This Day in History

In 1931, Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon completed the first nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean, arriving in Washington state some 41 hours after leaving Japan.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman delivered the first televised White House address as he spoke on the world food crisis.

In 1953, Earl Warren was sworn in as the 14th chief justice of the United States, succeeding Fred M. Vinson.

In 1958, racially desegregated Clinton High School in Clinton, Tenn., was mostly leveled by an early morning bombing.

In 1969, the British TV comedy program "Monty Python’s Flying Circus” made its debut on BBC 1.

In 1970, British trade commissioner James Richard Cross was kidnapped in Canada by militant Quebec separatists; he was released the following December.

In 1988, Democrat Lloyd Bentsen lambasted Republican Dan Quayle during their vice presidential debate, telling Quayle, "Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.”

In 1989, a jury in Charlotte, N.C., convicted former PTL evangelist Jim Bakker of using his TV show to defraud followers. The Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, was named winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Ten years ago: It was announced that MCI WorldCom Inc. had agreed to pay $115 billion for Sprint Corp. (However, the deal collapsed less than a year later amid regulators’ objections.)

Five years ago: Vice President Dick Cheney and Democratic rival John Edwards slugged it out over Iraq, jobs and each other’s judgment in their one and only debate of the 2004 campaign.

Americans’ supply of flu vaccine was abruptly cut in half as British regulators unexpectedly shut down Chiron Corp., a major supplier. Americans David Gross, H. David Politzer and Frank Wilczeck won the Nobel Prize in physics. Tiger Woods married Swedish model Elin Nordegren in Barbados. Comedian Rodney Dangerfield died in Los Angeles at age 82.

One year ago: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice visited Kazakhstan, where she met with Foreign Minister Marat Tazhin; during a news conference, Rice said no one should question Kazakhstan’s desire to have good relations with all countries in its region. In the wake of the global financial meltdown, Germany said it would follow suit with Ireland and Greece in guaranteeing all private bank accounts. The Detroit Shock won their third WNBA title in six seasons, beating the San Antonio Silver Stars 76-60 in Game 3. Producer and TV personality Lloyd Thaxton died in Los Angeles at age 81.

Today's Birthdays:

"Family Circus” cartoonist Bil Keane is 87. Actress Glynis Johns is 86. Comedian Bill Dana is 85. Actress Diane Cilento is 76. The former president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel is 73. College Football Hall of Fame coach Barry Switzer is 72. R&B singer Arlene Smith (The Chantels) is 68. Singer Richard Street is 67. Singer-musician Steve Miller is 66. Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., is 66. Actor Jeff Conaway is 59. Actress Karen Allen is 58. Writer-producer-director Clive Barker is 57. Rock musician David Bryson (Counting Crows) is 55. Rock singer and famine-relief organizer Bob Geldof is 55. Architect Maya Lin is 50. Actor Daniel Baldwin is 49. Rock singer-musician Dave Dederer is 45. Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux is 44. Actor Guy Pearce is 42. Actress Josie Bissett is 39. Phoenix Suns forward Grant Hill is 37. Singer-actress Heather Headley is 35. Pop-rock singer Colin Meloy (The Decemberists) is 35. Rock musician Brian Mashburn (Save Ferris) is 34. Actress Parminder Nagra is 34. Actor Scott Weinger is 34. Rock musician James Valentine (Maroon 5) is 31. Rock musician Paul Thomas (Good Charlotte) is 29. R&B singer Brooke Valentine is 24. Actor Joshua Logan Moore ("Desperate Housewives”) is 15.