Today in History: Today is Friday, Oct. 4, the 278th day of 2024.

Today in history:

On Oct. 4, 1957, the Space Age began as the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, into orbit.

Also on this date:

In 1777, Gen. George Washington’s troops launched an assault on the British at Germantown, Pennsylvania, resulting in heavy American casualties.

In 1927, sculptor Gutzon Borglum began construction on what is now Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

In 1965, Pope Paul VI became the first pope to visit the Western Hemisphere as he addressed the U.N. General Assembly.

In 1970, rock singer Janis Joplin was found dead in her Hollywood hotel room at age 27.

In 2001, a Russian airliner flying from Israel to Siberia was accidentally downed by a Ukrainian anti-aircraft missile over the Black Sea, killing all 78 people aboard.

In 2002, “American Taliban” John Walker Lindh received a 20-year sentence after a sobbing plea for forgiveness before a federal judge in Alexandria, Virginia. (He was released from prison in May, 2019.)

In 2004, the SpaceShipOne rocket plane broke through Earth’s atmosphere to the edge of space for the second time in five days, capturing the $10 million Ansari X prize aimed at opening the final frontier to tourists.

Today’s Birthdays: Baseball Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa is 80. Actor Susan Sarandon is 78. Actor Armand Assante is 75. Actor Christoph Waltz is 68.

Singer Jon Secada is 63. Actor Liev Schreiber is 57. Actor Abraham Benrubi is 55. Actor Alicia Silverstone is 48. Actor Caitríona Balfe is 45. Actor Rachael Leigh Cook is 45. Actor Melissa Benoist is 36. NBA All-Star Derrick Rose is 36. Actor Dakota Johnson is 35.