Today is the 321st day of 2014 and the 57th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1800, the United States Congress met for the first time in Washington, D.C., in the unfinished Capitol building.

In 1869, the Suez Canal was officially opened.

In 1871, the National Rifle Association was granted a charter by the state of New York.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy dedicated Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C.

In 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger was sworn in as governor of California.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Shelby Foote (1916-2005), author/historian; Rock Hudson (1925-1985), actor; Martin Scorsese (1942- ), film director; Lauren Hutton (1943- ), actress; Danny DeVito (1944- ), actor; Lorne Michaels (1944- ), producer; Howard Dean (1948- ), politician; Stephen Root (1951- ), actor; Jeff Buckley (1966-1997), singer-songwriter; Sophie Marceau (1966- ), actress; Rachel McAdams (1978- ), actress; Reggie Wayne (1978- ), football player; Ryan Braun (1983- ), baseball player; Christopher Paolini (1983- ), writer.

TODAY'S FACT: Congress passed the Height of Buildings Act in 1899, stating that no building in Washington, D.C., could be built taller than 130 feet. (Contrary to popular myth, the Capitol is not mentioned in the legislation.) It was amended in 1910, allowing buildings to be as tall as the width of the adjacent street plus 20 feet.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1968, with about a minute on the clock and the New York Jets leading the Oakland Raiders, 32-29, NBC switched to a scheduled broadcast of "Heidi." Oakland then scored two touchdowns in nine seconds, winning 43-32, as thousands of deprived fans overloaded NBC's switchboard.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "I abhor the idea of a perfect world. It would bore me to tears." -- Shelby Foote

TODAY'S NUMBER: 1,900 -- average number of flight departures and landings at Washington Dulles International Airport on a given day.

TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (Nov. 14) and new moon (Nov. 22).

Today is the 320th day of 2014 and the 56th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1801, the first New York Post newspaper was published.

In 1841, the first underwater tunnel was completed beneath the Thames River in London.

In 1907, Oklahoma was admitted as the 46th U.S. state.

In 1914, the Federal Reserve System of the United States officially opened.

In 1973, President Richard Nixon signed legislation authorizing the construction of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: W.C. Handy (1873-1958), composer; George Kaufman (1889-1961), playwright; Burgess Meredith (1907-1997), actor; Jose Saramago (1922-2010), author; Chinua Achebe (1930-2013), author; Marg Helgenberger (1958- ), actress; Dwight Gooden (1964- ), baseball player; Lisa Bonet (1967- ), actress; Oksana Baiul (1977- ), figure skater; Maggie Gyllenhaal (1977- ), actress; Amar'e Stoudemire (1982- ), basketball player.

TODAY'S FACT: The $5 bill is the U.S. currency with the shortest lifespan, lasting an average of 16 months in circulation.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1957, the longest winning streak in college football history ended at 47 games, when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish upset the Oklahoma Sooners.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "When suffering knocks at your door and you say there is no seat for him, he tells you not to worry because he has brought his own stool." -- Chinua Achebe

TODAY'S NUMBER: 800 -- length (in miles) of the trans-Alaska pipeline system.

TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (Nov. 14) and new moon (Nov. 22).

Today is the 319th day of 2014 and the 55th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1920, the League of Nations held its first assembly in Geneva.

In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt laid the cornerstone for the Jefferson Memorial during a ceremony in Washington, D.C.

In 1969, Vietnam anti-war demonstrations reached a peak when an estimated quarter- to half-million protesters marched peacefully in Washington, D.C.

In 2002, Hu Jintao took over leadership of China's Communist Party, replacing Jiang Zemin.

In 2006, the international 24-hour news channel Al Jazeera English launched worldwide.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: William Herschel (1738-1822), astronomer; Felix Frankfurter (1882-1965), U.S. Supreme Court justice; Marianne Moore (1887-1972), poet; Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986), artist; Ed Asner (1929- ), actor; Petula Clark (1932- ), singer; Sam Waterston (1940- ), actor; Daniel Barenboim (1942- ), pianist/conductor; Beverly D'Angelo (1951- ), actress; Jonny Lee Miller (1972- ), actor; Chad Kroeger (1974- ), singer-songwriter; Shailene Woodley (1991- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: Georgia O'Keeffe was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian honor, by President Gerald Ford in 1977.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 2005, Major League Baseball team owners and the players' union agreed on a tougher testing policy for steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs.

TODAY'S QUOTE: " The deepest feeling always shows itself in silence." -- Marianne Moore

TODAY'S NUMBER: 22 -- average age of a U.S. infantryman serving in the Vietnam War.

TODAY'S MOON: Between last quarter moon (Nov. 14) and new moon (Nov. 22).