Today In History

Today is Tuesday, Dec. 5, the 339th day of 2017. There are 26 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

› 1952: The Great Smog of London descended on the British capital; the unusually thick fog, which contained toxic pollutants, lasted five days and was blamed for causing thousands of deaths.

ON THIS DATE

› 1782: The eighth president of the United States, Martin Van Buren, was born in Kinderhook, New York; he was the first chief executive to be born after American independence.

› 1791: Composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart died in Vienna, Austria, at age 35.

› 1792: George Washington was re-elected president; John Adams was re-elected vice president.

› 1831: Former President John Quincy Adams took his seat as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

› 1916: British Prime Minister Herbert H. Asquith resigned (he was succeeded by David Lloyd George).

› 1933: National Prohibition came to an end as Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing the 18th Amendment.

› 1945: Five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers mysteriously disappeared after taking off from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on a training mission with the loss of all 14 crew members; “The Lost Squadron” contributed to the legend of the Bermuda Triangle.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Singer Little Richard is 85. Author Joan Didion is 83. Author Calvin Trillin is 82. Actor Jeroen Krabbe is 73. Opera singer Jose Carreras is 71. Pop singer Jim Messina is 70. College Football Hall of Famer and former NFL quarterback Jim Plunkett is 70. World Golf Hall of Famer Lanny Wadkins is 68. Country singer Ty England is 54. Rock singer-musician John Rzeznik (The Goo Goo Dolls) is 52. Country singer Gary Allan is 50. Comedian-actress Margaret Cho is 49. Writer-director Morgan J. Freeman is 48. Actress Alex Kapp Horner is 48. Rock musician Regina Zernay (Cowboy Mouth) is 45. Actress Paula Patton is 42. Actress Amy Acker is 41. Actor Nick Stahl is 38. Actor Adan Canto is 36. Rhythm and blues singer Keri Hilson is 35. Actor Gabriel Luna is 35. Actor Frankie Muniz is 32. Actor Ross Bagley is 29.