Today in history....

On this day in:

2002: 8 1/2 months after terrorist flew two airplanes into the Twin Towers, clean up and recovery efforts officially came to a halt. The ceremony at Ground Zero featured no speeches. It began with the single ring of a fire bell at 10:29AM, marking the time the north tower fell on 9/11. The thousands in attendence watched in silent tears as an honor guard of firefighters, police, and other agencies walked up the ramp carrying a stretcher bearing only an American flag, reminding us of the same ceremony performed any time remains had been found during the previous 8 months.

1958: Unidentified soldiers killed in WWII and Korea were buried at Arlington next to the two bronze coffins at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of WWI. It remainsone of the most solemn places in the world to honor those who have given their lives in the course of war, for "Here Rests in Honored Glory an American Soldier Known But to God."

1922: Robert Todd Lincoln was present at the dedication of the memorial to his father, President Lincoln. Robert was the eldest of the four Lincoln boys, and the only surviving at the time of the dedication. He died 4 years later and is buried at Arlington, within sight of his father's memorial.

1911: The running of the first Indianapolis 500. In front of 18,000 fans, Johnny Aitken took the lead, but it was not to hold up: Ray Harroun eventually won, with an average speed of a mind-boggling 74 MPH. zoooom

1431: Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in Normandy, France, for heresey. She was 19 years old. The worst charge? Believing that holy spirits directed her actions more than the church itself. She helped give France the upper hand in the 100 Years War, and is regarded as one of the greatest heroes of French history. Even the church eventually saw the err of their ways, canonizing her on May 16, 1920.