July ninth

Today's Highlight in History:
On July ninth, 1850, the 12th president of the United States, Zachary Taylor, died after serving only 16 months of his term.

On this date:
In 1540, England's King Henry the Eighth had his six-month-old marriage to his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, annulled.

In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read aloud to General George Washington's troops in New York.

In 1816, Argentina declared independence from Spain.

In 1896, William Jennings Bryan delivered his famous "cross of gold" speech at the Democratic national convention in Chicago.

In 1918, 101 people were killed in a train collision in Nashville, Tennessee.

In 1944, during World War Two, American forces secured Saipan as the last Japanese defenses fell.

In 1947, the engagement of Britain's Princess Elizabeth to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten was announced.

In 1951, President Truman asked Congress to formally end the state of war between the United States and Germany.

In 1974, former US Chief Justice Earl Warren died in Washington DC.

In 1982, a Pan Am Boeing 727 crashed in Kenner, Louisiana, killing all 146 people aboard and eight people on the ground.

Ten years ago: Leaders of the world's seven richest nations opened a three-day economic summit in Houston, the first such gathering in the post-Cold War era.

Five years ago: French commandos boarded the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior Two in the South Pacific. Pete Sampras won the men's singles title at Wimbledon by defeating Boris Becker, 6-7 (7-5), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

One year ago: A jury in Los Angeles ordered General Motors Corporation to pay $4.9 billion to six people severely burned when their Chevrolet Malibu exploded in flames in a rear-end collision. (A judge later reduced the punitive damages to $1.09 billion, while letting stand $107 million in compensatory damages; GM is continuing to appeal.)

"There are two kinds of people in one's life -- people whom one keeps waiting -- and the people for whom one waits."

-- S(amuel) N(athaniel) Behrman, American author and dramatist (1893-1973).