Today In History

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 21, the 264th day of 2021. There are 101 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHTS

› 1989: Hurricane Hugo crashed into Charleston, South Carolina (the storm was blamed for 56 deaths in the Caribbean and 29 in the United States).

ON THIS DATE

› 1792: The French National Convention voted to abolish the monarchy.

› 1912: Magician Harry Houdini first publicly performed his “Water Torture Cell” trick at the Circus Busch in Berlin.

› 1938: A hurricane struck parts of New York and New England, causing widespread damage and claiming some 700 lives.

› 1981: The Senate unanimously confirmed the nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor to become the first female justice on the Supreme Court.

› 1996: President Bill Clinton signed the Defense of Marriage Act denying federal recognition of same-sex marriages, a day after saying the law should not be used as an excuse for discrimination, violence or intimidation against gays and lesbians. (Although never formally repealed, DoMA was effectively overturned by U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 2013 and 2015.)

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS

Author-comedian Fannie Flagg is 80. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is 78. Former Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is 77. Musician Don Felder is 74. Author Stephen King is 74. Movie producer-writer Ethan Coen is 64. Actor-comedian Dave Coulier is 62. Actor David James Elliott is 61. Actor Serena Scott Thomas is 60. Actor Nancy Travis is 60. Actor Rob Morrow is 59. Actor Angus Macfadyen is 58. Retired MLB All-Star Cecil Fielder is 58. Actor Cheryl Hines is 56. Country singer Faith Hill is 54. Rock musician Tyler Stewart (Barenaked Ladies) is 54. Country singer Ronna Reeves is 53. Actor-talk show host Ricki Lake is 53. Rapper Dave (De La Soul) is 53. Actor Billy Porter is 52. Actor Rob Benedict is 51. Actor James Lesure is 50. Actor Alfonso Ribeiro is 50. Actor Luke Wilson is 50. Actor Paulo Costanzo is 43. Actor Autumn Reeser is 41. TV personality Nicole Richie is 40. Actor Maggie Grace is 38. Actor Joseph Mazzello is 38. Actor Ahna O’Reilly is 37. Rapper Wale is 37. R&B singer Jason Derulo is 35. Actor Ryan Guzman is 34. Actor Nikolas Brino is 23.