On this date in...

1864...Composer Stephen Foster, famous for songs including "Oh! Susanna" and "Camptown Races," dies in the charity ward of Bellevue Hospital – only days after completing another of his hits, "Beautiful Dreamer."

1959...There's a slight thaw in the Cold War as Anastas Mikoyan, a deputy to Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, arrives in New York. His visit includes stops at the United Nations, the Financial District, and even Macy's – and at the end Mikoyan says he's convinced that Americans want peace.

2002...The record-breaking run of original off-Broadway production of "The Fantasticks" comes to an close. The world's longest-running musical premiered at the Sullivan Street Playhouse on May 3, 1960, and ran for 42 years.