Today in history

On Sept. 20, 1519,

Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set sail from Spain to find a western passage to the Spice Islands of Indonesia. (He would die on the voyage, but one of his ships eventually became the first to circle the Earth.)

In 1881

Chester Arthur was sworn in as the 21st president of the United States, succeeding James Garfield, who had been assassinated.

In 1899

political philosopher Leo Strauss, cited as an influence among Washington foreign-policy conservatives in President George W. Bush’s administration, was born in Kirhhain, Germany.

In 1954

the live television drama “Twelve Angry Men” was presented as an episode of the CBS anthology series “Studio One.”

In 1984

a suicide car bomber attacked the U.S. Embassy annex in north Beirut, killing 12 people.

In 1995

AT&T Corp. announced it was splitting into three companies.

In 1996

President Bill Clinton announced his signing of a bill outlawing same-sex marriages, but said it should not be used as an excuse for discrimination, violence or intimidation against gays and lesbians.

In 1998,

after playing in a record 2,632 consecutive baseball games, Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripken Jr. sat out a game, ending his 16-year run.

In 2000

Independent Counsel Robert Ray announced the end of the Whitewater investigation, saying there was insufficient evidence to warrant charges against President Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In 2004

CBS News apologized for a “mistake in judgment” in its story questioning President George W. Bush’s National Guard service, saying it could not vouch for the authenticity of documents featured in the report.

In 2012

the space shuttle Endeavour, carried atop a modified 747, flew over Tucson, Ariz., as a tribute to former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords before landing in California.

In 2017

Hurricane Maria ravaged Puerto Rico, knocking out electricity to the entire island and triggering landslides and floods; at least 30 people were killed during the Category 4 storm’s rampage through the Caribbean.