Today in History

Zhai Zhigang becomes the first Chinese to walk in space; he was part of the Shenzhou 7 crew.

NASA launches Dawn probe to explore and study the two larges objects of the asteroid belt, Vesta and Ceres.

European Space Agency launches SMART-1 satellite to orbit the moon.

The Taliban capture Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul.

Sukhumi massacre: Abkhaz separatist forces and their allies commit widespread atrocities against the civilian population in the USSR state of Georgia.

US Congress approves Department of Education as the 13th agency in the US Cabinet.

Peter MacKay, lawyer, politician; last leader of Progressive Conservative Party of Canada before it merged with the Canadian Alliance in 2003 to form the Conservative Party of Canada.

The Warren Commission, investigating the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, issues its report, stating its conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald was the sole gunman.

Shaun Cassidy, singer (“Da Doo Ron Ron”), actor, TV producer / creator, screenwriter (American Gothic).

The U.S. Air Force Bell X-2, the world’s fastest and highest-flying plane, crashes, killing the test pilot.

U.S. Army and Marine troops liberate Seoul, South Korea.

Robin “The Jackal” Jackson, Northern Ireland loyalist, commander of Ulster Volunteer Force (1975-1990s); allegedly responsible for a large number of deaths, perhaps more than 100.

Meat Loaf, singer, songwriter (Bat Out of Hell album trilogy), actor (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Fight Club).

Stephanie Pogue, artist and art professor.

Thousands of British troops are killed as German forces rebuff their massive effort to capture the Arnhem Bridge across the Rhine River in Holland.

Australian forces defeat the Japanese on New Guinea in the South Pacific.

Germany occupies Warsaw as Poland falls to Germany and the Soviet Union.

Red Rodney, trumpeter.

Bud Powell, jazz pianist.

Eight Chicago White Sox players are charged with fixing the 1919 World Series.

President Woodrow Wilson opens his fourth Liberty Loan campaign to support men and machines for World War I.

Louis Auchincloss, novelist (Portrait in Brownstone, The Embezzler).

Constance of Greece declares war on Bulgaria.

Vincent Youmans, songwriter best known for musical scores such as No, No Nanette and Flying Down to Rio.

Wild Bill Hickok, sheriff of Hays City, Kan., shoots down Samuel Strawhim, a drunken teamster causing trouble.

Confederate guerrilla Bloody Bill Anderson and his henchmen, including a teenage Jesse James, massacre 20 unarmed Union soldiers at Centralia, Missouri. The event becomes known as the Centralia Massacre.

Louis Botha, commander-in-chief of the Boar Army against the British and first president of South Africa.

Thomas Nast, caricaturist, creator of the Democratic donkey and the Republican elephant.

Jews in France are granted French citizenship.

Samuel Adams, American revolutionary patriot and statesman, helped to organize the Boston Tea Party.

The island of Crete in the Mediterranean Sea falls to the Ottoman Turks after a 21-year siege.

The Society of Jesus, a religious order under Ignatius Loyola, is approved by the Pope.