympic gold medal long-distance runner Frank Shorter is 73. Actor Deidre Hall is 73. TV show host Jane Pauley is 70. Actor Brian Stokes Mitchell is 63. Movie director Peter Jackson is

59. Rock musician Larry Mullen is 59. Actor Dermot Mulroney is 57. Rock musician Mikkey Dee is 57. Actor-comedian Mike O’Malley is 55. Rap musician Adrock is 54. Rap performer Vanilla Ice (aka Rob Van Winkle) is

53. Rock musician Rogers Stevens (Blind Melon) is 51. Rock singer Linn Berggren (Ace of Base) is

50. Reality TV host Troy Hartman is 49. Gospel singer Smokie Norful is

47. Actor Piper Perabo is

44. Actor Brian Hallisay is 42. Actor Samaire Armstrong is 40. Folk-rock musician Tay Strathairn (Dawes) is 40. Actor Eddie Kaye Thomas is 40. Actor Justin Chatwin is

38. Actor Scott Clifton is

36. Actor Vanessa Marano is 28. Actor Holly Taylor is 23. Actor Danielle Rose Russell is 21. Actor-singer Willow Smith is 20.