Today In History
Today is Thursday, Sept. 12, the 255th day of 2019. There are 110 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
› 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.
ON THIS DATE
› 1959: The Soviet Union launched its Luna 2 space probe, which made a crash landing on the moon. The TV Western series “Bonanza” premiered on NBC.
› 1962: In a speech at Rice University in Houston, President John F. Kennedy reaffirmed his support for the manned space program, declaring: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.”
› 1987: Reports surfaced that Democratic presidential candidate Joseph Biden had borrowed, without attribution, passages of a speech by British Labour Party leader Neil Kinnock for one of his own campaign speeches. (The Kinnock report, along with other damaging revelations, prompted Biden to drop his White House bid.)
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS
Actor Ian Holm is 88. Former U.S. Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is 80. Actress Linda Gray is 79. Singer Maria Muldaur is
77. Actor Joe Pantoliano is 68. Singer-musician Gerry Beckley (America) is 67. Original MTV VJ Nina Blackwood is
67. Rock musician Neil Peart (Rush) is 67. Actor Peter Scolari is 64. Former Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback is 63. Actress Amy Yasbeck is 57. Rock musician Norwood Fisher (Fishbone) is 54. Actor Darren E. Burrows is 53. Rock singer-musician Ben Folds (Ben Folds Five) is
53. Actor-comedian Louis C.K. is 52. Rock musician Larry LaLonde (Primus) is 51. Actor-singer Will Chase is 49. Actor Josh Hopkins is 49. Country singer Jennifer Nettles is 45. Actress Lauren Stamile is 43. Rapper 2 Chainz is 42. Actress Kelly Jenrette is 41. Singer Ruben Studdard is 41. Basketball Hall of Fame player Yao Ming is 39. Singer-actress Jennifer Hudson is 38. Actor Alfie Allen is 33. Actress Emmy Rossum is 33. Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman is 30. Country singer Kelsea Ballerini is 26. Actor Colin Ford is 23.