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I don't have my AP style-book handy but I thought it was 'an historic.'
If I was writing a news-story this is how I would write it. And I believe I actually HAVE written broadcast copy using the article 'an' with 'historic' although I admit I don't recall specifically looking this one up or whether I was ever taught it one way or another.
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Ah ha! So you're the guy to blame. Let's correct this problem one writer at a time. Even if it is in the AP Style Manual that way. Because it is incorrect.
From the U. of Minnesota Style Manual (
Here):
An. Use the article
a before an initial
h pronounced even slightly (a historian, a hypothesis, a horse). Use of
an in such cases is considered affected or archaic in this country.