25 October: Empty Misery & Meaningless Anguish (UPDATED)

Today is Sunday, Oct. 25, the 298th day of 2009. There are 67 days left in the year. The UPI Almanac.

Today's Highlight in History:
On Oct. 25, 1859, radical abolitionist John Brown went on trial in Charles Town, Va., for his failed raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry. (Brown was convicted of treason against Virginia, murder and conspiracy, and was hanged.)
On this date:
In 1400, author Geoffrey Chaucer died in London.
In 1760, Britain's King George III succeeded his late grandfather, George II.
In 1812, the U.S. frigate United States captured the British vessel Macedonian.
In 1825, the Erie Canal, America's first man-made waterway, was opened, linking the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean via the Hudson River.
In 1854, the "Charge of the Light Brigade" took place during the Crimean War as an English brigade of more than 600 men, facing hopeless odds, charged the Russian army and suffered heavy losses.
In 1881, Pablo Picasso, one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century, was born in Malaga, Spain. [UPI thought for the day: Pablo Picasso said, "I am only an entertainer who has understood his time." — Ed.]
In 1918, the Canadian steamship Princess Sophia foundered off the coast of Alaska; some 350 people perished.
In 1929, former Interior Secretary Albert B. Fall was convicted in Washington, D.C., of accepting a $100,000 bribe from oil tycoon Edward L. Doheny as part of the Teapot Dome scandal. (Fall was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100,000; he ended up serving nine months.)
In 1951, peace talks aimed at ending the Korean War resumed in Panmunjom.
In 1957, mob boss Albert Anastasia of "Murder Inc." notoriety was shot to death in a barber shop inside the Park Sheraton Hotel in New York.
In 1962, U.S. ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson presented photographic evidence of Soviet-built missile bases in Cuba to the U.N. Security Council. Author John Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature.

In 1971, the U.N. General Assembly voted to admit mainland China and expel Taiwan.
In 1983, a U.S.-led force invaded Grenada at the order of President Ronald Reagan, who said the action was needed to protect U.S. citizens there.
In 1986, the Boston Red Sox lost Game 6 of the World Series to the New York Mets when a routine ground ball went through Boston first baseman Bill Buckner's legs, allowing the winning run to score in the 10th inning. The AP story because we can't guarantee The AP's links.
In 1994, Susan Smith of Union, S.C., claimed that a black carjacker had driven off with her two young sons (Smith later confessed to drowning the children in John D. Long Lake, and was convicted of murder).
In 1999, golfer Payne Stewart and five others were killed when their Learjet flew uncontrolled for four hours before crashing in South Dakota; Stewart was 42. Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan bolted the GOP to mount a bid for the Reform Party nomination.
In 2002, Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., 58, was killed in a plane crash in northern Minnesota.
In 2003, Florida State's Bobby Bowden became the winningest coach in major college football history with his 339th victory as the Seminoles beat Wake Forest 48-24.
In 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court announced that Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist had thyroid cancer. At least 85 Muslim detainees suffocated or were crushed to death in southern Thailand after the police rounded up 1,300 people and packed them into trucks following a riot. A top civilian at the U.S. Department of Defense called for a federal investigation into how contracts in Iraq and the Balkans were awarded to the Halliburton company, formerly run by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
In 2005, U. S. military deaths in Iraq reached 2,000.
In 2008, Arkansas television anchorwoman Anne Pressly, 26, died five days after she was found beaten in her home. Game 3 of the World Series began in Philadelphia at 10:06 p.m. Eastern time after being delayed by rain; the Phillies went on to beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 5-4, for a 2-1 Series lead in a matchup that finished at 1:47 a.m. Raven's Pass won the $5 million Breeders' Cup Classic in an upset, stunning defending champion Curlin on the new synthetic surface at Santa Anita.
Today's Birthdays: Former baseball player Bobby Thomson is 86. Former American League president Dr. Bobby Brown is 85. Actress Jeanne Cooper is 81. Actress Marion Ross is 81. Country singer Jeanne Black is 72. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Bob Knight is 69. Author Anne Tyler is 68. Rock singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 65. Political strategist James Carville is 65. Singer Taffy Danoff (Starland Vocal Band) is 65. Rock musician Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest) is 62. Actor Brian Kerwin is 60. Actor Mark L. Taylor is 59. Movie director Julian Schnabel is 58. Rock musician Matthias Jabs is 53. Actress Nancy Cartwright ("The Simpsons") is 52. Country singer Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown) is 51. Rock musician Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers; Chickenfoot) is 48. Actress Tracy Nelson is 46. Actor Michael Boatman is 45. Actor Kevin Michael Richardson is 45. Singer Speech is 41. Actor Adam Goldberg is 39. Actor-singer Adam Pascal is 39. Rock musician Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) is 39. Actress Persia White is 39. Country singer Chely Wright is 39. Violinist Midori is 38. Actor Craig Robinson is 38. Actor Michael Weston is 36. Actor Zachary Knighton is 31.
Today In Entertainment History October 25
In 1939, the drama "The Time of Your Life," by William Saroyan, opened in New York.
In 1964, The Beatles dominated the British music industry awards, winning five. The songs "She Loves You" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" placed one and two in the best-selling record category. The Rolling Stones made their first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show." So many people complained that Sullivan said he'd never invite them back, but they made another appearance in 1965.
In 1966, actor Burt Reynolds and actress Judy Carne divorced.
In 1973, John Lennon sued the US government for allegedly using surveillance against him in connection with his deportation case.
In 1982, Bob Newhart returned to TV in another sitcom with the debut of "Newhart" on CBS.
In 1991, rock promoter Bill Graham died in a helicopter crash after a Huey Lewis concert in Concord, Calif. He was 60.
In 1992, entertainer Roger Miller died of cancer in Los Angeles at age 65. He's best known for the hit song "King Of The Road."
In 1993, actor Vincent Price died. He was 82.
In 1995, singer Cliff Richard was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. Richard reportedly was the favorite singer of the Queen Mother.
In 1996, singer Paula Abdul married sportswear designer Brad Beckerman in Los Angeles. She filed for divorce 17 months later.
Thought for Today: "In the time of your life, live — so that in that wondrous time you shall not add to the misery and sorrow of the world, but shall smile to the infinite variety and mystery of it." — William Saroyan, American author (1908-1981).
UPDATED w/ further boredom @ 2040 PDT.