历史上的今天-Today in History 2010-10-24

 October 24th, 1945Birth of the United Nations. The charter of the global organization takes effect, nearly two months after the Japanese surrender ending World War II.

1952Dwight Eisenhower promises to bring the Korean War to an end. The Republican candidate for President makes his pledge on the campaign trail. "Only in that way could I learn how best to serve the American people in the cause of peace. I shall go to Korea." Eisenhower wins the presidential election and visits Korea over a month later.

2002In Maryland, authorities arrest two people in connection with weeks of deadly sniper attacks in the Washington D.C. area. They catch John Muhammad and Lee Malvo, after the series of shootings kills ten people and wounds three. Muhammad is sentenced to death in Virginia and life in prison in Maryland. Malvo gets a life sentence in both states.

2003The supersonic Concorde makes its last trans-Atlantic trip, concluding 27 years of commercial service. Three of the luxury passenger jets land at Heathrow Airport outside London, all arriving from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport.

2005Civil rights activist¹ Rosa Parks dies. In 1955, Parks made a simple decision that sparked the revolution when a white man demanded she give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, then 42-year-old seamstress said “NO”. Her active defiance² earned her the title “Mother of Civil Rights movement”. Parks was 92.

And 1991Gene Roddenberry, creator of the sci-fi TV series “Star Trek”, dies in Santa Monica, California, he was 70.

Today in History, October 24th, Carol Bradley, the Associated Press.

1 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

2 defiance   

n.挑战，挑衅，蔑视，违抗

参考例句：

• He climbed the ladder in defiance of the warning.他无视警告爬上了那架梯子。
• He slammed the door in a spirit of defiance.他以挑衅性的态度把门砰地一下关上。