ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 294th day of 2020 and the 29th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1944, U.S. forces landed on the island of Leyte, beginning a monthslong campaign to free the Philippines from Japanese control.

In 1947, the House Un-American Activities Committee opened its first hearings on communist influence in the film industry.

In 1977, three members of the band Lynyrd Skynyrd were killed (along with their road manager and the two pilots) when their chartered plane crashed in Mississippi.

In 2011, ousted Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was captured and killed by rebel forces in Sirte, Libya.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Arthur Rimbaud (1854-1891), poet; Bela Lugosi (1882-1956), actor; Art Buchwald (1925-2007), columnist; Joyce Brothers (1927-2013), psychologist/columnist; Mickey Mantle (1931-1995), baseball player; Jerry Orbach (1935-2004), actor; Tom Petty (1950-2017), singer-songwriter; Danny Boyle (1956- ), film director; Viggo Mortensen (1958- ), actor; Kamala Harris (1964- ), politician; Snoop Dogg (1971- ), rapper/actor; John Krasinski (1979- ), actor.

TODAY'S FACT: Only four nations in the world currently self-identify as communist states: China, Cuba, Laos and Vietnam.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1968, American Dick Fosbury won a gold medal and set an Olympic record when he high-jumped 7 feet 4 1/4 inches at the Olympic Games in Mexico City, marking the international debut of his signature jump style, the "Fosbury Flop."

TODAY'S QUOTE: "It's so easy for a kid to join a gang, to do drugs ... we should make it that easy to be involved in football and academics." -- Snoop Dogg

TODAY'S NUMBER: 18 -- World Series home runs hit by Mickey Mantle in his 18-year career, a record that still stands.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (Oct. 16) and first quarter moon (Oct. 23).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 293rd day of 2020 and the 28th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1781, Lord Charles Cornwallis' British troops surrendered at Yorktown, Virginia, heralding an imminent victory for the Continental Army.

In 1960, the United States imposed an embargo on exports to Cuba except for medical supplies and certain foods.

In 1987, "Black Monday" set a new Wall Street record for a single-day decline when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged 508 points.

In 2003, Mother Teresa was beatified by Pope John Paul II.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Auguste Lumiere (1862-1954), inventor/filmmaker; Charles Merrill (1885-1956), investment banker; Jack Anderson (1922-2005), columnist; John le Carre (1931- ), author; John Lithgow (1945- ), actor; Jennifer Holliday (1960- ), singer/actress; Evander Holyfield (1962- ), boxer; Ty Pennington (1964- ), TV host/carpenter; Jon Favreau (1966- ), actor/director; Trey Parker (1969- ), TV producer/writer; Jason Reitman (1977- ), filmmaker; Gillian Jacobs (1982- ), actress.

TODAY'S FACT: John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the United States, was sworn in on this day in 1789.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1957, Maurice "Rocket" Richard of the Montreal Canadiens became the first NHL player to score 500 goals.

TODAY'S QUOTE: " Pressure bursts pipes. I thank God for giving me the peace of mind to overcome pressure. The difference between winning and losing is when pressure hits." -- Evander Holyfield

TODAY'S NUMBER: 5 -- Emmy wins for Trey Parker and Matt Stone's "South Park." The mature-audiences animated sitcom has been nominated for the Outstanding Animated Program award 17 times in its 24 seasons.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (Oct. 16) and first quarter moon (Oct. 23).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 292nd day of 2020 and the 27th day of autumn.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1767, the boundary between Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania (the Mason-Dixon Line) was established.

In 1962, Drs. James Watson, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins won the Nobel Prize in medicine/physiology for uncovering the double-helix structure of DNA.

In 2001, four al-Qaida members were sentenced to life in prison for bombing the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Pierre Trudeau (1919-2000), Canadian prime minister; Jesse Helms (1921-2008), U.S. senator; Chuck Berry (1926-2017), singer-songwriter; George C. Scott (1927-1999), actor; Peter Boyle (1935-2006), actor; Mike Ditka (1939- ), football coach/player; Wendy Wasserstein (1950-2006), playwright; Martina Navratilova (1956- ), tennis player; Jean-Claude Van Damme (1960- ), actor; Wynton Marsalis (1961- ), jazz musician; Esperanza Spalding (1984- ), singer-songwriter; Lindsey Vonn (1984- ), skier; Zac Efron (1987- ), actor.

TODAY'S FACT: The Mason-Dixon Line surveyed by Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon in 1767 left a "wedge" of land in dispute between Delaware and Pennsylvania until 1921.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1977, New York Yankees outfielder Reggie Jackson hit three home runs on three consecutive swings against three different Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers, leading his team to an 8-4 win (and the series win) in Game 6 of the World Series.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "You can grow up with literally nothing and you don't suffer if you know you're loved and valued." -- Esperanza Spalding

TODAY'S NUMBER: $556.37 -- Herman Melville's total earnings from the 3,715 copies of "Moby-Dick" that sold during his lifetime. The now-classic novel was first published as a three-volume edition titled "The Whale" on this day in 1851.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (Oct. 16) and first quarter moon (Oct. 23).