Today in History

US President George W. Bush establishes the Office of Homeland Security.

Croatia votes to sever its ties with Yugoslavia.

The musical Cats begins a run of nearly 18 years on Broadway.

Ken Warby of Australia sets the world water speed record, 317.60 mph, at Blowering Dam in Australia; no other human has yet (2013) exceeded 300 mph on water and survived.

In the Yom Kippur War an Israeli armored brigade makes an unsuccessful attack on Egyptian positions on the Israeli side of the Suez Canal.

Matt Damon, actor, screenwriter, producer, philanthropist; shared Academy Award and Golden Globe for screenplay Good Will Hunting; appeared in Saving Private Ryan, Invictus.

The “Days of Rage” begin in Chicago; the Weathermen faction of the Students for a Democratic Society initiate 3 days of violent antiwar protests.

U.S. forces in Vietnam launch Operation SEALORDS (South East Asia Lake, Ocean, River and Delta Strategy), an attack on communist supply lines and base areas in and around the Mekong Delta.

Guerrilla Che Guevara captured in Bolivia.

C. J. Ramone, musician, sometimes vocalist of The Ramones.

Erik Gundersen, motorcycle speedway rider; won 3 Speedway World Championships, 2 Long Track World Championships, and 7 World Team Cup awards (riding for Denmark in the latter).

Don Larsen of the New York Yankees pitches the first perfect game in World Series history against the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Edward Zwick, director, producer whose films often are based on historic events (Glory, The Last Samurai).

Sigourney Weaver, actress; (Aliens film series, Gorillas in the Mist).

Johnny Ramone, musician, songwriter, founding member of The Ramones band.

R. L. Stine, author, screenwriter, producer; known as the “Stephen King of children’s literature” for his hundreds of horror novels written for younger readers.

Jesse Jackson, civil rights leader.

Lynne Stewart, US attorney convicted of conspiracy and providing material support to terrorists (2005) and perjury (2010).

Rona Barrett, gossip columnist; co-host of NBC’s Tomorrow program (1980-81).

Indian Air Force established.

Cesar Milstein, molecular biologist.

Lilian Gatlin becomes the first woman pilot to fly across the United States.

First live radio broadcast of a football game; Harold W. Arlin was the announcer when KDKA of Pittsburgh broadcast live from Forbes Field as the University of Pittsburgh beat West Virginia University 21–13.

The U.S. Senate and House of Representatives pass the Volstead Prohibition Enforcement Bill.

US Army corporal Alvin C. York kills 28 German soldiers and captures 132 in the Argonne Forest; promoted to sergeant and awarded US Medal of Honor and French Croix de Guerre.

Rodney Porter, British biochemist and Nobel Proze winner.

First Balkan War begins as Montenegro declares war against the Ottoman Empire.

Karl Ludwig Nessler first demonstrates a machine in London that puts permenant waves in hair. The client wears a dozen brass curlers, each wearing two pounds, for the six-hour process.

Maximilian Harden is sentenced to six months in prison for publishing an article critical of the German Kaiser.

Journalist Charles Henry Dow, founder of the Wall Street Journal, begins charting trends of stocks and bonds.

Juan Peron, Argentinean dictator.

Eddie Rickenbacker, U.S. fighter pilot in World War I, aviation pioneer.

The Great Chicago Fire begins in southwest Chicago, possibly in a barn owned by Patrick and Katherine O’Leary. Fanned by strong southwesterly winds, the flames raged for more than 24 hours, eventually leveling three and a half square miles and wiping out one-third of the city. Approximately 250 people were killed in the fire; 98,500 people were left homeless; 17,450 buildings were destroyed.

The Union is victorious at the Battle of Perryville, the largest Civil War combat to take place in Kentucky.

Arrow, a ship flying the British flag, is boarded by Chinese who arrest the crew, thus beginning the Second Chinese War.

King William I of Holland abdicates.

James Wilson Marshall, discoverer of gold in California.

Belgrade is retaken by the Turks.

Charles the Bald is defeated at the Battle of Andernach.