[As is our practice, we are witholding certain facts, ignorance of which is guaranteed to embarrass you at your next job interview. Do yourself a favor and read all the details at I, witless News on its side]
Highlights in history on this date:
1856 - American adventurer William Walker declares himself president of Nicaragua, a position he holds for about a year before being forced out by neighboring states.
1957 - Prince Karim, 20-year-old student at Harvard University, becomes Aga Khan and leader of 20 million Ismaili Muslims following the death of his grandfather.
1973 - U.S. pilots fly heavy air strikes against Cambodian insurgents as fighting is reported south and west of Phnom Penh.
1977 - U.S. President Jimmy Carter says he favors development of neutron bomb because of its less destructive effect.
1991 - The five permanent members of U.N. Security Council tell Iraq's ambassador his country must swiftly disclose extent of its nuclear program or face serious consequences.
2000 - The long-delayed International Space Station's service module is lifted off into orbit.
2002 - U.N. Security Council approves a resolution that grants U.S. peacekeepers serving in U.N. missions immunity from prosecution by the International Criminal Court, for at least a year.
Today's Birthdays:
Hipolito Yrigoyen, first democratically elected president of Argentina (1852-1933); Elijah Wedgewood, British pottery maker (1730-1795); Henry David Thoreau, U.S. author-naturalist (1817-1862); George Eastman, U.S. inventor (1854-1932); Amedeo Modigliani, Italian artist (1884-1920); Pablo Neruda, Chilean poet and Nobel laureate (1904-1973); Van Cliburn, U.S. pianist (1934--); Bill Cosby, U.S. actor-comedian (1937--); Cheryl Ladd, U.S. actress (1951--).
