TUESDAY INHISTORY

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 12, the 255th day of 2017. There are 110 days left in the year.

Highlight in History:

On Sept. 12, 1942, during World War II, a German U-boat off West Africa torpedoed the RMS Laconia, which was carrying Italian prisoners of war, British soldiers and civilians; it’s estimated more than 1,600 people died while some 1,100 survived after the ship sank. The German crew, joined by other U-boats, began rescue operations. (On Sept. 16, the rescue effort came to an abrupt halt when the Germans were attacked by a U.S. Army bomber; as a result, U-boat commanders were ordered to no longer rescue civilian survivors of submarine attacks.)

On this date:

In 1814, the Battle of North Point took place in Maryland during the War of 1812 as American forces slowed British troops advancing on Baltimore.

In 1914, during World War I, the First Battle of the Marne ended in an Allied victory against Germany.

In 1938, Adolf Hitler demanded the right of self-determination for the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia.

In 1960, Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy addressed questions about his Roman Catholic faith, saying, “I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me.”

In 1992, the space shuttle Endeavour blasted off, carrying with it Mark Lee and Jan Davis, the first married couple in space; Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space; and Mamoru Mohri, the first Japanese national to fly on a U.S. spaceship.

Ten years ago: Russian President Vladimir Putin replaced long-serving Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov with an obscure Cabinet official, Viktor Zubkov.

Five years ago: The U.S. dispatched an elite group of Marines to Tripoli, Libya, after the mob attack in Benghazi that killed the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

One year ago: President Obama and the top Senate Republican declared themselves hopeful that an agreement could be reached to keep the government running and to provide money to take care of the worsening Zika crisis.

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Freddie Jones is 90. Original MTV VJ Nina Blackwood is 65. Rock singer-musician Ben Folds is 51. Actorcomedian Louis C.K. is 50. Basketball Hall of Fame player Yao Ming is 37. Singeractress Jennifer Hudson is 36.

Thought for Today: “Find the good. It’s all around you. Find it, showcase it and you’ll start believing it.” — Jesse Owens, Olympic gold medal track and field athlete (born this date in 1913, died in 1980).