Today is the 362nd day of 2017. There are three days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On Dec. 28, 1917, the New York Evening Mail published “A Neglected Anniversary,” a facetious essay by H.L. Mencken supposedly recounting the history of bathtubs in America, starting with the “first” one in Cincinnati in 1842. Among the spoof’s other straight-faced claims: that Millard Fillmore was the first president to have a bathtub installed in the White House.

On this date:

In 1612, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei observed the planet Neptune, but mistook it for a star. (Neptune wasn’t officially discovered until 1846.)

In 1832, John C. Calhoun became the first vice president of the United States to resign, stepping down because of differences with President Andrew Jackson.

In 1846, Iowa became the 29th state to be admitted to the Union.

In 1856, the 28th president of the U.S., Thomas Woodrow Wilson, was born in Staunton, Va.

In 1945, Congress officially recognized the Pledge of Allegiance.

In 1961, former first lady Edith Bolling Galt Wilson, the second wife of President Woodrow Wilson, died in Washington at age 89.

In 1981, Elizabeth Jordan Carr, the first American “test-tube” baby, was born in Norfolk, Va.

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush used a “pocket veto” to reject a sweeping defense bill because he objected to a provision that would have exposed the Iraqi government to expensive lawsuits seeking damages from the Saddam Hussein era.

Five years ago: Russia’s President Vladimir Putin signed a law banning Americans from adopting Russian children.

One year ago: Actress Debbie Reynolds, who lit up the screen in “Singin’ in the Rain” and other Hollywood classics, died at age 84 a day after losing her daughter, Carrie Fisher, who was 60.

Today’s Birthdays: Comic book creator Stan Lee is 95. Actress Nichelle Nichols is 85. Actress Dame Maggie Smith is 83. Rock singer-musician Charles Neville is 79. Rock singer-musician Edgar Winter is 71. Funk musician Joseph “Zigaboo” Modeliste (The Meters) is 69. Actor Denzel Washington is 63. Country singer Joe Diffie is 59. Country musician Mike McGuire (Shenandoah) is 59. Actor Chad McQueen is 57. Country singer-musician Marty Roe (Diamond Rio) is 57. Actor Malcolm Gets is 54. Actress Elaine Hendrix is 47. Talk show host Seth Meyers is 44. Actor Brendan Hines is 41. Actor Joe Manganiello is 41. Actress Vanessa Ferlito is 40. Rhythm-and-blues singer John Legend is 39. Actor Andre Holland is 38. Actress Sienna Miller is 36. Actress Beau Garrett (TV: “The Good Doctor”) is 35. Pop singer Kasey Sheridan (Dream) is 31. Actor Thomas Dekker is 30. Actress Mackenzie Rosman is 28. Pop singer David Archuleta is 27. Actress Mary-Charles Jones (TV: “Kevin Can Wait”) is 16.

Thought for Today: “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” — Carl Sagan, American astronomer (1934-1996).