Today in History - History - October 11th

2006"30 Rock", starring Tina Fey, Alec Baldwin, and Tracy Morgan, debuts on NBC

1726Benjamin Franklin returns to Philadelphia from England

19622nd Vatican Council (21st ecumenical) convened by Pope John XXIII

1945Chinese civil war begins, Chiang Kai-Shek vs Mao Zedong

1521Pope Leo X titles King Henry VIII of England "Defender of the Faith"

1944"Laura", starring Gene Tierney, is released

1976Mao Zedong's widow Jiang Qing & "Gang of Four" arrested & charged with plotting a coup

1969Blues artist Muddy Waters involved in a car crash that kills 3

1978Dodgers Bob Welch dramatically strikes out Reggie Jackson in 9th

1997Dennis Rodman returns from 2nd longest NBA suspension (11 games)

1884Eleanor Roosevelt, [Anna], New York, 1st lady (1933-1945)/crusader (Nobel 1931), (d. 1962)

1844Henry John Heinz, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, founded prepared-foods company (Heinz-57 varieties), (d. 1919)

1938Jazz musician Louis Armstrong (37) weds longtime girlfriend Alpha Smith

1987Rock and blues singer Joe Cocker (43) weds Pam Baker

1975Future US President Bill Clinton weds future Secretary of State Hillary Rodham

1948Fellow students Fidel Castro and Mirta Diaz-Balart marry (divorced 1955)

1809Meriwether Lewis, (Lewis & Clark Expedition), commits suicide at 35

1963Edith Piaf, French singer (No, I don't regret anything), dies at 47