In 1825, the Erie Canal opened in upstate New York, connecting Lake Erie and the Hudson River.

 In 1957, the Soviet Union announced that defense minister Marshal Georgi Zhukov had been relieved of his duties.

In 1967, the Shah of Iran crowned himself and his queen after 26 years on the Peacock Throne.

In 1972, national security adviser Henry Kissinger declared, “Peace is at hand” in Vietnam.

In 1979, South Korean President Park Chung-hee was shot to death by the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency, Kim Jae-kyu.

In 1984, “Baby Fae,” a newborn with a severe heart defect, was given the heart of a baboon in an experimental transplant in Loma Linda, Calif. (Baby Fae lived 21 days with the animal heart.)

In 1994, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin of Israel and Prime Minister Abdel Salam Majali of Jordan signed a peace treaty during a ceremony at the Israeli-Jordanian border attended by President Bill Clinton.

In 2001, President Bush signed the USA Patriot Act, giving authorities unprecedented ability to search, seize, detain or eavesdrop in their pursuit of possible terrorists.

Ten years ago: The Florida Marlins became the youngest franchise to win the World Series with a 3-2 victory in the 11th inning over the Cleveland Indians in the seventh and final game. Chinese leader Jiang Zemin arrived in Honolulu en route to a White House summit with President Clinton.

Five years ago: The hostage siege by Chechen rebels at a Moscow theater ended with 129 of the 800-plus captives dead, most from a knockout gas used by Russian special forces who stormed the theater. Tens of thousands of anti-war protesters circled the White House after Jesse Jackson and other speakers denounced the Bush administration’s Iraq policies. The Anaheim Angels defeated the San Francisco Giants 6-5 in Game 6 of the World Series, forcing a seventh and final showdown.

One year ago: A wildfire in Southern California killed five firefighters (investigators later determined the cause was arson). President Bush signed a measure authorizing 700 miles of new fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 to take a 3-1 lead in the World Series.

Birthdays:

Actor Bob Hoskins is 65. Author Pat Conroy is 62. Actress Jaclyn Smith is 62. TV host Pat Sajak is 61. Singer Maggie Roche (The Roches) is 56. Musician Bootsy Collins is 56. Actor James Pickens Jr. (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is 55. Rock musician Keith Strickland (The B-52’s) is 54. Actor D.W. Moffett is 53. Actress Rita Wilson is 51. Actor Dylan McDermott is 46. Actor Cary Elwes is 45. Singer Natalie Merchant is 44. Country singer Keith Urban is 40. Actor Tom Cavanagh is 39. Actor Anthony Rapp is 36.  Singer Mark Barry (BBMak) is 29. Olympic silver medal figure skater Sasha Cohen is 23.