On this day, Dec. 28

1612 Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei observed the planet Neptune, but mistook it for a star. (Neptune wasn’t officially discovered until 1846 by Johann Gottfried Galle.) 1832 John C. Calhoun became the first vice president of the United States to resign, stepping down because of differences with President Andrew Jackson. 1934 One of the lecturers at the meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, attended by a selected group of 400 scientists, was Professor Albert Einstein; he spoke on the “equivalent of mass and energy” in the Carnegie Tech Little Theater.

1948 The job of building the nation’s first atomic-powered engine — for use in propelling a Navy ship — was assigned by the Atomic Energy Commission to the Westinghouse Electric Corp., which immediately made preparation to employ some 600

persons in the district for the project. 1979 Workers at U.S. Steel’s Ambridge Works voted to accept a pay cut in order to keep the plant from closing.

2007 Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto was laid to rest as the country’s army tried to quell a frenzy of rioting in the wake of her assassination.

Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology).

— Compiled by Rick Nowlin Today’s birthdays: Former United Auto Workers union president Owen Bieber, 90. Actress Nichelle Nichols, 87. Actress Dame Maggie Smith, 85. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., 75. Former Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., 73. Rock singer-musician Edgar Winter, 73. Funk musician Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste (The Meters), 71. Actor Denzel Washington, 65. TV personality

Gayle King, 65. Country singer Joe Diffie,

61. Country musician Mike McGuire (Shenandoah), 61. Actor Chad McQueen,

59. Country singer-musician Marty Roe (Diamond Rio), 59. Actor Malcolm Gets, 56. Actor Mauricio Mendoza, 50. Actress Elaine Hendrix, 49. Political commentator Ana Navarro, 48. Talk show host Seth Meyers, 46. Actor Brendan Hines, 43. Actor and Mt. Lebanon native Joe Manganiello, 43. Actress Vanessa Ferlito, 42. Rhythm-and-blues singer John Legend, 41. Rapper-musician-producer Terrace Martin,

41. Actor Andre Holland, 40. Actress Sienna Miller, 38. Actress Beau Garrett (TV: “The Good Doctor”), 37. Pop singer Kasey Sheridan (Dream), 33. Actor Thomas Dekker, 32.

Thought for today: “There is no luck except where there is discipline.”

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