Today in History: Wednesday, October 15, 2014

AP Highlight in History:  On Oct. 15, 1969, peace demonstrators staged activities across the country, including a candlelight march around the White House, as part of a moratorium against the Vietnam War.   AP Photo/CT
On this date in: 1860 Eleven-year-old Grace Bedell of Westfield, N.Y., wrote a letter to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he could improve his appearance by growing a beard. 1946 Nazi war criminal Hermann Goering fatally poisoned himself hours before he was to have been executed. AP Photo 1951 The situation comedy "I Love Lucy" premiered on CBS. 1964 It was announced that Soviet leader Nikita S. Khrushchev had been removed from office. 1976 Democrat Walter F. Mondale and Republican Bob Dole faced off in the first debate between vice-presidential nominees. 1990 Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev was named the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. 1990 South Africa's Separate Amenities Act, which had barred blacks from public facilities for decades, was scrapped. 1991 The Senate narrowly confirmed the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court, 52-48. 1993 Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts to end apartheid in South Africa. 2002 ImClone Systems founder Sam Waksal pleaded guilty in New York in the biotech company's insider trading scandal. 2005 Iraqis voted to approve a constitution. 2007 The New York Yankees and third baseman Alex Rodriguez agreed on a record 10-year, $275 million contract, the richest in sports history. 2009 A false report that a 6-year-old boy was aboard a runaway balloon in Colorado captivated a global TV audience. (The boy's parents later pleaded guilty to charges they made up the story.)		Video Highlights of This Day in History Today's Birthdays: Actress Linda Lavin ("Alice") turns 77 years old today. AP Photo/Peter Kramer Name Profession Age Lee Iacocca Former Chrysler chairman 90 Barry McGuire Rock singer 79 Penny Marshall Actress, director 71 Jim Palmer Baseball Hall of Famer 69 Richard Carpenter Singer, musician (The Carpenters) 68 Larry Miller Actor 61 Jere Burns Actor 60 Tanya Roberts Actress 59 Sarah Ferguson Duchess of York 55 Emeril Lagasse TV chef 55 Eric Benet R&B singer 48 Paige Davis TV host ("Trading Spaces") 45 Dominic West Actor ("The Wire") 45 Ginuwine R&B singer 44 Singer Tito Jackson (The Jackson Five) turns 61 years old today. AP Photo/Dan Steinberg