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4D Daily News – Wednesday, September 21, 2011 PEANUTS® By Charles Schultz Today in History By The Associated Press DILBERT® By Scott Adams Today is Wednesday, Sept. 21, the 264th day of 2011. There are 101 days left in the year. Today's Highlight in History: On Sept. 21, 1897, the New York Sun ran its famous edi- torial, written anonymously by Francis P. Church, that responded to a letter from 8-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon asking whether Santa Claus really existed. Church wrote, ''Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy.'' On this date: In 1792, the French National Convention voted to abol- ish the monarchy. In 1893, one of America's first horseless carriages was taken for a short test drive in Springfield, Mass., by Frank Duryea, who had designed the vehicle with his brother, Charles. In 1937, ''The Hobbit,'' by J.R.R. Tolkien, was first pub- lished. GARFIELD® By Jim Davis In 1938, a hurricane struck parts of New York and New England, causing widespread damage and claiming some 700 lives. In 1948, Milton Berle made his debut as permanent host of ''The Texaco Star Theater'' on NBC-TV. In 1961, the first Boeing CH-47 Chinook military heli- copter made its first hovering flight. In 1970, ''NFL Monday Night Football'' made its debut on ABC-TV as the Cleveland Browns defeated the visiting New York Jets, 31-21. In 1981, the Senate unanimously confirmed the nomina- tion of Sandra Day O'Connor to become the first female jus- tice on the Supreme Court. Belize attained full indepen- dence from Britain. In 1989, Hurricane Hugo crashed into Charleston, S.C. SHOE By Chris Cassatt and Gary Brookins Twenty-one students in Alton, Texas, died when their school bus, involved in a collision with a soft-drink delivery truck, careened into a water-filled pit. BLONDIE® By Dean Young and Stan Drake In 1991, an 18-hour hostage drama ended in Sandy, Utah, as Richard L. Worthington, who'd killed a nurse and seized control of a hospital maternity ward, finally freed nine cap- tives, including a baby who was born during the siege. Ten years ago: Congress again opened the federal coffers to those harmed by terrorism, providing $15 billion to the airline industry, which was suffering mounting economic losses since the Sept. 11 attacks. Five years ago: The White House and rebellious Senate Republicans announced agreement on rules for the interro- gation and trial of suspects in the war on terror. Space shut- tle Atlantis and its six astronauts safely returned from a 12- day mission to install a big new piece of the orbiting outpost. One year ago: The mayor and ex-city manager of the Los Angeles suburb of Bell were among eight current and for- mer city officials arrested in a corruption scandal that author- ities said cost the blue-collar city more than $5.5 million in excessive salaries and illegal personal loans. Today's Birthdays: Actor Karl Slover (''The Wizard of BEETLE BAILEY® By Mort Walker Oz'') is 93. Actor Larry Hagman is 80. Poet-songwriter Leonard Cohen is 77. Author-comedian Fannie Flagg is 70. Producer Jerry Bruckheimer is 68. Musician Don Felder is 64. Author Stephen King is 64. Basketball Hall of Famer Artis Gilmore is 62. Actor-comedian Bill Murray is 61. Hall of Fame jockey Eddie Delahoussaye is 60. Rock musician Philthy Animal is 57. Former Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is 54. Movie producer-writer Ethan Coen is 54. Actor-comedian Dave Coulier is 52. Actor David James Elliott is 51. Actress Serena Scott-Thomas is 50. Actress Nancy Travis is 50. Actor Rob Morrow is 49. Retired MLB All-Star Cecil Fielder is 48. Actress Cheryl Hines is 46. Country singer Faith Hill is 44. Rock musician Tyler Stew- art (Barenaked Ladies) is 44. Country singer Ronna Reeves is 43. Actress-talk show host Ricki Lake is 43. Thought for Today: ''The only true measure of success is the ratio between what we might have done and what we might have been on the one hand, and the thing we have made and the things we have made of ourselves on the other.'' — H.G. Wells, English author (born this date in 1866, died 1946.) HAGAR the Horrible® By Chris Browne RUBES® By Leigh Rubin ZITS BY JERRY SCOTT & JIM BORGMAN FRANK & ERNEST® By Bob Thaves ALLEY OOP