By The Associated Press

Thu Sep 21, 8:00 PM ET

Today is Friday, Sept. 22, the 265th day of 2006. There are 100 days left in the year. Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year (5767), begins at sunset.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 22, 1776, Nathan Hale was hanged as a spy by the British during the Revolutionary War.

On this date:

In 1656, in Patuxent, Md., an all-female jury (the first of its kind in the colonies) heard the case of Judith Catchpole, who was accused of murdering her infant child. (The jury, which believed Catchpole's assertion that she hadn't even been pregnant, acquitted her.)

In 1789, Congress authorized the office of Postmaster-General.

In 1792, the first French Republic was proclaimed.

In 1927, Gene Tunney successfully defended his heavyweight boxing title against Jack Dempsey in the famous "long-count" fight in Chicago.

In 1938, the musical comedy revue "Hellzapoppin'," starring Ole Olsen and Chic Johnson, began a three-year run on Broadway.

In 1950, Omar N. Bradley was promoted to the rank of five-star general, joining an elite group that included Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, George C. Marshall and Henry H. "Hap" Arnold.

In 1964, the musical "Fiddler on the Roof" opened on Broadway, beginning a run of 3,242 performances.

In 1975, Sara Jane Moore attempted to shoot President Ford outside a San Francisco hotel, but missed.

In 1980, the Persian Gulf conflict between Iran and Iraq erupted into full-scale war.

In 1989, songwriter Irving Berlin died in New York City at age 101.

Ten years ago: Reform Party nominee Ross Perot denounced the decision to exclude him from the presidential debates, telling NBC that Bob Dole had "poisoned the attitude" of millions of independent voters that Republicans desperately needed to win. Actress Dorothy Lamour died at her North Hollywood, Calif., home at age 81.

Five years ago: President Bush consulted at length with Russian President Vladimir Putin as the United States mustered a military assault on terrorism in the wake of Sept. 11. Master violinist Isaac Stern died in New York at age 81. Miss Oregon Katie Harman was crowned Miss America 2002 in a patriotic telecast from Atlantic City, N.J.

One year ago: Hurricane Rita, weakened to Category 4 status, closed on the Texas coast, sending hundreds of thousands of people fleeing on a frustratingly slow, bumper-to-bumper exodus. John Roberts' nomination as chief justice cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee on a bipartisan vote of 13-5.

Today's Birthdays: Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda is 79. Musician King Sunny Ade is 60. Actor Paul Le Mat is 60. Capt. Mark Phillips is 58. Rock singer David Coverdale (Deep Purple, Whitesnake) is 55. Actress Shari Belafonte is 52. Singer Debby Boone is 50. Country singer June Forester (The Forester Sisters) is 50. Singer Nick Cave is 49. Rock singer Johnette Napolitano is 49. Opera singer Andrea Bocelli is 48. Singer-musician Joan Jett is 48. Actress Catherine Oxenberg is 45. Actor Scott Baio is 45. Actor Rob Stone is 44. Rock musician Matt Sharp is 37. Rhythm-and-blues singer Big Rube (Society of Soul) is 35. Actor Tom Felton is 19.

Thought for Today: "If power corrupts, weakness in the seat of power, with its constant necessity of deals and bribes and compromising arrangements, corrupts even more." — Barbara Tuchman, American historian (1912-1989).