Days gone by Oct. 24, 2009

Thought for today: Happiness is not a horse; you cannot harness it — Russian proverb.

Today’s birthdays: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, Dutch scientist (1632-1723); Bill Wyman, member of the Rolling Stones (1936--); Kevin Kline, U.S. actor (1947--).

Today is: Saturday, October 24, the 297th day of 2009. There are 68 days left in the year.

Highlights in history on this date: In 1861, the first transcontinental telegraph message is sent as Justice Stephen J. Field of California transmits a telegram to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln.
In 1901, Anna Edson Taylor, a 43-year-old widow, becomes the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel and live to tell about it.
In 1929, “Black Thursday” — the New York Stock Exchange loses 12.8 percent of its value in one day.