TODAY IN HISTORY

Thursday, September  20, 2012 AP Highlight in History:  On Sept. 20, 1962, James Meredith, a black man, was blocked from enrolling at the University of Mississippi by Gov. Ross R. Barnett.   AP Photo/Fred Waters
On this date in: 1519 Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan set out from Spain on a voyage to find a western passage to the Spice Islands in Indonesia. 1870 Italian troops took control of the Papal States, leading to the unification of Italy. 1873 Panic swept the New York Stock Exchange in the wake of railroad bond defaults and bank failures. 1881 Chester A. Arthur was sworn in as the 21st president of the United States, succeeding James A. Garfield, who had been assassinated. 1973 In their so-called "battle of the sexes" on the tennis court, Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 at the Houston Astrodome. 1977 The first wave of Southeast Asian "boat people" arrived in San Francisco under a U.S. resettlement program. 1984 A suicide car bomber attacked the U.S. Embassy annex in north Beirut, killing a dozen people. 1998 After playing in a record 2,632 consecutive games over 16 seasons, Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles sat out a game against the New York Yankees. 2005 Holocaust survivor and Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal died at age 96. 2011 Repeal of the U.S. military's 18-year-old "don't ask, don't tell" compromise took effect, allowing gay and lesbian service members to serve openly.		Video HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS DAY IN HISTORY Today's Birthdays: Actress Sophia Loren turns 78 years old today. AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill Name Profession Age Gogi Grant Singer 88 Anne Meara Actress, comedian 83 Guy LaFleur Hockey Hall of Famer 61 Kristen Johnston Actress ("3rd Rock From the Sun") 45 Gunnar Nelson Rock singer (Nelson) 45 Matthew Nelson Rock singer (Nelson) 45 Actor Gary Cole turns 56 years old today. AP Photo/Dan Steinberg