Today in History

LRAD (Long Range Acoustic Device) “sonic cannon,” a non-lethal device that utilizes intense sound, is used in the United States for the first time, to disperse protestors at the G20 summit in Pittsburgh, Penn.

Hurricane Rita, the 4th-most intense Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, comes ashore in Texas causing extensive damage there and in Louisiana, which had devastated by Hurricane Katrina less than a month earlier.

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty signed by representatives of 71 nations at the UN; at present, five key nations have signed but not ratified it and three others have not signed.

Sihanouk is reinstalled as king of Cambodia.

CompuServe (CIS) offers one of the first online services to consumers; it will dominate among Internet service providers for consumers through the mid-1990s.

The Soviet Luna 16 lands, completing the first unmanned round trip to the moon.

Paul Ray Smith, US Army Sergeant, received Medal of Honor posthumously during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The University of Mississippi agrees to admit James Meredith as the first black university student, sparking more rioting.

The Enterprise, the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, is launched.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends federal troops into Little Rock, Arkansas, to protect nine black students entering its newly integrated high school.

The first transatlantic telephone cable system begins operation.

The World Women’s Party meets for the first time since World War II.

“”Mean Joe” Greene, pro football player (Pittsburgh Steelers) considered one of the greatest defensive linemen ever to play in the NFL; member of Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Louis “Lou” Dobbs, TV personality (Lou Dobbs Tonight, CNN), radio host (Fox Business Network).