This day in history

► Today is Tuesday, Oct. 27, the 300th day of 2009. There are 65 days left in the year. ► Today’s birthdays: Actress Nanette Fabray is 89. Baseball Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner is 87. Actress Ruby Dee is 85. Former Secretary of State Warren M. Christopher is 84. Actor-comedian John Cleese is 70. Author Maxine Hong Kingston is 69. Country singer Lee Greenwood is 67. Filmmaker Ivan Reitman is 63. Country singer Jack Daniels is 60. Rock musician Garry Tallent (the E Street Band) is 60. Author Fran Lebowitz is 59. Rock musician K.K. Downing (Judas Priest) is 58. TV personality Jayne Kennedy is 58. Actor Roberto Benigni is 57. Actor Peter Firth is 56. Actor Robert Picardo is 56. World Golf Hall of Famer Patty Sheehan is 53. Singer Simon Le Bon (Duran Duran) is 51. Musician J.D. McFadden is 45. Rock musician Jason Finn (Presidents of the United States of America) is 42. Rock singer Scott Weiland is 42. Actor Sean Holland is 41. Actress Sheeri Rappaport is 32. Violinist Vanessa-Mae is 31. Actress-singer Kelly Osbourne is 25. ► In 1787, the first of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays calling for ratification of the US Constitution, was published in New York. ► In 1858, the 26th president of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, was born in New York City. ► In 1880, Theodore Roosevelt married his first wife, Alice Lee. ► In 1904, the first rapid transit subway, the Interborough Rapid Transit (IRT), was inaugurated in New York City. ► In 1938, Du Pont announced a name for its new synthetic yarn: “nylon.’’ ► In 1978, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin were named winners of the Nobel Peace Prize for their progress toward achieving a Middle East accord. ► In 1999, the US federal budget surplus was put at $123 billion in 1998, marking the first back-to-back surpluses since the 1950s. The New York Yankees captured their second straight World Series sweep, defeating the Atlanta Braves in Game 4, 4-1. ► In 2004, the Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918, completing a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals with a 3-0 win in Game 4. ► In 2008, Alaska Senator Ted Stevens was convicted in Washington of seven corruption charges for lying about free home renovations and other gifts from a wealthy oil contractor. (A judge later dismissed the case, saying prosecutors had withheld evidence that might have been favorable to Stevens at trial.) The body of singer-actress Jennifer Hudson’s 7-year-old nephew, Julian King, was found in an SUV three days after Hudson’s mother and brother were found shot to death in the Chicago home they’d shared. (William Balfour, the estranged husband of Hudson’s sister, is charged in the killings.)