Today is the 268th day of 2015 and the third day of autumn.
TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1513, Spanish explorer Vasco Nunez de Balboa became the first European to see the Pacific Ocean.
In 1789, Congress approved the ten Constitutional amendments collectively known as the Bill of Rights and sent them to the states for ratification.
In 1957, U.S. Army troops stood guard as black students were admitted to Central High School in Little Rock, Ark., for the first time.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: William Faulkner (1897-1962), author; Walter "Red" Smith (1905-1982), sportswriter; Phil Rizzuto (1917-2007), baseball player; Barbara Walters (1929- ), TV journalist; Shel Silverstein (1930-1999), author; Michael Douglas (1944- ), actor; Mark Hamill (1951- ), actor; Christopher Reeve (1952-2004), actor; Heather Locklear (1961- ), actress; Scottie Pippen (1965- ), basketball player; Will Smith (1968- ), actor/rapper; Catherine Zeta-Jones (1969- ), actress; T.I. (1980- ), rapper.
TODAY'S FACT: Of the 160 nominations to the Supreme Court since 1789, 12 were rejected by the Senate.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1882, Providence and Worcester competed in Major League Baseball's first doubleheader.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "The artist doesn't have time to listen to the critics. The ones who want to be writers read the reviews, the ones who want to write don't have the time to read reviews." -- William Faulkner
TODAY'S NUMBER: 164 -- Major League Baseball games won by pitcher Tommy John after he underwent the first ulnar collateral ligament replacement surgery on this day in 1974. The procedure, now known as Tommy John surgery, has been performed on dozens of major league pitchers since.
TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Sept. 21) and full moon (Sept. 27).