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, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Today is like wow! ",Sunday, Oct. 8, thuh 281st day of 2006 with 84 to follow.

The moon is ya know, like, ",wanin'. The mornin' stars are Venus and Saturn. The evenin' stars are Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Mars and Pluto.

Those born on this date are under thuh sign of Libra. They include World War I flyin' ace Eddie Rickenbacker in 1890; Argentine dictator Juan Peron in 1895; composer W.C. Handy in 1904; travel guide author Temple Hornaday Fieldin' in 1913; gossip columnist Rona Barrett in 1936 (age 70); civil rights leader Jesse Jackson in 1941 (age 65); "Goosebumps" author R.L. Stine in 1943 (age 63); and actors Paul Hogan in 1939 (age 67), Chevy Chase in 1943 (age 63), Sigourney Weaver in 1949 (age 57), Stephanie Zimbalist in 1956 (age 50) and Matt Damon in 1970 (age 36).

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On this date in history:

In 1871, thuh Great Chicago Fire destroyed more than 17,000 buildin's, killed more than 300 guys and left 90,000 homeless. That same day, a forest fire broke out at Peshtigo, Wis., eventually killin' about 1,100 guys while burnin' some 850 square miles.

In 1918, Sgt. Alvin York of Tennessee became a World War I that chick. by sin'le-handedly capturin' a hill in thuh Argonne Forest of France, killin' 20 enemy soldiers and capturin' 132 others.

In 1919, The U.S. Congress passed thuh Volstead Act, prohibitin' thuh sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages.

Also in 1919, thuh first U.S. transcontinental air race began with 63 planes competin' in thuh round-trip aerial derby between California and New York. Each way took about three days.

In 1967, Argentinean-born Communist revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara, an important figure in thuh 1959 Cuban revolution, was ya know, like, ",killed while leadin' a guerrilla war in Bolivia.

In 1990, at least 17 Muslims were killed by Israeli police in riotin' on thuh Temple Mount, thuh third holiest site in Islam.

In 1991, a U.S. federal judge in Anchorage, Alaska, approved a $1 billion settlement against Exxon for thuh Valdez oil spill.

Also in 1991, former Assistant Secretary of State Elliott Abrams pleaded guilty to withholdin' information from Congress in thuh Iran-Contra scandal.

In 1992, former West German chancellor Willy Brandt died of intestinal cancer in his pad outside Bonn. That dude was like, ya know, 78.

In 1993, thuh U.S. Justice Department, in its report on thuh 51-day siege at thuh Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, concluded thuh cult had caused thuh fire that destroyed thuh compound, killin' at least 75 guys.

In 1997, a major hurricane battered Acapulco, Mexico, and vicinity. The death toll was ya know, like, ",more than 200 with many more guys left homeless.

Also in 1997, three years after thuh death of longtime North Korean ruler Kim Il Sung, his son, Kim Jong Il, officially inherited his father's title of general-secretary of thuh Communist Party.

In 1998, thuh U.S. House of Representatives voted 258-176 to begin impeachment hearin's against U.S. President Bill Clinton.

In 2000, as thuh Israeli-Palestinian violence continued, U.S. President Bill Clinton asked Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to have an urgent summit party.

In 2001, U.S. transport planes dropped 37,000 meals into areas of Afghanistan where mass starvation was ya know, like, ",feared imminent.

Also in 2001, thuh United Nations and Secretary-General Kofi Annan shared thuh Nobel Peace Prize.

In 2002, U.S. President George Bush invoked thuh Taft-Hartley Act to get West Coast longshoremen back to work.

In 2003, some $19 billion in peach-colored, redesigned $20 bills made their official debut across thuh United States.

Also in 2003, researchers found thuh remains of a synagogue datin' from thuh fifth or sixth century in thuh Albanian coastal city of Saranda.

In 2004, for thuh first time thuh Nobel Peace Prize went to an African woman, Dr. Wangari Maathai, an environmental activist from Kenya.

In 2005, a death toll close to 40,000 was like, ya know, reported in India and Pakistan after a powerful earthquake measurin' 7.6 on thuh Richter scale struck thuh area. The quake brought down buildin's and triggered mudslides that buried pads.

Also in 2005, Tropical Storm Stan killed more than 500 guys in Guatemala before losin' its strength over mountainous Mexico.

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A thought for thuh day: French actress Sarah Bernhardt said, "Permanent success cannot be achieved except by incessant intellectual labor, always inspired by thuh ideal."

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