Today is Thursday, Sept. 10, the 253rd day of 2009. There are 112 days left in the year.

On this date

In 1813, an American naval force commanded by Oliver H. Perry defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812.

In 1935, Sen. Huey P. Long, "The Kingfish" of Louisiana politics, died in Baton Rouge two days after being shot in the state Capitol.

In 1939, Canada declared war on Nazi Germany as Parliament acted at the behest of Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King.

In 1963, 20 black students entered Alabama public schools after a standoff between federal authorities and Gov. George C. Wallace.

In 1977, convicted murderer Hamida Djandoubi, a Tunisian immigrant, became the last person to date to be executed by the guillotine in France.

Today's Birthdays: Golfer Arnold Palmer is 80. Actor Philip Baker Hall is 78. Country singer Tommy Overstreet is 72. Actor Greg Mullavey is 70. Jazz vibraphonist Roy Ayers is 69. Singer Danny Hutton (Three Dog Night) is 67. Singer Jose Feliciano is 64. Actor Tom Ligon is 64. Actress Judy Geeson is 61. Former Canadian first lady Margaret Trudeau is 61. Political commentator Bill O'Reilly is 60. Rock musician Joe Perry (Aerosmith) is 59. Actress Amy Irving is 56. Country singer Rosie Flores is 53. Actress Kate Burton is 52. Movie director Chris Columbus is 51. Actor Colin Firth is 49. Rock singer-musician David Lowery (Cracker) is 49. Pitcher Randy Johnson is 46. Rock musician Stevie D. (Buckcherry) is 43. Rock musician Robin Goodridge (Bush) is 43. Rock singer-musician Miles Zuniga (Fastball) is 43. Rapper Big Daddy Kane is 41. Movie director Guy Ritchie is 41. Actor Ryan Phillippe is 35. NBA All-Star Ben Wallace is 35. Rock musician Mikey Way (My Chemical Romance) is 29. Olympic bronze medal figure skater Timothy Goebel is 29.

Thought for Today: "History is the great dust-heap ... a pageant and not a philosophy." -- Augustine Birrell, English author and statesman (1850-1933).