Today in history: October 25

updated 12:05 a.m. ET Oct. 25, 2006

Today is Wednesday, Oct. 25, the 298th day of 2006. There are 67 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:
On Oct. 25, 1854, the “Charge of the Light Brigade” took place during the Crimean War as an English brigade of more than 600 men, facing hopeless odds, charged the Russian army during the Battle of Balaclava and suffered heavy losses.

On this date:
In 1400, author Geoffrey Chaucer died in London.

In 1760, Britain’s King George III succeeded his late grandfather, George II.

In 1918, the Canadian steamship Princess Sophia foundered off the coast of Alaska; some 350 people perished.

In 1939, the drama “The Time of Your Life,” by William Saroyan, opened in New York.

In 1951, peace talks aimed at ending the Korean Conflict resumed in Panmunjom after 63 days.

In 1962, U.S. ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson presented photographic evidence of Soviet missile bases in Cuba to the U.N. Security Council.

In 1971, the U.N. General Assembly voted to admit mainland China and expel Taiwan.

In 1983, a U.S.-led force invaded Grenada at the order of President Reagan, who said the action was needed to protect U.S. citizens there.

In 1986, in Game 6 of the World Series, the Boston Red Sox lost to the New York Mets 6-5 on a wild pitch and an error in the tenth inning, forcing a seventh game, which the Mets ended up winning.

In 2002, U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., was killed in a plane crash in northern Minnesota 11 days before the election.

Ten years ago: Federal judge Richard Matsch granted Oklahoma City bombing defendants Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols separate trials.

Five years ago: A day after the House signed on, the Senate sent President Bush the USA Patriot Act, a package of anti-terror measures giving police sweeping new powers to search people’s homes and business records secretly and to eavesdrop on telephone and computer conversations. Ford Motor Co. settled one of the industry’s biggest auto defect cases, agreeing to pay for repairs on millions of cars and trucks with an ignition-system flaw that could cause the vehicles to stall in traffic.

One year ago: U.S. military deaths in Iraq reached the 2,000 mark. Iraq’s election commission declared that final results from the Oct. 15 referendum showed the new constitution was ratified by a huge margin, paving the way for elections. In the World Series, the Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros began playing Game 3, which turned into a 14-inning marathon that did not end until well after midnight with Chicago winning 7-5.

Today’s Birthdays: Former baseball player Bobby Thomson is 83. Former American League president Dr. Bobby Brown is 82. Actress Jeanne Cooper is 78. Actress Marion Ross is 78. Country singer Jeanne Black is 69. Singer Helen Reddy is 65. Author Anne Tyler is 65. Rock singer Jon Anderson (Yes) is 62. Singer Taffy Danoff (Starland Vocal Band) is 62. Rock musician Glen Tipton (Judas Priest) is 58. Actor Brian Kerwin is 57. Rock musician Matthias Jabs is 50. Actress Nancy Cartwright (“The Simpsons”) is 49. Country singer Mark Miller (Sawyer Brown) is 48. Rock musician Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers) is 44. Actress Tracy Nelson is 43. Actor Michael Boatman is 42. Actor Kevin Michael Richardson is 42. Singer Speech is 38. Actor Adam Goldberg is 36. Rock musician Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) is 36. Country singer Chely Wright is 36. Violinist Midori is 35. Actor Mehcad Brooks (“Desperate Housewives”) is 26. Actor Ben Gould is 26. Rhythm-and-blues singer Young Rome is 25. Singer Ciara is 21. Actress Conchita Campbell (“The 4400”) is 11.

Thought for Today: “Life is not a spectacle or a feast; it is a predicament.” — George Santayana, Spanish-born philosopher (1863-1952).

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