October sixth

Today's Highlight in History:
On October sixth, 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of "The Jazz Singer," starring Al Jolson, a movie which featured both silent and sound-synchronized scenes.

On this date:
In 1884, the Naval War College was established in Newport, Rhode Island.

In 1889, the Moulin Rouge in Paris first opened its doors to the public.

In 1891, Charles Stewart Parnell, the "Uncrowned King of Ireland," died in Brighton, England.

In 1939, in an address to the Reichstag, Adolf Hitler denied having any intention of war against France and Britain.

In 1949, President Truman signed the Mutual Defense Assistance Act, totaling $1.3 billion in military aid to NATO countries.

In 1973, war erupted in the Middle East as Egypt and Syria attacked Israel during the Yom Kippur holiday.

In 1979, Pope John Paul the Second, on a week-long US tour, became the first pontiff to visit the White House, where he was received by President Carter.

In 1981, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat was shot to death by extremists while reviewing a military parade.

In 1983, Cardinal Terence Cooke, the spiritual head of the Archdiocese of New York, died at age 62.

In 1989, actress Bette Davis died in Neuilly-sur-Seine, France, at age 81.

Ten years ago: President Bush vetoed stopgap spending legislation passed by Congress following the collapse of a deficit-reducing budget agreement. The space shuttle "Discovery" blasted off on a four-day mission.

Five years ago: Boeing Company's largest group of union workers went on a 69-day strike after voting down a new three-year contract offer. President Clinton delivered an address in which he defended his stewardship of US foreign policy and spoke out against what he said was a spreading mood of isolationism.

One year ago: In Mexico, furious rains sent swollen rivers raging through the streets of the Gulf coast city of Villahermosa and caused mudslides; dozens of deaths were reported in eastern Mexico's coastal mountain ranges. The NFL awarded its newest franchise to Houston instead of Los Angeles, leaving the second-largest TV market in the nation without a football team.

"Knowledge comes, but wisdom lingers."

-- Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892).