Today is Sunday, Oct. 9, the 282nd day of 2011. There are 83 days left in the year.

October 9, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Associated Press

On this date in:

1701: The Collegiate School of Connecticut — later Yale University — is chartered.

1776: A group of Spanish missionaries settle in present-day San Francisco.

1888: The public is first admitted to the Washington Monument.

1910: A coal dust explosion at the Starkville Mine in Colorado leaves 56 miners dead.

1930: Laura Ingalls becomes the first woman to fly across the United States as she completes a nine-stop journey from Roosevelt Field, N.Y., to Glendale, Calif.

1936: The first generator at Boulder (later Hoover) Dam begins transmitting electricity to Los Angeles.

1958: Pope Pius XII dies at age 82, ending a 19-year papacy. (He is succeeded by Pope John XXIII.)

1961: The New York Yankees win the World Series, defeating the Cincinnati Reds in Game 5 at Crosley Field, 13-5.

1967: Latin American guerrilla leader Che Guevara is executed while attempting to incite revolution in Bolivia.

1985: The hijackers of the Achille Lauro cruise liner surrender two days after seizing the vessel in the Mediterranean. (Passenger Leon Klinghoffer was killed by the hijackers during the standoff.)

Vindicator files

1986: Youngstown Mayor Patrick J. Ungaro is threatening to close the Youngstown Municipal Airport, at least temporarily, unless public officials and businesses in the two county area pledge their support.

Niles City Engineer David DeChristofaro submits his resignation to Mayor John Shaffer after accepting a job with the Cafaro Co. Shaffer, who is DeChristofaro’s father-in-law, says he was not surprised by the resignation.

The Cleveland Cavaliers open pre-season workouts under their new coach, Lenny Wilkens.

1971: The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a federal court panel reach a landmark agreement that will guarantee free public education and training for every retarded Pennsylvanian between the ages of 6 and 21.

Ohio Republican state chairman John Andrews accuses the Ohio Education Association of being more interested in getting “record salary increases” for teachers than in improving the educational system.

Girard’s Jeff Harrison, a 200-pound senior halfback, scores four touchdowns, two in the last 3:40, to lead the Indians to a 27-18 come-from-behind victory over the Struthers Wildcats.

1961: Four children of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Sours, from 1- to 6-years-old, die in a fire that swept through their two-story frame home at 1363 Niles Road, Warren. Dead are Peter, Kenneth, Susan and Christopher Sours.

The U.S. Supreme Court reaffirms its ruling that the Blue Laws of Pennsylvania that prohibit certain Sunday sales are constitutional. The court’s decision will extend to four other states, including Ohio.

U.S. Sen. Henry M. Jackson, D-Wash., kicks off the Youngstown Democratic campaign in the Idora Park Ballroom, telling 1,340 cheering attendees that a nation that can send men to the moon can provide clean air, water and land and still produce the goods that provide a high standard of living.

Youngstown is listed as one of America’s “sin cities” in a story about crime and corruption in The American Weekly, a Sunday newspaper supplement.

Ohio State sophomore Paul Warfield of Warren climaxes a 65-yard, seven-play assault with a 13-yard dash to help lead the Buckeyes to a 13-3 victory over the UCLA Bruins before a crowd of 82,992 in Columbus.

1936: T.W. “Winker” Thomas, dean of Youngstown’s detective force and its chief for many years, dies at his home at 122 W. Chalmers. The 34-year veteran had been ill for several months.

Charging that the Roosevelt administration has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to put the government in competition with private capital, U.S. Rep. John G. Cooper of Youngstown declares that “because some greedy business men are dishonest, that doesn’t mean the system is wrong.”

Keeping the Ohio River navigable has cost the federal government more than $190 million since Congress authorized the first lock and dam on the stream 57 years ago.