November 23rd

Today's Highlight in History:
On November 23rd, 1903, singer Enrico Caruso made his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, appearing in "Rigoletto."

On this date:
In 1765, Frederick County, Maryland, repudiated the British Stamp Act.

In 1804, the 14th president of the United States, Franklin Pierce, was born in Hillsboro, New Hampshire.

In 1889, the first jukebox made its debut in San Francisco, at the Palais Royale Saloon.

In 1936, "Life," the magazine created by Henry R. Luce, was first published.

In 1943, during World War Two, US forces seized control of Tarawa and Makin atolls from the Japanese.

In 1945, most US wartime rationing of foods, including meat and butter, ended.

In 1959, the musical "Fiorello!," with music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, opened on Broadway.

In 1971, the People's Republic of China was seated in the UN Security Council.

In 1980, some 4800 people were killed by a series of earthquakes that devastated southern Italy.

In 1996, a hijacked Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the waves off Comoros Islands, killing 125 of the 175 people on board.

Ten years ago: President Bush conferred separately with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo and Syrian President Hafez Assad in Geneva, seeking Arab support for his drive to expel Iraqi troops from Kuwait.

Five years ago: Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic grudgingly accepted the US-backed peace plan for the former Yugoslavia after meeting with Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. Movie director Louis Malle died in Beverly Hills, California, at age 63.

One year ago: In a plea met with scant applause and silent stares, President Clinton told ethnic Albanians in Kosovo that "you must try" to forgive Serb neighbors and stop punishing them for the terror campaign of Slobodan Milosevic. Defense Secretary William Cohen called for a military-wide review of conduct after a Pentagon study said up to 75 percent of blacks and other ethnic minorities reported experiencing racially offensive behavior.

"I'm a realist and so I think regretting is a useless occupation. You help no one with it. But you can't live without illusions even if you must fight for them, such as `love conquers all.' It isn't true, but I would like it to be."

-- Marlene Dietrich, German-born actress (1901-1992).