Today in History

Today in History

Today is Friday, Oct. 6, the 279th day of 2017. There are 86 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Oct. 6, 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of “The Jazz Singer” starring Al Jolson, a feature containing both silent and sound-synchronized sequences.

On this date:

In 1683, thirteen families from Krefeld, Germany, arrived in Philadelphia to begin Germantown, one of America’s oldest settlements.

In 1884, the Naval War College was established in Newport, Rhode Island.

In 1892, British poet laureate Alfred, Lord Tennyson died in Surrey, England, at age 83.

In 1939, in a speech to the Reichstag, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler spoke of his plans to reorder the ethnic layout of Europe — a plan which would entail settling the “Jewish problem.”

In 1949, U.S.-born Iva Toguri D’Aquino, convicted of treason for being Japanese wartime broadcaster “Tokyo Rose,” was sentenced in San Francisco to 10 years in prison (she ended up serving more than six).

In 1958, the nuclear submarine USS Seawolf surfaced after spending 60 days submerged.

In 1960, the historical drama “Spartacus,” starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Stanley Kubrick, had its world premiere in New York.

In 1973, war erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria launched a surprise attack on Israel during the Yom Kippur holiday. (Israel, initially caught off guard, managed to push back the Arab forces before a cease-fire finally took hold in the nearly three-week conflict.)

In 1976, President Gerald R. Ford, in his second presidential debate with Democrat Jimmy Carter, asserted that there was “no Soviet domination of eastern Europe.” (Ford later conceded such was not the case.)

In 1979, Pope John Paul II, on a week-long U.S. tour, became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Jimmy Carter.

In 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was shot to death by extremists while reviewing a military parade.

In 1989, actress Bette Davis died in Neuilly-sur-Seine (nu-yee-sur-sehn), France, at age 81.

Ten years ago: Pakistan’s Gen. Pervez Musharraf won a presidential election boycotted by most of his opponents. British adventurer Jason Lewis finally returned home, completing a 13-year, 46,000-mile human-powered circumnavigation of the globe at Greenwich, England.

Five years ago: Five terror suspects, including Egyptian-born preacher Mustafa Kamel Mustafa, widely known as Abu Hamza al-Masri, arrived in the United States from England and appeared in court in New York and Connecticut. (Mustafa was convicted in 2014 of supporting terrorist organizations.)

One year ago: President Barack Obama offered 102 federal inmates the chance to leave prison early, bringing to 774 the number of sentences Obama had shortened. A jury in Norfolk, Virginia, acquitted a white police officer charged in the shooting death of a mentally ill black man holding a knife.

Today’s Birthdays: Broadcaster and writer Melvyn Bragg is 78. Actress Britt Ekland is 75. Singer Millie Small is 71. The president of Sinn Fein (shin fayn), Gerry Adams, is 69. Singer-musician Thomas McClary is 68. Musician Sid McGinnis is 68. CBS chief executive officer Les Moonves is 68. Rock singer Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon) is 66. Rock singer-musician David Hidalgo (Los Lobos) is 63. Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Dungy is 62. Actress Elisabeth Shue is 54. Singer Matthew Sweet is 53. Actress Jacqueline Obradors is 51. Country singer Tim Rushlow is 51. Rock musician Tommy Stinson is 51. Actress Amy Jo Johnson is 47. Actress Emily Mortimer is 46. Actor Lamman (la-MAHN’) Rucker is 46. Actor Ioan Gruffudd (YOH’-ihn GRIH’-fihth) is 44. Actor Jeremy Sisto is 43. Rhythm-and-blues singer Melinda Doolittle is 40. Actor Wes Ramsey is 40. Singer-musician Will Butler is 35. Actress Stefanie Martini is 27.

Thought for Today: “Sometimes the heart sees what’s invisible to the eye.” — Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892).