TODAY IN HISTORY

1862

President Abraham Lincoln signed an act establishing the Department of Agriculture.

1928

The Walt Disney cartoon character Mickey Mouse made his debut in the silent animated short “Plane Crazy.”

1948

Hours after declaring its independence, the new state of Israel was attacked by Transjordan, Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Lebanon.

1972

Alabama Gov. George C. Wallace was shot and left paralyzed while campaigning for president in Laurel, Maryland, by Arthur H. Bremer, who served 35years for attempted murder.

1988

The Soviet Union began the process of withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, more than eight years after Soviet forces entered the country.

2000

By a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court threw out a key provision of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, saying that rape victims could not sue their attackers in federal court.

Birthdays

Actor-singer Anna Maria Alberghetti is 86. Actorsinger Lainie Kazan is 82. Singer-songwriter Brian Eno is 74. Baseball Hall of Famer George Brett is 69. Rapper Grandmaster Melle Mel is 61. Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith is 53. Olympic gold medal gymnast Amy Chow is 44. Tennis player Andy Murray is 35.