- 1793: The first president of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston,
                    was born near Lexington, Va.
                  - 1836: Texas declared its independence from Mexico.
                  - 1877: A U.S. electoral commission finally declared Republican
                    Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the 1876 presidential election
                    over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden had won the
                    popular vote. The original result had been too close to call, with
                    several disputed ballots.
                  - 1904: Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) was born.
                  - 1917: The Jones Act, establishing Puerto Rico as an American
                    territory, was passed by the U.S. Congress.
                  - 1923: Time magazine made its debut.
                  - 1925: State and federal highway officials developed a nationwide
                    route numbering system and adopted the U.S. shield-shaped, numbered
                    marker.
                  - 1933: "King Kong," starring Fay Wray, had its world premiere in New
                    York at Radio City Music Hall and the RKO Roxy.
                  - 1944: "Casablanca" won best picture, best director, and best
                    screenplay at the Academy Awards ceremony in Los Angeles. Jennifer
                    Jones received the best actress award for "The Song of Bernadette,"
                    while Paul Lukas won best actor for "Watch on the Rhine."
                  - 1946: Ho Chi Minh was elected president of North Vietnam.
                  - 1949: Captain James Gallagher completed the first non-stop around
                    the world flight.
                  - 1964: Filming began on the Beatles' first film, "A Hard Day's
                    Night."

                  *Happy Birthday*
                  ----------------
                  - John Cullum, 69, actor, "Northern Exposure," "ER"
                  - Mikhail Gorbachev, 68, former Soviet president
                  - John Irving, 57, novelist, "The World According to Garp"
                  - Jon Bon Jovi, 37, singer/musician
                  - Eddie Money, 50, singer/musician
                  - Laraine Newman, 47, comedienne
                  - Lou Reed, 55, singer/musician
                  - Tom Wolfe, 68, novelist, "Bonfire of the Vanities"