Today is Thursday, Sept. 11, the 255th day of 2008. There are 111 days left in the year. This is Patriot Day.

Today’s Highlight in History

On Sept. 11, 2001, in the single worst act of terrorism committed on U.S. soil, nearly 3,000 people died when two hijacked jetliners crashed into New York’s World Trade Center, causing the twin towers to collapse; a commandeered jetliner smashed into the Pentagon; and a fourth hijacked plane crashed in western Pennsylvania.

On this date

In 1789, Alexander Hamilton was appointed the first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury.

In 1971, former Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev died at age 77.

In 1972, the troubled Munich Summer Olympics ended.

In 1974, an Eastern Airlines DC-9 crashed during a landing attempt in Charlotte, N.C., killing 72 of the people on board.

In 1978, Georgi Markov, a Bulgarian defector, died at a British hospital four days after being stabbed by a man wielding a poisoned umbrella tip.

In 1985, Pete Rose of the Cincinnati Reds cracked career hit number 4,192 off Eric Show of the San Diego Padres, eclipsing the record held by Ty Cobb.

Ten years ago

Congress released Kenneth Starr’s voluminous report that offered graphic details of President Clinton’s alleged sexual misconduct and leveled accusations of perjury and obstruction of justice; the president’s attorneys quickly issued a point-by-point rebuttal. Divers off Nova Scotia recovered the cockpit voice recorder from Swissair Flight 111, which had crashed Sept. 2 with 229 people aboard.

Five years ago

Israel issued an ominous threat to “remove” Yasser Arafat for failing to halt suicide bombings. Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh died from stab wounds inflicted when she was attacked in a Stockholm department store a day earlier. Actor John Ritter died in Los Angeles at age 54.

One year ago

A militant group called Islamic Jihad Union claimed responsibility for foiled bombings that targeted Ramstein U.S. Air Base as well as U.S. and Uzbek consulates in Germany. A new Osama bin Laden videotape was released on the sixth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks. China signed an agreement to prohibit the use of lead paint on toys exported to the United States.

Today’s Birthdays

Actor Earl Holliman is 80. Movie director Brian De Palma is 68. Rock musician Mickey Hart (The Dead) is 65. Actress Amy Madigan is 58. Rock singer-musician Tommy Shaw (Styx) is 55. Sports reporter Lesley Visser is 55. Singer-songwriter Diane Warren is 52. Actress Roxann Dawson is 50. Actress Virginia Madsen is 47. Actress Kristy McNichol is 46. Musician-composer Moby is 43. Business reporter Maria Bartiromo is 41. Singer Harry Connick Jr. is 41. Rock musician Bart Van Der Zeeuw is 40. Actress Laura Wright is 38. Rock musician Jeremy Popoff (Lit) is 37. Singer Brad Fischetti (LFO) is 33. Rapper Mr. Black is 31. Rock musician Jon Buckland (Coldplay) is 31. Rapper Ludacris is 31. Rock singer Ben Lee is 30. Actor Ryan Slattery is 30. Country singer Charles Kelley (Lady Antebellum) is 27. Actor Tyler Hoechlin is 21.

Thought for Today

“There would never be a moment, in war or in peace, when I wouldn’t trade all the patriots in the country for one tolerant man. Or when I wouldn’t swap the vitamins in a child’s lunch box for a jelly glass of magnanimity.” — E.B. White, American author and humorist (1899-1985)