By The Associated Press

Today in History

Today is Saturday, Oct. 9, the 282nd day of 2021. There are 83 days left in the year.

Todayís Highlight in History:

On Oct. 9, 1967, Marxist revolutionary guerrilla leader Che Guevara, 39, was summarily executed by the Bolivian army a day after his capture.

On this date:

In 1888, the public was first admitted to the Washington Monument.

In 1910, a coal dust explosion at the Starkville Mine in Colorado left 56 miners dead.

In 1936, the first generator at Boulder (later Hoover) Dam began transmitting electricity to Los Angeles.

In 1940, rock-and-roll legend John Lennon was born in Liverpool, England. (On this date in 1975, his son, Sean, was born in New York.)

In 1975, Soviet scientist Andrei Sakharov (AHNí-dray SAHKí-ah-rawf) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

In 1985, the hijackers of the Achille Lauro (ah-KEEí-leh LOWí-roh) cruise liner surrendered two days after seizing the vessel in the Mediterranean. (Passenger Leon Klinghoffer was killed by the hijackers during the standoff.)

In 2001, in the first daylight raids since the start of U.S.-led attacks on Afghanistan, jets bombed the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar. Letters postmarked in Trenton, N.J., were sent to Sens. Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy; the letters later tested positive for anthrax.

In 2009, President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for what the Norwegian Nobel Committee called ìhis extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.î

In 2012, former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky was sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison following his conviction on 45 counts of sexual abuse of boys.

In 2014, six U.S. military planes arrived in the Ebola hot zone with more Marines as West African leaders pleaded for the worldís help in dealing with what Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma described as ìa tragedy unforeseen in modern times.î

Ten years ago: At least 27 people were killed and more than 200 injured during massive clashes in downtown Cairo in the worst sectarian outburst since the February revolution. The NHL returned to Winnipeg after 15 years; Carey Price stopped 30 shots as the Montreal Canadiens put a damper on a massive civic celebration with a 5-1 victory over the Jets. Paul McCartney married Nancy Shevell at Old Marylebone Town Hall in London.

Five years ago: During a bitter debate in St. Louis, Hillary Clinton declared that Donald Trumpís vulgar comments about women revealed ìexactly who he isî and proved his unsuitability to be president; firing back, Trump accused Clinton of attacking women involved in Bill Clintonís extramarital affairs and promised she would ìbe in jailî if he were president.