A Little Perspective, Please

Today is Thursday, 4 November, the 308th day of 2010. There are 57 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History: On 4 November 1980, Ronald Reagan won the White House as he defeated President Jimmy Carter by a strong margin.
On this date:
In 1884, Democrat Grover Cleveland was elected to his first term as president, defeating Republican James G. Blaine.
In 1922, the entrance to King Tutankhamen’s tomb was discovered in Egypt.
In 1924, Nellie T. Ross of Wyoming was elected to serve the remaining term of her late husband, William B. Ross, becoming the first woman to be elected governor of a U.S. state.
In 1939, the United States modified its neutral stance in World War II, allowing “cash and carry” purchases of arms by belligerents, thereby favoring Britain and France.
In 1942, Axis forces retreated from El Alamein in North Africa in a victory for British forces under Lt. Gen. Bernard Montgomery.
In 1952, Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected president, defeating Adlai Stevenson.
In 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began as militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran, seizing its occupants; for some, it was the start of 444 days of captivity. [Execute the hostages! — Ed.]
In 1991, Ronald Reagan opened his presidential library in Simi Valley, Calif. with a dedication attended by President George H.W. Bush and former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald R. Ford and Richard Nixon — the first-ever gathering of five past and present U.S. chief executives. [Execute the criminals! — Ed.]
In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli minutes after attending a festive peace rally.
In 2000, Yugoslavia’s parliament approved the country’s first communist-free government in more than half a century. President Bill Clinton vetoed a bill that would have criminalized the leaking of government secrets.
In 2005, violent anti-U.S. protests broke out in Mar Del Plata, Argentina, where President George W. Bush was promoting free trade at the Summit of the Americas. Jewish Defense League activist Earl Krugel, imprisoned for his role in a bomb plot, died at 62 after an assault in a federal prison in Phoenix.
In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama was elected the first black president of the United States, defeating Republican John McCain.
In 2009, an Italian judge found 23 Americans and two Italians guilty in the kidnapping of an Egyptian terror suspect, delivering the first legal convictions anywhere in the world against people involved in the CIA’s extraordinary renditions program. The New York Yankees won the World Series, beating the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 behind Hideki Matsui’s record-tying six RBIs. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy (DAHN’-uh-hee) was released after serving most of a 15-month sentence in a gambling scandal.
Today’s Birthdays: Actress Doris Roberts is 80. Actress Loretta Swit is 73. Rhythm-and-blues singer Harry Elston (Friends of Distinction) is 72. Blues singer Delbert McClinton is 70. Former first lady Laura Bush is 64. Actress Markie Post is 60. Rock singer-musician Chris Difford (Squeeze) is 56. Country singer Kim Forester (The Forester Sisters) is 50. Actress-comedian Kathy Griffin is 50. Actor Ralph Macchio is 49. “Survivor” host Jeff Probst is 49. Rock singer-musician Wayne Static (Static-X) is 45. Actor Matthew McConaughey is 41. Rapper-producer Sean “Puffy” Combs is 41. Rhythm-and-blues singer Shawn Rivera (Az Yet) is 39. Actress Heather Tom is 35. Rhythm-and-blues/gospel singer George Huff is 30.
Thought for Today: “The line of least resistance was always the most difficult line in the long run.” — Peter Cheyney, English author (1896-1951).
(Above Advance for Use Thursday, Nov. 4th)