Today is the 303rd day of 2012 and the 38th day of autumn.
TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1929, the stock market crashed in what came to be called "Black Tuesday."
In 1966, the newly formed National Organization for Women held its first conference.
In 1969, the first connection on ARPANET (which introduced technology that would lead to the Internet) was made between computers at UCLA and Stanford Research Institute.
In 2004, European leaders signed the first constitution of the European Union.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Fanny Brice (1891-1951), singer/comedian; Bill Mauldin (1921-2003), cartoonist; Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (1938- ), Liberian president; Bob Ross (1942-1995), painter/instructor; Richard Dreyfuss (1947- ), actor; Randy Jackson (1961- ), musician/TV personality; Joely Fisher (1967- ), actress; Winona Ryder (1971- ), actress.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1969, New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver won the Cy Young Award with 23 of 24 first-place votes.
TODAY'S FACT: Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is Africa's first female head of state.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "There are only two places in the league: first place and no place." -- Tom Seaver
TODAY'S NUMBER: 2.5 -- hours by which the ticker tape from the New York Stock Exchange fell behind on Black Tuesday due to volume of trading.
TODAY'S MOON: Full moon (Oct. 29).