History.com
September 29: General Interest
2005: Reporter Judith Miller released from prison
On this day in 2005, New York Times reporter Judith Miller is released from a federal detention center in Alexandria, Virginia, after agreeing to testify in the investigation into the leaking of the identity of covert CIA officer Valerie Plame. Miller had been behind bars since July 6, 2005, for refusing to reveal a confidential source and testify before a grand jury that was looking into the so-called Plame Affair. She decided to testify after the source she had been protecting, I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, signed a waiver giving her permission to speak.
The Plame Affair dates back to a July 6, 2003 op-ed piece for the New York Times written by former U.S. diplomat Joseph Wilson, Plame's husband. In it, Wilson questioned the Bush Administration's reasons for going to war in Iraq. Later that month, on July 14, undercover agent Valerie Plame's identity was revealed in a newspaper column by Robert Novak. Wilson's claim that the disclosure was retaliation by the White House for his op-ed piece sparked an investigation in December 2003 led by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. A 1982 law made it illegal to reveal information about a covert agent to anyone not authorized to receive such classified information.
Fitzgerald interviewed President George W. Bush, Vice President Cheney and other top administration officials, along with various journalists. Although Miller hadn't written an article about Plame, she did meet with Libby shortly after Wilson's op-ed piece was published and Fitzgerald believed Miller had information that was relevant to his investigation.
After 85 days in jail, Miller was released and testified before a grand jury that prior to the Novak column, she had several discussions with Scooter Libby in which he talked about Plame. On November 9 of that same year, Miller announced her retirement from the Times after a 28-year career with the newspaper.
On March 6, 2007, Scooter Libby was convicted of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements to federal investigators in the Plame investigation. In June, he was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $250,000. However, one month later, on July 2, President George W. Bush commuted Libby's prison term before the ex-White House aide served any time.
American Revolution
1780 : British spy sentenced to death
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-spy-sentenced-to-death
Automotive
1913 : Inventor Rudolf Diesel vanishes
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/auto-inventor-charles-duryea-dies
Civil War
1864 : Union tries to break stalemate in Virginia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-new-market-heights-chaffins-farmfort-harrison
Cold War
1953 : Russians want the American dream
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/russians-want-the-american-dream
Crime
1982 : Cyanide-laced Tylenol kills six
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cyanide-laced-tylenol-kills-six
2006 : School principal murdered by student in Wisconsin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/school-principal-murdered-by-student-in-wisconsin
Disaster
1957 : Trains collide in Pakistan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/train-crash-in-pakistan
General Interest
1758 : Lord Nelson born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/lord-nelson-born
1941 : Babi Yar massacre begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/babi-yar-massacre-begins
1982 : The Tylenol murders
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-tylenol-murders
1988 : American woman climbs Everest
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-woman-climbs-everest
Hollywood
1913 : "Message filmmaker" Stanley Kramer is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/message-filmmaker-stanley-kramer-is-born
Literary
1547 : Miguel de Cervantes is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/miguel-de-cervantes-is-born
Music
1907 : Gene Autry, "The Singing Cowboy," is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gene-autry-quotthe-singing-cowboyquot-is-born
Old West
1907 : The great singing cowboy, Gene Autry, is born in Texas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-singing-cowboy-gene-autry-is-born-in-texas
Presidential
1942 : JFK thanks Clare Booth Luce for good-luck coin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jfk-thanks-clare-booth-luce-for-good-luck-coin
Sports
1954 : Willie Mays makes catch
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/willie-mays-makes-catch
Vietnam War
1965 : Hanoi announces that downed pilots will be treated as war criminals
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hanoi-announces-that-downed-pilots-will-be-treated-as-war-criminals
1969 : Charges dropped against Green Berets
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charges-dropped-against-green-berets
World War I
1918 : Allied forces break through the Hindenburg Line
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allied-forces-break-through-the-hindenburg-line
World War II
1939 : Nazis and communists divvy up Poland
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nazis-and-communists-divvy-up-poland
September 29: General Interest
2005: Reporter Judith Miller released from prison
The Plame Affair dates back to a July 6, 2003 op-ed piece for the New York Times written by former U.S. diplomat Joseph Wilson, Plame's husband. In it, Wilson questioned the Bush Administration's reasons for going to war in Iraq. Later that month, on July 14, undercover agent Valerie Plame's identity was revealed in a newspaper column by Robert Novak. Wilson's claim that the disclosure was retaliation by the White House for his op-ed piece sparked an investigation in December 2003 led by special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald. A 1982 law made it illegal to reveal information about a covert agent to anyone not authorized to receive such classified information.
Fitzgerald interviewed President George W. Bush, Vice President Cheney and other top administration officials, along with various journalists. Although Miller hadn't written an article about Plame, she did meet with Libby shortly after Wilson's op-ed piece was published and Fitzgerald believed Miller had information that was relevant to his investigation.
After 85 days in jail, Miller was released and testified before a grand jury that prior to the Novak column, she had several discussions with Scooter Libby in which he talked about Plame. On November 9 of that same year, Miller announced her retirement from the Times after a 28-year career with the newspaper.
On March 6, 2007, Scooter Libby was convicted of obstruction of justice, perjury and making false statements to federal investigators in the Plame investigation. In June, he was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and fined $250,000. However, one month later, on July 2, President George W. Bush commuted Libby's prison term before the ex-White House aide served any time.
American Revolution
1780 : British spy sentenced to death
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/british-spy-sentenced-to-death
Automotive
1913 : Inventor Rudolf Diesel vanishes
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/auto-inventor-charles-duryea-dies
Civil War
1864 : Union tries to break stalemate in Virginia
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/battle-of-new-market-heights-chaffins-farmfort-harrison
Cold War
1953 : Russians want the American dream
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/russians-want-the-american-dream
Crime
1982 : Cyanide-laced Tylenol kills six
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cyanide-laced-tylenol-kills-six
2006 : School principal murdered by student in Wisconsin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/school-principal-murdered-by-student-in-wisconsin
Disaster
1957 : Trains collide in Pakistan
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/train-crash-in-pakistan
General Interest
1758 : Lord Nelson born
1941 : Babi Yar massacre begins
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/babi-yar-massacre-begins
1982 : The Tylenol murders
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-tylenol-murders
1988 : American woman climbs Everest
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/american-woman-climbs-everest
Hollywood
1913 : "Message filmmaker" Stanley Kramer is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/message-filmmaker-stanley-kramer-is-born
Literary
1547 : Miguel de Cervantes is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/miguel-de-cervantes-is-born
Music
1907 : Gene Autry, "The Singing Cowboy," is born
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/gene-autry-quotthe-singing-cowboyquot-is-born
Old West
1907 : The great singing cowboy, Gene Autry, is born in Texas
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/the-great-singing-cowboy-gene-autry-is-born-in-texas
Presidential
1942 : JFK thanks Clare Booth Luce for good-luck coin
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/jfk-thanks-clare-booth-luce-for-good-luck-coin
Sports
1954 : Willie Mays makes catch
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/willie-mays-makes-catch
Vietnam War
1965 : Hanoi announces that downed pilots will be treated as war criminals
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/hanoi-announces-that-downed-pilots-will-be-treated-as-war-criminals
1969 : Charges dropped against Green Berets
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/charges-dropped-against-green-berets
World War I
1918 : Allied forces break through the Hindenburg Line
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/allied-forces-break-through-the-hindenburg-line
World War II
1939 : Nazis and communists divvy up Poland
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/nazis-and-communists-divvy-up-poland
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