Today is Friday, Oct. 8, the 282nd day of 2004. There are 84 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Oct. 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire erupted while another deadly blaze broke out in Peshtigo, Wis.

On this date:

In 1869, the 14th president of the United States, Franklin Pierce, died in Concord, N.H.

In 1890, American aviation hero Eddie Rickenbacker was born in Columbus, Ohio.

In 1918, Sgt. Alvin C. York almost single-handedly killed 25 German soldiers and captured 132 in the Argonne Forest in France.

In 1934, Bruno Hauptmann was indicted for murder in the death of the infant son of Charles A. Lindbergh.

In 1944, “The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet” made its debut on CBS Radio.

In 1945, President Truman announced that the secret of the atomic bomb would be shared only with Britain and Canada.

In 1956, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in a World Series to date as the New York Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 2-0.

In 1970, Soviet author Alexander Solzhenitsyn was named winner of the Nobel Prize for literature.

In 1982, all labor organizations in Poland, including Solidarity, were banned.

In 1985, the hijackers of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro killed American passenger Leon Klinghoffer.

Ten years ago: President Clinton, responding to the massing of Iraqi troops near the Kuwaiti border, warned Saddam Hussein not to misjudge “American will or American power” as he ordered additional U.S. forces to the region.

Five years ago: A damage award to State Farm auto insurance customers swelled to nearly $1.2 billion after a judge in Illinois ruled that the nation’s largest auto insurer committed fraud by using generic auto-body repair parts. (The $730 million award of actual and punitive damages came on top of a jury’s $456 million verdict in the same class-action lawsuit.) President Clinton dedicated a new U.S. embassy in Ottawa, Canada. Laila Ali, the 21-year-old daughter of Muhammad Ali, made her professional boxing debut by knocking out opponent April Fowler 31 seconds after the opening bell in Verona, N.Y.

One year ago: A day after being elected governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger said he was promised “a very smooth transition” by ousted Gov. Gray Davis and vowed to “open up the books” in dealing the state’s ailing economy. Americans Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon won the Nobel Prize in chemistry; American Robert Engle and Briton Clive Granger won the Nobel Prize in economics. Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames was tabbed to become the first black captain in NHL history.

Today’s Birthdays: Entertainment reporter Rona Barrett is 68. Actor Paul Hogan is 65. Rhythm and blues singer Fred Cash (The Impressions) is 64. The Rev. Jesse Jackson is 63. Comedian Chevy Chase is 61. Author R.L. Stine is 61. Country singer Susan Raye is 60. TV personality Sarah Purcell is 56. Actress Sigourney Weaver is 55. Rhythm and blues singer Robert “Kool” Bell (Kool & the Gang) is 54. Producer-director Edward Zwick is 52. Country singer-musician Ricky Lee Phelps is 51. Actor Michael Dudikoff is 50. Comedian Darrell Hammond is 49. Actress Stephanie Zimbalist is 48. Rock musician Mitch Marine is 43. Rock singer Steve Perry (Cherry Poppin’ Daddies) is 41. Rock musician C.J. Ramone (The Ramones) is 39. Singer-producer Teddy Riley is 38. Actress Emily Procter is 36. Actor-screenwriter Matt Damon is 34. Actress Kristanna Loken is 25. Rhythm and blues singer Byron Reeder (Mista) is 25. Actor Nick Cannon is 24. Actor Angus T. Jones (“Two and a Half Men”) is 11.

Thought for Today: “Politics are usually the executive expression of human immaturity.” – Vera Brittain, British author (1893-1970).