THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2007

Today is Thursday, October 4, the 277th day of 2007. There are 88 days left in the year.

1582 _ The last day of the Julian calendar in Italy and many other Catholic countries

1824 _ Mexico becomes a republic

1830 _ The provisional government declares secession of Belgium from the Netherlands

1900 _ The start of Sherlock Holmes adventure ``The Problem of Thor Bridge"

1910 _ Portugal becomes a republic, King Manuel II flees to England

1940 _ Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini confer at Brenner Pass in the Alps

1957 _ USSR launches Sputnik I, the first artificial Earth satellite

1958 _ The fifth French republic established

1959 _ USSR Luna 3 sent back the photos of Moon's far side

1963 _ Gambia achieves full internal self-government

1965 _ Pope Paul VI becomes the first pope to visit Western Hemisphere

1966 _ Lesotho (Basutoland) gains independence from Britain

1969 _ U.N. starts issuing postage stamps at Geneva headquarters

1978 _ Funeral services held for Pope John Paul I

1984 _ The U.S. government closes down due to budget problems

1990 _ Regional elections held in what was East Germany