Today in history
Today is Friday, September 29, the 272nd day of 2017 and the eighth day of autumn.
On this date in the SCV: In 1939, The Signal reported that thirteen-year-old Roy Hanson, fugitive for the Whittier State school, led C.H.P. officers and filling stations attendants on a wild chase before Chief of Police Hume of Fillmore caught him on a “stake out.” The boy had escaped from the institution, hid out for a day, stole a bicycle and rode to Glendale, ditched the bicycle and stole an Oldsmobile sedan. He drove the sedan as far as the Jones Service Station at the Paradise ranch. Here he had 14 gallons of gas put in the tank, and as the attendant went to get some oil, Hanson whirled the car around and started back down the Ridge Route. He turned the corner into the Piru road at terrific speed. Beacon employees called the C.H.P., and officers took the trail. At Fillmore the chase ended. The boy was returned to Whittier. Today’s Highlights in History: In 1789, the U.S. Department of War established a regular
army, maintaining several hundred troops. In 1916, The New York Times reported that John D. Rockefeller, the head of Standard Oil, was almost certainly a billionaire, the world’s first. In 1966, the Chevrolet Camaro debuted for sale in U.S.
dealerships. In 1988, NASA launched STS-26, the 26th Space Shuttle
mission and the first since the Challenger disaster of Jan.
28, 1986.
Today’s fact: Miguel de Cervantes’ “Don Quixote” is widely considered to be the first modern novel. It was initially published in two volumes in 1605 and 1615.
Today’s sports: In 1951, NBC broadcast a college football game between Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh. It was the first live sporting event to be televised nationwide.
Today’s number: 77.68 – points lost by the Dow Jones Industrial Average on this day in 2008, following the bankruptcies of the financial services companies Lehman Brothers and Washington Mutual. It was the largest singleday point drop in history.
Today’s moon: Between first quarter moon (Sept. 27) and full moon (Oct. 5).