TODAY IN HISTORY

Friday, August  31, 2012 AP Highlight in History:  On Aug. 31, 1980, Poland's Solidarity labor movement was born with an agreement that ended a 17-day strike at the Lenin shipyard in Gdansk.   AP Photo/Reportagebild
On this date in: 1888 Mary Ann Nichols, a prostitute, was found murdered in London's East End. She is generally regarded as the first victim of Jack the Ripper. 1935 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an act prohibiting the export of U.S. arms to belligerents. 1954 Hurricane Carol hit the northeastern United States, resulting in nearly 70 deaths and millions of dollars in damage. 1962 The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago became independent within the British Commonwealth. 1985 California's "Night Stalker" killer Richard Ramirez was captured by residents of an East Los Angeles neighborhood. 1992 White separatist Randy Weaver surrendered to authorities in Naples, Idaho, ending an 11-day siege by federal agents that claimed the lives of Weaver's wife and son and a deputy U.S. marshal. AP Photo/Gary Stewart 1994 Russia officially ended its military presence in the former East Germany and the Baltics after half a century. 1997 Britain's Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris at age 36. AP Photo 2005 Some 1,000 people were killed when a religious procession across a Baghdad bridge was engulfed in panic over rumors of a suicide bomber. 2006 Iran defied a U.N. deadline to stop enriching uranium. 2009 Walt Disney Co. announced it was acquiring comic book giant Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion. 2010 President Barack Obama ended the U.S. combat mission in Iraq, declaring no victory after seven years of bloodshed.		Video HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS DAY IN HISTORY Today's Birthdays: Actor Richard Gere turns 63 years old today. AP Photo/Danny Moloshok Name Profession Age Frank Robinson Baseball Hall of Famer 77 Jerry Allison Rock musician (Buddy Holly and the Crickets) 73 Van Morrison Rock singer, musician 67 Itzhak Perlman Violinist 67 Glenn Tilbrook Rock singer (Squeeze) 55 Deborah Gibson Singer, actress 42 Queen Rania Wife of Jordan's King Abdullah II 42 Chris Tucker Actor 40 Sara Ramirez Actress ("Grey's Anatomy") 37 Larry Fitzgerald Football player 29 New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin turns 66 years old today. AP Photo/Kathy Willens