16 September: Torquemada Dead; 30 Yrs. Of Rap; Pope "Sincerely Regrets"; Andy Griffith Gives Up; So Do We

Today is Wednesday, Sept. 16, the 259th day of 2009. There are 106 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 16, 1919, the American Legion received a national charter from Congress.

On this date:

In 1498, Tomas de Torquemada, notorious for his role in the Spanish Inquisition, died in Avila, Spain. In 1630, the Massachusetts village of Shawmut changed its name to Boston. In 1638, France's King Louis XIV was born. In 1810, Mexico began its successful revolt against Spanish rule. In 1893, more than 100,000 settlers swarmed onto a section of land in Oklahoma known as the "Cherokee Strip." In 1908, General Motors Corp. was founded in Flint, Mich., by William C. Durant. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which set up the first peacetime military draft in U.S. history. Samuel T. Rayburn of Texas was elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.In 1966, the Metropolitan Opera officially opened its new opera house at New York's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts with the world premiere of Samuel Barber's "Antony and Cleopatra." (There had been a student matinee performance of "La Fanciulla del West" on April 11 to test the theater's sound quality.) In 1968, Republican presidential nominee Richard Nixon exclaimed, "Sock it to ME?" in a taped bit that aired on the NBC-TV comedy program "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In." In 1974, President Gerald R. Ford announced a conditional amnesty program for Vietnam War deserters and draft-evaders. In 1977, Maria Callas, the American-born prima donna famed for her lyric soprano and fiery temperament, died in Paris at age 53. In 1982, the massacre of hundreds of Palestinian men, women and children by Israeli-allied Lebanese militiamen began in west Beirut's Sabra and Chatilla refugee camps.In 1987, two dozen countries signed the Montreal Protocol, a treaty designed to save the Earth's ozone layer by calling on nations to reduce emissions of harmful chemicals. In 1988, Hurricane Gilbert slammed into the Mexico coast for the second time in three days. Ten years ago: Hurricane Floyd hit the Carolinas and began making its way up the East Coast, damaging 12,000 homes and claiming more than 50 lives even after it weakened to a tropical storm. In southern Russia, an explosion described by authorities as the fourth massive terrorist attack in two weeks demolished an apartment building, killing at least 18 people. In 2002, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced that Iraq had unconditionally accepted the return of U.N. weapons inspectors. Five years ago: Hurricane Ivan plowed into the Gulf Coast with 130 mph wind and a major storm surge; all told, Ivan was blamed for at least 115 deaths, 43 in the U.S. The number of foreigners kidnapped during the Iraq insurgency reached at least 100. The NHL lockout went into effect. In 2006, the Vatican said Pope Benedict XVI "sincerely" regretted offending Muslims with his reference to an obscure medieval text characterizing some of the teachings of Islam's founder as "evil and inhuman." In 2007, a deadly shooting in Baghdad involving the U.S. security firm Blackwater USA left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. One year ago: Gen. David Petraeus stepped aside as Gen. Ray Odierno took over as the top American commander of the Iraq war. President George W. Bush got a firsthand look at the fury that Hurricane Ike had unleashed on the Gulf Coast with stops in Houston and Galveston, Texas, and a helicopter tour.

Today's Birthdays:

Actress Janis Paige is 87. Actress Lauren Bacall is 85. Blues singer/guitarist B.B. King is 84. Clergyman-author the Rev. Robert H. Schuller is 83. Actor Peter Falk is 82. Actress Anne Francis is 79. Actor George Chakiris is 77. Movie director Jim McBride is 68. Actress Linda Miller is 67. R&B singer Betty Kelly (Martha & the Vandellas) is 65. Musician Kenney Jones (Small Faces; Faces; The Who) is 61. Actress Susan Ruttan is 61. Rock musician Ron Blair (Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers; Mudcrutch) is 61. Actor Ed Begley Jr. is 60. Country singer David Bellamy (The Bellamy Brothers) is 59. Country singer-songwriter Phil Lee is 58. Actor-comedian Lenny Clarke is 56. Actor Kurt Fuller is 56. Jazz musician Earl Klugh is 56. Actor Christopher Rich is 56. Singer Frank Reed (The Chi-Lites) is 55. TV personality Mark McEwen is 55. Baseball Hall of Famer Robin Yount is 54. Actor Mickey Rourke is 53. Magician David Copperfield is 53. Country singer-songwriter Terry McBride is 51. Actress Jennifer Tilly is 51. Retired baseball All-Star Orel Hershiser is 51. Retired baseball All-Star Tim Raines is 50. Singer Richard Marx is 46. Comedian Molly Shannon is 45. Singer Marc Anthony is 41. Comedian-actress Amy Poehler is 38. Country singer Matt Stillwell is 34. Singer Musiq is 32.

Today In Entertainment History September 16

In 1963, the science-fiction anthology series "The Outer Limits" premiered on ABC. In 1964, the rock and roll TV show "Shindig" premiered on ABC. The show was considered a cut above its competitors at the time because the acts performed on stage, rather than just lip-synched. The first show featured Bobby Sherman, the Everly Brothers, the Righteous Brothers and Sam Cooke. In 1968, the final episode of "The Andy Griffith Show" aired. In 1970, a poll in Britain's "Melody Maker" magazine found that Led Zeppelin was the most popular band. It was the first time in eight years that The Beatles had not topped the list. In 1972, "The Bob Newhart Show" debuted on CBS. In 1977, Marc Bolan, leader of the band T. Rex, died in a car crash near London. His girlfriend was at the wheel. In 1978, the Grateful Dead performed a concert before the pyramids of Egypt. In 1979, "Rapper's Delight" by the Sugarhill Gang was released. It's considered to be the first rap record. In 1991, country singer Willie Nelson married makeup artist Ann-Marie D'Angelo. They met on the set of Nelson's 1986 movie "Red Headed Stranger." In 1992, Barbra Streisand sang in public for the first time in six years at a fundraiser in Beverly Hills for Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton.

In 1995, TV viewers voted to keep the swimsuit competition in the Miss America pageant. In 1998, members of Mott the Hoople reunited for a concert in London, their first concert in 24 years. One year ago: Motown songwriter and producer Norman Whitfield died in Los Angeles at age 67.

Thought for Today:

"The military don't start wars. Politicians start wars." — Gen. William C. Westmoreland, American military commander (1914-2005). [Ol' dead Bill sounds little touchy there. Those politicians couldn't start wars w/o cannon fodder like you, Westmoreland. You're equally guilty. — Ed.]