By The Associated PressMon Sep 18, 8:00 PM ET

Today is Tuesday, Sept. 19, the 262nd day of 2006. There are 103 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On Sept. 19, 1777, during the Revolutionary War, American soldiers won the first Battle of Saratoga.

On this date:

In 1783, Jacques Etienne Montgolfier launched a duck, a sheep and a rooster aboard a hot-air balloon at Versailles in France.

In 1796, President Washington's farewell address was published. In it, the nation's first chief executive wrote, "Observe good faith and justice towards all Nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all."

In 1881, the 20th president of the United States, James A. Garfield, died 2 1/2 months after being shot by Charles Guiteau; Chester Alan Arthur became president.

In 1906, addressing the annual dinner of The Associated Press in New York, Mark Twain said, "There are only two forces that can carry light to all the corners of the globe — only two — the sun in the heavens and The Associated Press down here."

In 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was arrested in New York and charged with the kidnap-murder of Charles A. Lindbergh Jr.

In 1945, Nazi propagandist William Joyce, known as "Lord Haw-Haw," was sentenced to death by a British court.

In 1955, President Juan Peron of Argentina was ousted after a revolt by the army and navy.

In 1959, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev reacted angrily during a visit to Los Angeles upon being told that, for security reasons, he wouldn't be allowed to visit Disneyland.

In 1960, Cuban leader Fidel Castro, in New York to visit the United Nations, angrily checked out of the Shelburne Hotel in a dispute with the management.

In 1986, federal health officials announced that the experimental drug AZT would be made available to thousands of AIDS patients.

Ten years ago: American astronaut Shannon Lucid, on board the Russian Mir space station since March, eagerly greeted the crew of Atlantis hours after their arrival and docking. IBM announced it would extend health benefits to the partners of its homosexual employees.

Five years ago: The Pentagon ordered dozens of advanced aircraft to the Persian Gulf region as the hour of military retaliation for deadly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 drew closer. The parent companies of American Airlines and United Airlines both announced plans to lay off 20,000 employees.

One year ago: North Korea pledged to drop its nuclear weapons development and rejoin international arms treaties, but its leaders quickly backpedaled. In a statement aired on a pan-Arab TV station, Al-Qaida deputy Ayman al-Zawahri said his terror network had carried out the July 7 London bombings that killed 52 people. Former Tyco CEO L. Dennis Kozlowski was sentenced in New York to up to 25 years in prison for looting the company of hundreds of millions of dollars; Tyco's former finance chief, Mark Swartz, received the same sentence.

Today's Birthdays: Author Roger Angell is 86. Rhythm-and-blues musician Billy Ward is 85. Former Defense Secretary Harold Brown is 79. Actress Rosemary Harris is 76. Actor Adam West is 76. Actor David McCallum is 73. Singer-songwriter Paul Williams is 66. Singer Bill Medley is 66. Singer Sylvia Tyson (Ian and Sylvia) is 66. Golfer Jane Blalock is 61. Singer David Bromberg is 61. Actor Randolph Mantooth is 61. Singer Freda Payne is 61. Rock singer-musician Lol Creme (10cc) is 59. Actor Jeremy Irons is 58. Actress Twiggy Lawson is 57. TV personality Joan Lunden is 56. Singer-producer Daniel Lanois is 55. Actor Scott Colomby is 54. Musician-producer Nile Rodgers is 54. Singer-actor Rex Smith is 51. Actor Kevin Hooks is 48. Actress Carolyn McCormick is 47. Country singer Jeff Bates is 43. Country singer Trisha Yearwood is 42. Actress-comedian Cheri Oteri is 41. News anchor Soledad O'Brien is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer Espraronza Griffin is 37. Actress Sanaa Lathan is 35. Rock singer A. Jay Popoff (Lit) is 33. Comedian Jimmy Fallon is 32. TV personality Carter Oosterhouse is 30. Rock musician Ryan Dusick (Maroon 5) is 29. Rapper Eamon is 23. Actor Kevin Zegers is 22. Actress Danielle Panabaker is 19.

Thought for Today: "He who is unable to live in society, or who has no need because he is sufficient for himself, must be either a beast or a god; he is no part of a state." — Aristotle, Greek philosopher (384 B.C.-322 B.C.).