Today is the 309th day of 2016 and the 44th day of autumn.
TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1922, British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the entrance to King Tutankhamen's tomb in Egypt.
In 1979, the Iran hostage crisis began when militants loyal to Ayatollah Khomeini took 66 American hostages at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.
In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated by a right-wing Israeli gunman.
In 2008, Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois became the first African-American to be elected president of the United States.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Will Rogers (1879-1935), humorist/writer/actor; Walter Cronkite (1916-2009), journalist; Art Carney (1918-2003), actor; Doris Roberts (1925-2016), actress; C.K. Williams (1936-2015), poet; Laura Bush (1946- ), first lady; Kathy Griffin (1960- ), comedian; Jeff Probst (1961- ), TV host; Sean "Diddy" Combs (1969- ), rapper/producer; Matthew McConaughey (1969- ), actor; Vince Wilfork (1981- ), football player.
TODAY'S FACT: The peripheral rooms of King Tutankhamen's burial chamber had been looted before Howard Carter's discovery in 1922, while the room in which Tut was actually buried remained completely intact.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 2001, the Arizona Diamondbacks defeated the New York Yankees 3-2 in Game 7 to win the World Series, making the 4-year-old franchise the fastest expansion team to win the MLB championship.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "Half our life is spent trying to find something to do with the time we have rushed through life trying to save." -- Will Rogers
TODAY'S NUMBER: 444 -- days that 52 of the American hostages in Iran were held captive, until Jan. 20, 1981.
TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (Oct. 30) and first quarter moon (Nov. 7).