THURSDAY IN HISTORY

By The Associated Press

Today is Thursday, Oct. 26, the 299th day of 2017. There are 66 days left in the year.

Highlight in History:

On Oct. 26, 1881, the “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” took place in Tombstone, Arizona, as Wyatt Earp, his two brothers and “Doc” Holliday confronted Ike Clanton’s gang. Three members of Clanton’s gang were killed; Earp’s brothers and Holliday were wounded.

On this date:

In 1774, the First Continental Congress adjourned in Philadelphia.

In 1825, the Erie Canal opened in upstate New York, connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River.

In 1861, the legendary Pony Express officially ceased operations, giving way to the transcontinental telegraph.

In 1944, the World War II Battle of Leyte Gulf ended in a major Allied victory over Japanese forces, whose naval capabilities were badly crippled.

In 1949, President Harry S. Truman signed a measure raising the minimum wage from 40 to 75 cents an hour.

In 1972, national security adviser Henry Kissinger declared, “Peace is at hand” in Vietnam.

In 1994, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and Prime Minister Abdel Salam Majali of Jordan signed a peace treaty.

In 2001, President George W. Bush signed the USA Patriot Act, giving authorities unprecedented ability to search, seize, detain or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists.

Ten years ago: A federal jury in Kansas City, Missouri, decided that Lisa Montgomery, convicted of killing expectant mother Bobbie Jo Stinnett and cutting the baby from her womb, should receive the death penalty.

Five years ago: After leaving nearly five dozen people dead in the Caribbean, Hurricane Sandy headed toward the eastern United States.

One year ago: The Pentagon worked to stave off a public relations nightmare, suspending efforts to force California National Guard troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan to repay enlistment bonuses that might have been improperly awarded.

Today’s Birthdays: Actress Shelley Morrison is 81. TV host Pat Sajak is 71. Hillary Rodham Clinton is 70. Actor Cary Elwesis 55. Singer Natalie Merchant is 54. Country singer Keith Urban is 50. Writerproducer Seth MacFarlane is 44. Rapper Schoolboy Qis 31.

Thought for Today: “The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights, cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.” — Ayn Rand, American author (1905-1982).