Associated Press<\/p>\n
On Nov. 18, 1978, more than 900 people died in Jonestown, Guyana, after Peoples Temple cult leader Jim Jones urged them to kill themselves by drinking cyanide-laced grape punch. Jones died of a bullet wound to the head; whether it was self-inflicted is unknown.
\n1883- The United States and Canada adopted a system of standard time zones.
\n1886- Chester A. Arthur, the 21st president of the United States, died in New York at age 56.
\n1923- Astronaut Alan B. Shepard Jr., the first American in space, was born in East Derry, N.H.
\n1928- The first successful sound-synchronized animated cartoon, Walt Disney’s “Steamboat Willie” starring Mickey Mouse, premiered in New York.
\n1936- Germany and Italy recognized the Spanish government of Francisco Franco.
\n1966- U.S. Roman Catholic bishops did away with the rule against eating meat on Fridays.
\n1969- Financier and diplomat Joseph P. Kennedy died in Hyannis Port, Mass., at age 81.
\n1976- Spain’s parliament approved a bill to establish a democracy after 37 years of dictatorship.
\n1987- The congressional Iran-Contra committees issued their final report, saying President Ronald Reagan bore “ultimate responsibility” for wrongdoing by his aides.
\n1988- President Ronald Reagan signed legislation creating a Cabinet-level drug czar and providing the death penalty for drug traffickers who kill.
\n2002- U.N. arms inspectors returned to Iraq after a four-year hiatus, calling on Saddam Hussein’s government to cooperate with their search for weapons of mass destruction.
\n2003- The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled 4-3 that the state constitution guarantees gay couples the right to marry.
\n2006- Actor Tom Cruise and actress Katie Holmes were married in Italy. (The couple divorced in 2012.)
\n2009- Two days before turning 92, Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., became the longest-serving lawmaker in congressional history, at 56 years, 320 days.<\/p>\n
Today’s Birthdays:
\nBoston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz turns 40 years old today.
\nBrenda Vaccaro, Actress, 76
\nLinda Evans, Actress (“Dynasty”), 73
\nGraham Parker, Singer, 65
\nWarren Moon, Football Hall of Famer, 59
\nElizabeth Perkins, Actress (“Weeds”), 55
\nKim Wilde, Rock singer, 55
\nGary Sheffield, Baseball player, 47
\nOwen Wilson, Actor, 47
\nDuncan Sheik, Rock singer, 46
\nChloe Sevigny, Actress, 41
\nNasim Pedrad, Actress, comedian (“Saturday Night Live”), 34
\nActor-comedian Kevin Nealon (“Weeds,” “Saturday Night Live”) turns 62 years old today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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