Today

1941 ÷ The United States entered World War II as Congress declared war against Japan, a day after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

1980 ÷ Rock musician John Lennon of the Beatles was shot to death outside his New York City apartment building by a deranged fan.

1995 ÷ The Grateful Dead announced it was breaking up after 30 years of making music. The news came four months after the death of lead guitarist Jerry Garcia.

Tomorrow

1992 ÷ Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana announced their separation.

1994 ÷ President Clinton fired Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders after learning she'd told a conference that masturbation should be discussed in school as a part of human sexuality.

2001 ÷ United States disclosed the existence of a videotape in which Osama bin Laden said he was pleasantly surprised by the extent of damage from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Wednesday

1958 ÷ The first domestic passenger jet flight took place in the United States as a National Airlines Boeing 707 flew 111 passengers from New York City to Miami.

1964 ÷ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize during ceremonies in Oslo, Norway.

1967 ÷ Singer Otis Redding died in the crash of his private plane in Wisconsin.

Thursday

1882 ÷ Fiorello H. La Guardia, the former mayor of New York City for three consecutive terms, was born.

1961 ÷ A U.S. aircraft carrier carrying Army helicopters arrived in Saigon ÷ the first direct American military support for South Vietnam's battle against Communist guerrillas.

1997 ÷ More than 150 countries agreed at a global warming conference in Kyoto, Japan, to control the Earth's greenhouse gases.

Friday

1915 ÷ Frank Sinatra, an American singer and actor, was born.

1870 ÷ Joseph H. Rainey of South Carolina took his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first black congressman.

1925 ÷ The first motel ÷ the Motel Inn ÷ opened in San Luis Obispo, Calif.