Associated Press
On Oct. 15, 1969, peace demonstrators staged activities across the country, including a candlelight march around the White House, as part of a moratorium against the Vietnam War.
1860- Eleven-year-old Grace Bedell of Westfield, N.Y., wrote a letter to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he could improve his appearance by growing a beard.
1946- Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering fatally poisoned himself hours before he was to have been executed.
1951- The situation comedy “I Love Lucy” premiered on CBS.
1964- It was announced that Soviet leader Nikita S. Khrushchev had been removed from office.
1976- Democrat Walter F. Mondale and Republican Bob Dole faced off in the first debate between vice-presidential nominees.
1990- Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev was named the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.
1990- South Africa’s Separate Amenities Act, which had barred blacks from public facilities for decades, was scrapped.
1991- The Senate narrowly confirmed the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, 52-48.
1993- Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end apartheid in South Africa.
2002- ImClone Systems founder Sam Waksal pleaded guilty in New York in the biotech company’s insider trading scandal.
2005- Iraqis voted to approve a constitution.
2007- The New York Yankees and third baseman Alex Rodriguez agreed on a record 10-year, $275 million contract, the richest in sports history.
2009- A false report that a 6-year-old boy was aboard a runaway balloon in Colorado captivated a global TV audience. (The boy’s parents later pleaded guilty to charges they made up the story.)
Today’s Birthdays:
Actress Linda Lavin (“Alice”) turns 78 years old today.
Lee Iacocca, Former Chrysler chairman, 91
Barry McGuire, Rock singer, 80
Penny Marshall, Actress, director, 72
Jim Palmer, Baseball Hall of Famer, 70
Richard Carpenter, Singer, musician (The Carpenters), 69
Larry Miller, Actor, 62
Jere Burns, Actor, 61
Tanya Roberts, Actress, 60
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, 56
Emeril Lagasse, TV chef, 56
Eric Benet, R&B singer, 49
Paige Davis, TV host (“Trading Spaces”), 46
Dominic West, Actor (“The Wire”), 46
Ginuwine, R&B singer, 45
Singer Tito Jackson (The Jackson Five) turns 62 years old today.