历史上的今天:11月18日

Today's Highlight in History:
On November 18th, 1928, the first successful sound-synchronized（同步的） animated¹ cartoon, Walt Disney's "Steamboat Willie," starring Mickey Mouse, premiered（首次公演） in New York.

On this date:
In 1820, US Navy Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer discovered the frozen continent of Antarctica.

In 1883, the United States and Canada adopted a system of Standard Time zones.

In 1886, the 21st president of the United States, Chester A. Arthur, died in New York at age 56.

In 1899, musical conductor Eugene Ormandy was born in Budapest, Hungary.

In 1936, Germany and Italy recognized the Spanish government of Francisco Franco.

In 1949, Jackie Robinson of the Brooklyn Dodgers² was named the National League's Most Valuable Player.

In 1959, "Ben-Hur," the Biblical-era spectacle starring Charlton Heston, had its world premiere in New York.

In 1969, financier-diplomat Joseph P. Kennedy died in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, at age 81.

In 1978, California Congressman³ Leo J. Ryan and four other people were killed in Jonestown, Guyana, by members of the Peoples Temple; the killings⁴ were followed by a night of mass murder and suicide by 912 cult⁵（礼拜） members.

In 1987, the congressional Iran-Contra committees issued their final report, saying President Reagan bore "ultimate responsibility" for wrongdoing by his aides.

Ten years ago: President Bush began a series of meetings in Paris with allied⁶ leaders aimed at solidifying⁷ support for his Persian Gulf⁸ policies. Soviet⁹ President Mikhail S. Gorbachev met at the Vatican with Pope John Paul the Second, who said all possible efforts should be made to avoid war in the Persian Gulf（波斯湾）.

Five years ago: With no relief in sight from a budget impasse¹⁰（僵局，死路） that forced a partial federal shutdown, the House rebelled against Republican leaders during a raucous¹¹（沙声的，刺耳的） Saturday session and voted to oppose formally adjourning¹²（中止，解散） the chamber¹³ until Monday. (GOP leaders put the chamber into recess¹⁴ anyway.)

One year ago: Twelve people were killed when a bonfire（篝火，营火） under construction at Texas A&M University collapsed¹⁵. A jury in Jasper, Texas, convicted Shawn Allen Berry of murder for his role in the dragging death of James Byrd Junior, but spared him the death penalty（死刑）. American author and composer Paul Bowles, best known for "The Sheltering Sky" and other novels set in North Africa, died in Morocco at age 88.