Today in History: September 13, thousands rescued in wake of Hurricane Ike

Today is Friday, Sept. 13, the 257th day of 2024. There are 109 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Sept. 13, 2008, crews rescued people from their homes in an all-out search for thousands of Texans who had stayed behind overnight to face Hurricane Ike.

Also on this date:

In 1788, the Congress of the Confederation authorized the first national election and declared New York City the temporary national capital.

In 1948, Republican Margaret Chase Smith of Maine was elected to the U.S. Senate; she became the first woman to serve in both houses of Congress.

In 1971, a four-day inmate rebellion at the Attica Correctional Facility in western New York ended as police and guards stormed the prison; the ordeal and final assault claimed the lives of 32 inmates and 11 hostages.

In 1997, a funeral was held in Calcutta, India, for Nobel peace laureate Mother Teresa.

In 1993, at the White House, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and PLO chairman Yasser Arafat shook hands after signing an accord granting limited Palestinian autonomy.

In 2010, Rafael Nadal beat Novak Djokovic to win his first U.S. Open title and complete a career Grand Slam.

In 2021, school resumed for New York City public school students in the nation’s largest experiment of in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Actor Barbara Bain is 93.
• Nobel Peace Prize laureate Óscar Arias is 84.
• Rock singer David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears) is 83.
• Actor Jacqueline Bisset is 80.
• Singer Peter Cetera is 80.
• Actor Jean Smart is 73.
• Record producer Don Was is 72.
• Chef Alain Ducasse is 68.
• Rock singer-musician Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) is 63.
• Olympic gold medal sprinter Michael Johnson is 57.
• Filmmaker Tyler Perry is 55.
• Fashion designer Stella McCartney is 53.
• Former tennis player Goran Ivanisevic (ee-van-EE’-seh-vihch) is 53.
• Country musician Joe Don Rooney (Rascal Flatts) is 49.
• Singer-songwriter Fiona Apple is 47.
• Actor Ben Savage is 44.
• Soccer player Thomas Müller is 35.
• Rock singer Niall Horan (One Direction) is 31.
• Actor Lili Reinhart (TV: “Riverdale”) is 28.