THURSDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2009

Today is Thursday, October 1, the 274th day of 2009. There are 91 days left in the year.

331 B.C. _ Alexander the Great of Macedon defeats Persian army at Gaugamela

1661 _ Yachting begins in England; King Charles II beats his brother James

1791 _ First session of the new French legislative assembly

1869 _ First postcards are issued (Vienna)

1936 _ Gen Francisco Franco establishes the state of Spain

1949 _ People's Republic of China proclaimed by Mao Tse-tung (National Day)

1949 _ Republic of China (Taiwan) forms on the island of Formosa

1958 _ Inauguration of NASA

1977 _ Brazilian soccer great Pele' retires with 1,281 goals in 1,363 games

1989 _ Thousands of East Germans flee to West Germany