Associated Press
On Oct. 30, 1938, the radio play “The War of the Worlds,” starring Orson Welles, aired on CBS. The live drama, which employed fake news reports, panicked some listeners who thought its portrayal of a Martian invasion was true.
1735- John Adams, the second president of the United States, was born in Braintree, Mass.
1885- Poet Ezra Pound was born in Hailey, Idaho.
1953- George C. Marshall, who, as secretary of state following World War II, engineered a massive economic aid program for Europe, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
1961- The Soviet Union tested a hydrogen bomb.
1974- Muhammad Ali knocked out George Foreman in the eighth round of a 15-round bout in Kinshasa, Zaire, to regain his world heavyweight title.
1975- The New York Daily News ran the headline “Ford to City: Drop Dead” a day after President Gerald R. Ford said he would veto any proposed federal bailout of New York City.
1997- A jury in Cambridge, Mass., convicted British au pair Louise Woodward of second-degree murder in the death of 8-month-old Matthew Eappen. The judge later reduced the verdict to manslaughter and set Woodward free.
2003- Lebron James made his NBA debut with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
2005- Civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks became the first woman to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
Today’s Birthdays:
Actor Matthew Morrison (“Glee”) turns 37 years old today.
Dick Vermeil, Football coach, 79
Eddie Holland, Songwriter, 76
Grace Slick, Rock singer (Jefferson Airplane/Starship), 76
Henry Winkler, Actor (“Happy Days”), 70
Andrea Mitchell, Broadcast journalist, 69
Timothy B. Schmit, Rock musician (The Eagles), 68
Harry Hamlin, Actor (“L.A. Law”), 64
Kevin Pollak, Actor, 58
Gavin Rossdale, Rock musician (Bush), 50
Nia Long, Actress, 45
Gael Garcia Bernal, Actor (“The Motorcycle Diaries”), 37
Nastia Liukin, Olympic gold-medal gymnast, 26
Soccer player and coach Diego Maradona turns 55 years old today.