TODAY IN HISTORY

October 15

1860:Eleven-year-old Grace Bedell of Westfield, N.Y., wrote a letter to presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln, suggesting he could improve his appearance by growing a beard.

1917:Mata Hari, World War I spy, was executed by a firing squad in Vincennes, France.

1951:I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, had its television debut.

1964:It was announced that Nikita Khruschev was removed from his positions as premier and secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR.

1989:Wayne Gretzky topped Gordie Howe's NHL scoring record.

1991:Clarence Thomas got a narrow (52–48) Senate confirmation of his nomination to the Supreme Court.

1993:Nelson Mandela and F. W. de Klerk were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work to end apartheid in South Africa.

2003:China became the third country to launch a staffed space mission.