This Day in History for February 2: ** This is Groundhog Day! It was comedian Bill Murray's least favorite day. For those of you who have seen the 1993 movie, "Groundhog Day", you'll remember that Bill Murray had to relive Ground Hog Day over and over again. Well, not here, bubba! We have the goods on just what this special day is about. Ground Hog Day is when a bunch of folks in Punxsutawney, PA get up way before the crack of dawn, put on tuxedos and fancy gowns, march to the city park, and pull old Punxsutawney Phil out of his little house in a tree trunk. Then they observe him as he goes about doing his groundhog shadow thing. If the woodchuck (aka ground hog) doesn't see his shadow, it means spring is on its way. If the critter sees his shadow, it means six more weeks of winter, which upsets the folks gathered 'round. So they fry him up for breakfast... Surely, you've heard of 'ground chuck'? (Sorry.) The tradition of groundhog weather watching dates back to this day in 1887, long before Willard Scott. But not that much longer. ** Events 1863 - Samuel Langhorne Clemens decided to use a pseudonym for the first time on this very day. Now he is better remembered by the name, Mark Twain. 1876 - Baseball's National League was born. Eight competing baseball teams met in New York City's Grand Central Hotel. The first president of the new league was Morgan Gardner Bulkeley, who later became a U.S. Senator. The eight original cities with teams were: Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Louisville and Hartford. Two of the original teams are now in the American League (Boston and New York) while Louisville and Hartford are now minor-league baseball towns. 1980 - The U.S. Hockey Team won its "Do you believe in miracles?" gold medal. Final score: U.S. 4, Finland 2. The drama had begun with the U.S. team's upset win over the powerful Soviet team. When the U.S. polished off Finland for the gold medal, folks all over the U.S. decided to start believing, indeed! 1987 - In a poll conducted by "People" magazine, readers selected Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant as their favorite, all-time acting greats. ** Birthdays 1947 - Farrah Fawcett-Majors (actress: Charlie's Angels, The Burning Bed; ex-Mrs. Lee Majors; Playboy pictorial [12/95]) 1954 - Christie Brinkley (model: Cover Girl Cosmetics; actress: National Lampoon's Vacation) 1954 - John (Thomas) Tudor (baseball: pitcher: Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, SL Cardinals [World Series: 1985, 1987], LA Dodgers [World Series: 1988]) ** Chart Toppers from 1985 I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner Easy Lover - Philip Bailey with Phil Collins Careless Whisper - Wham! featuring George Michael A Place to Fall Apart - Merle Haggard with Janie Fricke ** Know a friend who would like this list? Forward a copy to them! ====================================================

Your History for February 3: * The Day the Music Died February 3, 1959 was a sad day in rock 'n' roll history: 22-year-old Buddy Holly, 28-year-old J.P. Richardson (The Big Bopper) and 17-year-old Ritchie Valens died in an airplane crash near Mason City, Iowa. February 3rd has been remembered as "The Day the Music Died" since Don McLean made the line popular in his 1972 hit, "American Pie". Buddy Holly, born Charles Hardin Holly in Lubbock, Texas, recorded "That'll Be the Day", "Peggy Sue", "Oh, Boy", "Maybe Baby", and others, including "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" (recorded just before his death, a smash in the U.K., non top-10 in the U.S.). Buddy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. A convincing portrait of the singer was portrayed by Gary Busey in "The Buddy Holly Story", a made for TV movie. J.P. (Jiles Perry) Richardson was from Sabine Pass, TX. He held the record for longest, continuous broadcasting as a DJ at KTRM Radio in Beaumont, TX in 1956. He was on the air for 122 hours and eight minutes. In addition to his smash hit, "Chantilly Lace", Richardson also penned "Running Bear" (a hit for Johnny Preston) plus "White Lightning" (a hit for country star, George Jones). Richard Valenzuela lived in Pacoima, CA (near LA) and had a role in the 1959 film, "Go Johnny Go". Ritchie Valens' two big hits were "Donna" and "La Bamba" ... the last, the title of a 1987 film depiction of his life. "La Bamba" also represented the first fusion of Latin music and American rock. Of the three young stars who died in that plane crash, the loss of Buddy Holly reverberated the loudest over the years. But, fans of 1950s rock 'n' roll will agree, all three have been sorely missed. ** Events 1964 - Coach Adolph Rupp of the University of Kentucky got win #700 as the Wildcats defeated Georgia 108-83. 1964 - The British group, The Beatles, received its first gold record award for the single, "I Want To Hold Your Hand". The group also won a gold LP award for "Meet The Beatles". The album had been released in the United States only 14 days earlier. Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! 1984 - A sellout crowd of 18,210 at Madison Square Garden in New York City saw Carl Lewis best his own world record in the long jump by 9-1/4 inches. 1989 - Former first baseman Bill White was the first African American to head a major professional sports league in the United States. He became National League president this day. ** Birthdays 1945 - Bob Griese (football: Miami Dolphins quarterback: Super Bowl VI, VII, VIII) 1950 - Morgan Fairchild (Patsy McClenny) (actress: Dallas, Flamingo Road, North and South, Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Writer's Block) 1952 - Fred (Fredric Michael) Lynn (baseball: Boston Red Sox: [Rookie of the Year: 1975/World Series: 1975/AL Baseball Writers' Award: 1975/all-star: 1975-1980], California Angels [all-star: 1981-1983], Baltimore Orioles, Detroit Tigers, SD Padres) ** Chart Toppers for 1986 That's What Friends are For - Dionne & Friends Burning Heart - Survivor I'm Your Man - Wham! Just in Case - The Forester Sisters

Know Your History for February 4: * This is USO Day! On this day in 1941, the Salvation Army, the YMCA and YWCA, the National Catholic Community Services, the National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board pooled their resources, at the request of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, to form a new organization. The United Service Organizations was created to provide unduplicated recreational services to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who were on leave. USO centers became the GI's home away from home, providing a meeting place, a quiet place, religious counsel, entertainment and free coffee and doughnuts. The USO at once became synonymous with the entertainment of American troops. During World War II, USO Camp Shows entertained on the home front and overseas. The Korean War, Viet Nam, peace time stations, Desert Storm, Somalia ... anywhere, anytime there is an American in the Armed Forces, the USO is there. The USO's mission has changed since its inception; its objective is to enhance the quality of life of U.S. Armed Forces personnel and to create a partnership between the military and civilian communities worldwide. This volunteer, civilian organization, although chartered by Congress, is not part of the U.S. government; yet without it, the men and women in the U.S. Armed Forces would be isolated from civilian influences and without a place to call home. * Events 1913 - Louis Perlman of New York City received a patent for his famous demountable tire-carrying rims. We call them wheels. 1938 - The play, "Our Town", by Thornton Wilder, opened in New York City at the Henry Miller Theatre. The play was a Pulitzer prize-winner for the writer. 1987 - The show-biz world was saddened when Liberace died at his Palm Springs, CA estate. He was 67. Lee, as he was known, was the master of Las Vegas. Hundreds of thousands flock to his museum there (operated by his brother, George) to see Liberace's garish suits, trademark candelabra, and learn of the myths behind this hugely successful star of television, stage and concerts the world over. * Birthdays 1921 - Betty Friedan (Goldstein) (feminist author: The Feminine Mystique; founder of the National Organization for Women [NOW]) 1923 - Conrad Bain (actor: Mork & Mindy, Postcards from the Edge, Bananas) 1945 - David Brenner (comedian, talk-show host: The David Brenner Show, Nightlife) 1947 - Dan Quayle (44th Vice President of the United States under President George Bush) * Chart Toppers - 1987 At This Moment - Billy Vera & The Beaters Open Your Heart - Madonna Land of Confusion - Genesis You Still Move Me - Dan Seals

Know Your History for February 5: ** This is Bobbie Day! London's finest, known as Bobbies, were named after Robert Peel, who was born on this day in 1788, in Lancashire, England. Robert aka Bobbie Peel was an English statesman who first established the Irish constabulary. The people commonly called this police organization 'Peelers' after Mr. Peel. Then, when Robert Peel became Home Secretary of England, he reorganized the London police. It was 1829 and London's populace had grown to the point that it needed an organized police force to question travelers after dark, hold all suspicious persons and quell any disturbances. (There were already special police to guard docks and markets and to serve notices and warrants.) Peel organized a paid and trained force for day and night duty called the Metropolitan Police of London. Once again, the people nicknamed the police after Peel. They have been referred to as Bobbies ever since. ** Events 1953 - Walt Disney's film, "Peter Pan", opened at the Roxy Theatre in New York City. Although the film is now recognized as a great work, not all of the critics in 1953 took to the Disney stylization of the J.M. Barrie play. 1972 - Bob Douglas became the first black man elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. Douglas not only coached the New York Renaissance, an all-black team which won 88 consecutive games in 1933, he owned the team. 1987 - The Dow Jones industrial average closed above the 2,200-point mark for the first time. The market closed at 2201.49. ** Birthdays 1900 - Adlai Stevenson (Democratic party candidate for US president [1952, 1956]; governor of Illinois, UN representative from U.S. [1961-1965]; passed away July 14, 1965) 1934 - Hank (Henry Louis) Aaron ('Hammerin' Hank': Baseball Hall of Famer: Milwaukee Braves [all-star: 1955-1965, 1975/World Series: 1957, 1958], Atlanta Braves [all-star: 1965-1974]; home run champ [755]: eclipsed Babe Ruth's record of 714; baseball executive: Atlanta Braves) 1942 - Roger Staubach (football: Dallas Cowboys QB: Super Bowl V, VI, X, XII, XIII; Heisman Trophy Winner: Navy [1963]) ** Chart Toppers - 1988 Need You Tonight - INXS Could've Been - Tiffany Hazy Shade of Winter - Bangles Wheels - Restless Heart

Know Your History for February 6: ** This is Win One for the Gipper Day! The 40th president [1981-1989] of the United States and once governor of California [1967-1975], Ronald Wilson Reagan, was born on this day in 1911. Reagan also served six terms as president of the Screen Actors Guild, leading the union of members in his other career: acting. It was acting that brought Ronald Reagan the recognition and notoriety that led to his most successful career in politics. However, it has been written that he had only one notable performance -- in the film, "King's Row" [1941]; although most of us remember his many performances as the host (and, sometimes, the star) of "General Electric Theatre" [1954-1962] and "Death Valley Days" [1965-1966]; and role as George Gipp in the 1940 movie, "Knute Rockne, All-American". Reagan resurrected the line (from the movie), "Win one for the Gipper," during his presidency as a way to gather support for his anticommunist, conservative Republican policies. Comedians used his role in the 1951 movie, "Bedtime for Bonzo", to gain yucks and guffaws during the Reagan Years (two presidential terms). The personable, good-natured President was once married to actress, Jane Wyman ("Falcon Crest"); but former actress, Nancy Davis, has been his wife for many years. Son, Michael, is a radio talk-show host. Son, Ron, has appeared frequently on television (even in his underwear on "Saturday Night Live") and daughter, Patty, is a writer. Age has played Ronald Reagan a cruel hand, as he suffers from Alzheimer's disease. It would be good to "win one for the Gipper" now. ** Events 1943 - Frank Sinatra made his debut as vocalist on radio's "Your Hit Parade" this night. Frankie had left the Tommy Dorsey Band just four months prior to beginning the radio program. He was described as, "...the biggest name in the business." 1971 - NASA Astronaut Alan B. Shepard took a six-iron that he had stashed away inside his spacecraft and swung at three golf balls on the surface of the moon. Shepard whiffed the first swing, so, he got a 'Mulligan' on that one. The others were good, crisp shots that went, oh, a few hundred yards in the vacuum of space. Due to the bulkiness of his moonwalk suit, however, he didn't quite get enough of a swing to launch the golf balls into orbit. But he did take a couple of divots. Boy, what he might have done with a driver or three-wood. Fore! 1985 - The noted French mineral water company, Perrier, debuted its first new product in 123 years. On grocery shelves and in trendy establishments, one could find water with a twist of lemon, lime or orange added to the well-established popular product line. ** Birthdays 1895 - Babe (George Herman) Ruth ('The Sultan of Swat', 'The Bambino': Baseball Hall of Famer: Boston Red Sox pitcher [won 89 games over six seasons/World Series: 1915, 1916, 1918], NY Yankees outfielder [World Series: 1921-1923, 1926-1928, 1932/60 home runs in 1927/all-star: 1933, 1934], Boston Braves; 714 home runs in 22 seasons; passed away August, 16, 1948) 1911 - Ronald Wilson Reagan (40th U.S. President [1981-1989]; see Win One for the Gipper Day [above]) 1917 - Zsa Zsa (Sari) Gabor (actress: Boy's Night Out, Moulin Rouge, Ninotchka; Beverly Hills police slapper) 1940 - Tom Brokaw (news anchor: NBC Nightly News, Today; author: The Greatest Generation) ** Chart Toppers - 1989 When I'm with You - Sheriff Straight Up - Paula Abdul When the Children Cry - White Lion What I'd Say - Earl Thomas Conley

Know Your History for February 7: ** Today is Eubie Day! Pianist, bandleader and writer of 1,000 songs, James Hubert Blake was born this day in 1883 in Baltimore, Maryland. Better known to music aficionados the world over as Eubie, Blake learned his trade from W. Llewellyn Wilson, piano teacher of New York's black music teachers and entertainers in the 1920s. By the time Eubie was sixteen, he was entertaining in cafes in Baltimore and writing songs like "Charleston". Vaudeville was his stage in 1915 when he teamed with Noble Sissle. They had a hit song, "It's All Your Fault" and produced the musical, "Shufflin' Along". Its hit songs were composed by Eubie ("Love Will Find a Way" and "I'm Just Wild About Harry"). (The latter became the theme song for the 1948 U.S. presidential election campaign for Harry S Truman.) Blake also worked on other Broadway shows: "Chocolate Dandies", "Blackbirds of 1930" (which produced another favorite Eubie hit, "Memories of You"), "Shuffle Along of 1932", "Atrocities of 1932", "Swing It", "Tan Manhattan", "Brownskin Models" and "Hit the Stride" (the last was accomplished in his 72nd year). WWII troops, ragtime enthusiasts, jazz audiences, concert goers and TV viewers have all had the pleasure of being entertained by Eubie Blake. His honors were many, including playing at U.S. President Jimmy Carter's 1978 jazz party, receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom [1981], kudos from ASCAP on his 90th birthday and recording on his own label almost to his 100th birthday. Eubie Blake died five days after his 100th year. Fans the world over will always honor him by listening to his music. ** Events 1882 - The last bareknuckle fight for the heavyweight boxing championship took place in Mississippi City. John L. Sullivan punched Paddy Ryan's lights out and sent him to nighty-night land in round nine. Ouch! Sleep well... 1940 - Movie fans watched the world premiere of the Walt Disney animation, "Pinocchio", at the Center Theatre in Manhattan. The showing followed that of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" as Disney's second feature-length film. One critic called the show, "The happiest event since the war." We are still arguing about the meaning of that statement. Let us know if you can figure it out... 1964 - More than 3,000 fans jammed Kennedy Airport in New York as Beatlemania invaded the U.S. The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr arrived for their first U.S. visit (including an appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show"). The 'Fab Four' controlled the top spot on the pop music charts for the next 15 weeks and owned the top of the album charts for 10 weeks. "Meet The Beatles", indeed! 1985 - "Sports Illustrated" released its annual swimsuit edition. It was the biggest regular edition in the magazine's history, weighing in at 218 pages. Paulina Porizkova joined Cheryl Tiegs and Christie Brinkley as the only models to make the cover more than once. 1985 - "New York, New York" became the official anthem of the Big Apple. The announcement was made by then New York mayor, Ed "How'm I Doin'?" Koch. Sinatra fans rejoiced at the honor. ** Birthdays 1885 - (Harry) Sinclair Lewis (1st American Nobel prize-winning author [1930]: Elmer Gantry; refused Pulitzer prize: Arrowsmith [1926]; Main Street; passed away Jan 10, 1951) 1951 - Benny Ayala (baseball: NY Mets, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles [World Series:1979, 1983], Cleveland Indians) 1962 - (Troyal) Garth Brooks (Grammy Award-winning singer: In Another's Eyes [1998 w/Trisha Yearwood]; Friends in Low Places, The Thunder Rolls; LPs: Ropin' the Wind [first LP in history to debut at #1 on Billboard's pop and country charts], The Chase, In Pieces, Fresh Horses, Sevens, Double Live; has sold over 80 million albums -- second only to The Beatles) ** Chart Toppers - 1982 Centerfold - The J. Geils Band Harden My Heart - Quarterflash Turn Your Love Around - George Benson Lonely Nights - Mickey Gilley

Know Your History for February 8: ** This is Boy Scouts Day! William D. Boyce of Chicago, Illinois incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on this day in 1910. He didn't, however, conceptualize the scouting movement -- the Boy Scouts were originated by Englishman, Sir Robert S.S. Baden-Powell. It seems that Mr. Boyce was visiting England and one foggy day in London town, he lost his way. A young boy guided him, but refused any monetary reward. A surprised Mr. Boyce queried as to why. The boy replied that he was a Scout and Scouts did not accept a reward for doing a good turn. This gesture of good will so inspired Boyce that he searched out Baden-Powell to learn more about the British Scouts. Upon his return to the United States, he formed the Boy Scouts of America. Boyce's Scouts, and all those who followed, included along with their good deeds, outdoor camping, community service projects and other fun and educational projects. These are all part of the merit badge system for boys from eleven to seventeen years of age. Younger boys start out as Cub Scouts and older young men join the Explorers post. Salute a Boy Scout today! ** Events 1924 - General John Joseph Carty of the Bell Telephone System spoke in Chicago, IL. His speech was carried across the nation on the first coast-to-coast radio hookup. An estimated 50-million people heard the speech. 1963 - Lamar Hunt, owner of the American Football League franchise in Dallas, TX, moved the operation to Kansas City. He named the new team, the Chiefs. Dallas got possession of an NFL franchise known as the Cowboys. 1985 - "The Dukes of Hazzard" ended its 6-1/2 year run on CBS television. The series was credited with using more stunt men than any other TV series in history. The show had used as many as eight cars per episode when the crash sequences got complicated. Waylon Jennings did the theme song, "The Dukes of Hazzard (Good Ol' Boys)". 1986 - Billy Olson, who actually claimed that he was afraid of heights, broke an indoor pole vault record for the seventh time in four months. He vaulted 19 feet, 5-1/2 inches. ** Birthdays 1828 - Jules Verne ('the father of science fiction': writer: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in Eighty Days) 1925 - Jack Lemmon (John Uhler III) (Academy Award-winning actor: Mr. Roberts [1955], The Apartment [1960], Save the Tiger [1973]; The Odd Couple, Grumpy Old Men, Some Like It Hot, The China Syndrome, Airport '77, The Fortune Cookie, Irma La Douce, Days of Wine and Roses, Bell, Book and Candle) 1940 - Ted Koppel (journalist; anchor: Nightline) 1941 - Nick Nolte (actor: Down and Out in Beverly Hills, The Deep, Blue Chips, 48 Hours, The Prince of Tides, Extreme Prejudice) ** Chart Toppers - 1991 The First Time - Surface Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) - C & C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams Play that Funky Music - Vanilla Ice Daddy's Come Around - Paul Overstreet

Your History for February 9: ** This is Weather Bureau Day! In 1870, the United States Weather Bureau was authorized by Congress. We think people always just sat around and talked about the weather, but it took an act of Congress to do something about it! The weather bureau is officially known as the National Weather Service (NWS) and is a department of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The National Weather Service protects the life and property of U.S. citizens by issuing forecasts and warnings for natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and severe weather conditions. NWS communicates this information to the populace through an intricate and varied network. The NOAA Weather Wire Service or NWWS is the primary satellite communications system for NWS transmission. Warnings and other services are delivered in this manner to newspapers, radio and TV stations and emergency agencies. More than 6400 individual products are transmitted every day. NWS also generates data to be delivered to the public over a nationwide network of FM radio transmitter sites. Most of the U.S. including Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa can receive these broadcasts. Cable TV weather channels and AM radio channels also broadcast this information. ** Events 1895 - The first college basketball game was played as Minnesota State School of Agriculture defeated the Porkers of Hamline College, 9-3. That was basketball at its finest, folks... 1964 - Several days after their arrival in the U.S., the Beatles made the first of three record-breaking appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show". The audience viewing the Fab Four was estimated at 73,700,000 people in TV land. The Beatles sang "She Loves You" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand". One could barely hear the songs above the screams of the girls in the audience. 1969 - The Boeing 747 flew its inaugural flight this day. The milestone ushered in the age of the jumbo jet. ** Birthdays 1914 - Carmen Miranda (de Cunha) ('Brazilian Bombshell': singer: Mama Eu Quero, The Lady with the Tutti Frutti Hat; dancer, actress: Copacabana, Springtime in the Rockies, Down Argentine Way; Chiquita Banana) 1928 - Roger Mudd (newsman: CBS News, NBC News, PBS) 1945 - Mia Farrow (Maria de Lourdes Villers) (actress: Peyton Place, Hannah and Her Sisters, Rosemary's Baby; ex-Mrs. Frank Sinatra; ex-Mrs. Woody Allen) ** Chart Toppers - 1984 Karma Chameleon - Culture Club Joanna - Kool & The Gang Running with the Night - Lionel Richie Show Her - Ronnie Milsap =======================================================

Your History for February 10: ** This is Fit News Day! How did the newspaper that holds a top-ranking position in journalism get to such enviable heights? The publishers, editors and writers obviously believed in its slogan. "All the news that's fit to print" has appeared on the front page of "The New York Times" since this day in 1897. Henry J. Raymond and two associates started "The New York Times" in 1851. It began as a penny paper ... one cent for news vs. the six-cent political rags of the day. In October of 1896, the paper held a contest offering readers a one-hundred-dollar prize if they could come up with a better slogan ... in ten words or less ... than "All the news that's fit to print." No one did. And no one has, since. Over one million people read "The New York Times" every day, making it the seventh most-read paper in the world and the third in the United States, behind "The Wall Street Journal" and "USA Today". ** Events 1934 - The first imperforated, ungummed sheets of postage stamps were issued by the U.S. Postal Service in New York City. Talk about inconvenience! One had to cut the stamps out of the sheet and then put some glue on the back to get them to stick on an envelope. Fortunately, the Postal Service changed this idea after many complaints. Letters were, literally, gumming up the works... 1956 - Elvis Presley wiggled his way through "Heartbreak Hotel" this day for RCA Records in Nashville, TN. The record received two gold records, one for each side. The hit on the other side was "I Was the One". For those wanting to know even more trivia that will make you a big hit at cocktail parties, tell your friends that the first known million-seller was by Ben Selvin back in 1919. It, too, was a two sided hit, featuring "I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles" and "Darandella". Now, you really are up to date! 1985 - One of the Houston Rockets' 'Twin Towers', seven-foot-four-inch Ralph Sampson (the Rockets star center), scored 24 points to lead the West over the East, 140-129 in the NBA All-Star Game in Indianapolis, IN. Sampson was named the games' Most Valuable Player. ** Birthdays 1890 - Boris Pasternak (poet, writer: Doctor Zhivago) 1893 - Jimmy Durante (actor, comedian: "Good night Mrs. Calabash, wherever you are."; Ziegfeld Follies, The Man Who Came to Dinner, It Happened in Brooklyn, The Jimmy Durante Show) 1950 - Mark Spitz (swimmer: U.S. Olympic 9-time gold medal winner, the most gold medals won by an individual [seven in 1972 and 2 in 1968]) ** Chart Toppers I Want to Know What Love Is - Foreigner Easy Lover - Philip Bailey with Phil Collins Careless Whisper - Wham! featuring George Michael Ain't She Somethin' Else - Conway Twitty

History for February 11: ** This is Inventor's Day! Who could have guessed that when little Thomas Alva Edison entered the world on this day in 1847 the world would never be the same. Little Al (his folks called him Alva or Al) was a curious child, always asking questions. When he didn't get an answer, he'd try to figure it out for himself by experimenting. His incessant questions exasperated his school teacher so much that Al's mother had to take him out of school after only three months. A lack of formal education didn't stop Thomas Edison. He is now considered the greatest inventor in history. In 1928, the U.S. Congress awarded a gold medal to Thomas Edison for "development and application of inventions that have revolutionized civilization in the last century." His first invention was an automated telegraph message machine. He attached a gadget to a clock that would send a signal even if he was asleep. From then on, Edison invented more than 2000 gadgets, holding 1,093 patents, some which improved the inventions of others, like the telephone, typewriter, motion pictures, the electric generator and electric-powered trains. He was very close to inventing the radio; he predicted the use of atomic energy, and received $40,000 for his stock-ticker patents. And Al was only going to ask for $5,000, hoping to get $3,000. He is also credited with inventions such as the storage battery, a cement mixer, the dictaphone, a duplicating machine ... even a way to make synthetic rubber. Edison received so many awards for his accomplishments that he once joked, "I have to measure them by the quart." One of the world's most original inventions, the phonograph, was also Thomas Edison's favorite. But, the invention that virtually changed the world forever was his electric incandescent light bulb. A century later, the genius of Thomas Alva Edison still permeates every part of our lives. He died October 18, 1931, but if he was alive today, we are sure he would still remain humble and insist that his genius was "one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration." ** Events 1752 - Through the efforts of Benjamin Franklin, the Pennsylvania Hospital opened. It was the very first hospital in America. 1943 - General Dwight David Eisenhower was selected to command the allied armies in Europe. The General's efforts in World War II made him so popular that he was elected President of the United States less than a decade later. 1966 - Willie Mays became the highest-paid baseball player in either league as he signed a two-year contract with the San Francisco Giants for a salary of about $130,000 a year. 1987 - North Carolina basketball coach Dean Smith got his 600th career coaching win as the Tar Heels defeated Wake Forest 94-85. At the time, Smith had 600 wins and 173 losses in his 26-year coaching career. 1990 - James 'Buster' Douglas knocked out Mike Tyson in the 10th round to grab the heavyweight boxing crown for himself. Douglas went into that bout in Tokyo a 35-1 underdog. ** Birthdays 1847 - Thomas Alva Edison (inventor of more than 1000 patented ideas; see Inventor's Day [above]) 1919 - Eddie Robinson (football coach: record for most victories in overall NCAA competition [388]) 1926 - Eva Gabor (actress: Green Acres, Gigi, The Last Time I Saw Paris) ** Chart Toppers That's What Friends are For - Dionne & Friends Burning Heart - Survivor I'm Your Man - Wham! Hurt - Juice Newton

History for February 12: ** This is Honest Abe Day! His life was what America was all about. An average boy, born on this day in 1809 on a farm in a log cabin in Hodgenville, Kentucky, was able to become the 16th President of the United States. He studied hard, by the light of a fireplace, to become first, a lawyer, then a statesman. Abraham Lincoln, one of the most revered U.S. Presidents, served his country during one of the most turbulent times in its history. The term of his presidency (1861 - 1865) encompassed the Civil War between the States. His "Emancipation Proclamation" made on January 1, 1863 to free slaves; and his "Gettysburg Address" given on November 19, 1863 at the site of one of the most famous battlegrounds of the Civil War are still held high as classic statements of democratic beliefs and goals. President Lincoln was also responsible for one of the most popular holidays in the U.S.: Thanksgiving Day. He proclaimed that the last Thursday of November shall be observed as such. And so it was, and still is. Abraham Lincoln lived during tragic times and died a tragic death. While watching a performance of "Our American Cousin" at Washington's Ford Theatre, he was shot by John Wilkes Booth and died a few hours later. Lincoln was the first U.S. President to be assassinated. 'Honest Abe' earned his nickname when he was practicing law in Illinois. It was his unfailing honesty that made him known throughout the state. When convinced that his client was right, he could argue the case strongly. If not convinced, he was hardly powerful in his client's defense. Lincoln would persuade clients to settle out of court even though that meant he would receive a lesser fee. And, when this was not possible, he could argue a case equally as well before a judge or before an uneducated jury. To Abe Lincoln, being a lawyer or President meant seeking the truth for client or for country. ** Events 1918 - All theatres in New York City were shut down in an effort to conserve coal. 1924 - Calvin Coolidge, known by many as the 'Silent President', made the first presidential political speech on radio. The speech originated from New York City and was broadcast on five radio stations. Some five million people tuned in to hear the President speak. 1973 - The State of Ohio went metric, becoming the first in the U.S. to post metric distance signs along Interstate 71. These new signs showed the distance in both miles and kilometers. The metric system, though standard in many nations around the world, never quite caught on in the United States, except on major-league baseball stadium fences -- and on that highway in Ohio. ** Birthdays 1809 - Charles Darwin (naturalist: theory of evolution: On the Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection, Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex) 1809 - Abraham Lincoln (16th U.S. President [1861-1865]: assasinated April 16, 1865; see Honest Abe Day [above]) 1880 - John L. Lewis (U.S. labor leader: United Mine Workers of America) 1955 - Arsenio Hall (Emmy Award-winning TV talk-show host: Emmy Award-winning TV talk-show host: The Arsenio Hall Show Show [1990, 1993]; MTV Video Music Awards [1988-1991], The Late Show, The 1/2 Hour Comedy Hour; actor: Harlem Nights Coming to America, Amazon Women on the Moon, Martial Law; entertainer: Thicke of the Night, Motown Revue) ** Chart Toppers - 1987 Open Your Heart - Madonna Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi Change of Heart - Cyndi Lauper Leave Me Lonely - Gary Morris

History for February 13, 2000 ** This is American Gothic Day! The artist who is most remembered for portraying the architecture, landscape and people of 1930s Midwestern U.S. was born on this day in 1892, in Anamosa, Iowa. Grant Wood studied at the University of Iowa, taught there and made Iowa the focus of his paintings. Wood was not only a teacher, but a printer, sculptor, woodworker and one of America's first 'regionalist' painters. His was a style that was purely American. He portrayed scenes of Midwestern rural life as well as simplified, childlike versions of American history. His first works were unique in that they combined photographic realism with satire. His painting, "Daughters of the Revolution" was an example of Wood's beginning style. "Dinner for Threshers", "Young Corn", "Fall Plowing" and "Stone City" are representative of his Middle Western realism. And, there is hardly a soul who hasn't viewed the most famous Grant Wood, "American Gothic". It has appeared in satirical situations on television, in magazines and newspapers. Its fame is such that many who have seen it have never even been in an art museum, yet "American Gothic" is recognizable just the same. The painting of the puritanical farmer and his wife, the farmer holding a pitchfork, is on display at The Art Institute of Chicago. ** Events 1971 - The Osmonds, a family singing group from Ogden, Utah, began a five-week stay at the top of the pop music charts with the hit, "One Bad Apple". The song, featuring the voice of little Donny Osmond, also showcased the talent of Alan, Wayne, Merrill and Jay Osmond. The brothers were regulars on Andy Williams' TV show from 1962 to 1967. The group began as a religious and barbershop quartet in 1959. Together, the Osmonds scored with 10 singles in four years -- four of them were top ten hits. 1985 - The Dow Jones industrial average closed at a record high of 1297.92 after it topped the 1300 mark earlier in the trading session. The market went on to post an increase of 21.31 points for the day. 1986 - In a report issued on this day by the Association of Secondary School Principals, it was revealed that high school salaries for U.S. principals topped $70,000. The lowest salary reported for a high school principal was $15,200. The average salary for a high school principal was $49,670. On average, a principal would hand out more than 1,342,328,321 hours of detention in his or her career. ** Birthdays 1885 - Bess Truman (Wallace) (wife of 33rd U.S. President Harry S Truman) 1923 - Chuck Yeager (pilot: broke sound barrier; featured in movie: The Right Stuff) ** Chart Toppers Could've Been - Tiffany Seasons Change - Expose I Want to Be Your Man - Roger Wheels - Restless Heart

Your History for February 14: ** This is Valentine's Day! Sometime during the 1st century, the conservative right thought there should be something else to do on this date than to observe the ancient pagan holiday of Lupercalia. For those who don't remember -- or can't remember -- Lupercalia was an ancient Roman fertility festival. Instead of revelry and sacrificing goats and dogs, it was determined that two Christian martyrs should be celebrated. Both were named St. Valentine. One of the saints was a priest and doctor who was beaten and beheaded while on the Flaminian Way, Rome, Italy in the year 269. A year later, the Bishop of Terni met the same fate in the same place. Something got lost in the translation and the two celebrations became one. St. Valentine's Day, the most widely celebrated unofficial holiday, is a modern-day fertility rite. (There's even an old legend that says birds choose their mates on this day.) This is the day that lovers of all ages give tokens of affection to each other; with kisses accompanied by flowers, candy or romantic, candlelit dinners. Thoughts of love are traded between lovers; often expressed in greeting card form or with sunset, moonlight, a glass of wine and thou! Hearts and flowers to you on this Valentine's Day! ** Events 1899 - Voting machines for use in federal elections were approved by the U.S. Congress on this day. 1966 - Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia 76ers set a National Basketball Association record as he reached a career high of 20,884 points after seven seasons as a pro basketball player. 1972 - The musical, "Grease", opened at the Eden Theatre in New York City. The play later moved to the Broadhurst Theatre on Broadway where it became the longest-running musical ever with 3,388 performances. A hit movie based on the stage play starred John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John and produced the hit song, "Grease", by Frankie Valli, "You're the One That I Want" and "Summer Nights" by Travolta and Newton-John. ** Birthdays 1859 - George Ferris (inventor: Ferris wheel) 1946 - Gregory Hines (dancer, actor: Renaissance Man, Tap, The Cotton Club, Eubie!) 1960 - Meg Tilly (actress: Journey, Body Snatchers, The Two Jakes, Agnes of God, Psycho 2, The Big Chill, Winnetka Road) ** Chart Toppers - 1989 Straight Up - Paula Abdul Wild Thing - Tone Loc Born to Be My Baby - Bon Jovi Song of the South - Alabama

History for February 15: ** This is Reaper Day! What do you do when there are too few hands to harvest the crops and there are miles and miles of flat, stoneless prairie on which to grow crops? You build a mechanical reaper. And that's exactly what Cyrus Hall McCormick did. McCormick, who was born on this day in 1809 on a farm in Walnut Grove, Virginia, had watched his father's unsuccessful attempts at building a reaper. Cyrus was bound and determined to succeed where his father had failed. So he went about the task of building a mechanical reaper which he tested in a Virginia wheat field. By his 25th birthday, he had improved the reaper enough to get a patent for it. Then, at the age of 38, with sixty dollars in his pocket, Cyrus went to Chicago where he set up a reaper factory. The time and place were right for reaping ... the rich prairie wheatlands of the United States were being developed. Little did Cyrus McCormick know that he was creating the machine that would be second only to the railroad in the development of the United States, a symbol of the mechanical revolution in agriculture. McCormick survived two decades of court battles to gain patent rights for reaper parts. He purchased other patents and made his company a leader in reapers. His invention had achieved worldwide notoriety and he became a millionaire before his fortieth birthday as head of The McCormick Harvesting Machine Company. Cyrus Hall McCormick died on May 13, 1884. 18 years later, his company merged into what we now know as International Harvester Company. And the world has been reaping the benefits of his wonderful machine ever since. ** Events 1758 - Mustard, that tangy, yellow stuff made for hot dogs and hamburgers, was advertised for the first time in America. Who do you think was responsible for bringing mustard to the U.S.A.? No, not French's, nor Grey Poupon. It was Benjamin Franklin. We wonder whether Ben preferred the yellow or the dark mustard -- and what he would have thought of the many uses of mustard in haute cuisine. 1842 - Adhesive postage stamps were used for the first time by the City Dispatch Post (Office) in New York City. They probably tasted just like today's adhesive lick 'em and stick 'em stamps. Maybe flavored postage stamps will be the next great idea. Remember that you read about it first right here. 1965 - Canada displayed its new red and white Maple Leaf flag, which replaced the old Red Ensign standard. 1978 - Boxer Leon Spinks defeated Muhammad Ali to win the universally recognized heavyweight boxing crown. Spinks won a split decision over Ali, who had held the title for seven years. The 24-year-old challenger had only seven professional fights to his credit. The title bout was held in the Pavilion at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. ** Birthdays 1803 - John Sutter (early California settler: owned Sutter's Mill near Sacramento, site of first gold strike in U.S.) 1812 - Charles Tiffany (jeweler who had a lot of breakfasts at his store; name synonymous with highest quality jewelry) 1954 - Matt Groening (cartoonist: The Simpsons) ** Chart Toppers - 1990 Opposites Attract - Paula Abdul with The Wild Pair Two to Make It Right - Seduction Janie's Got a Gun - Aerosmith Southern Star - Alabama

History for February 16: ** This is Goodson-Todman Day! "That's three down. We move now to Arlene Francis." On this day in 1950, Arlene Francis, Dorothy Kilgallen, humorist Hal Block, and Louis Untermeyer joined host John Daly as one of the classics of early television debuted on CBS. "What's My Line" stayed on the air for 17 years -- the longest-running game show in the history of prime-time network television -- and launched one of TV's biggest production companies: that of Mark Goodson and Bill Todman. During many years in the television industry, the Goodson-Todman name became famous for such hit game shows as "I've Got a Secret", "Beat the Clock", "The Name's the Same", "To Tell the Truth", "The Price is Right" and "The Match Game". What many people don't know is that Mark Goodson and Bill Todman also produced a dramatic anthology, "The Web", which aired on CBS-TV from July 1950 through September 1954 and then on NBC-TV (for four months) in 1957. As the announcer for these shows would say, "This program is a Mark Goodson - Bill Todman Production." ** Events 1963 - The Beatles moved to the top of the British rock charts with "Please, Please Me" exactly one month after the record was released. It was the start of the Beatles domination of the British music charts, as well as the beginning of the British Invasion in America and elsewhere around the world. 1968 - Elvis Presley received a gold record for his sacred album of hymns, "How Great Thou Art". Despite his popularity in the pop music world, Elvis won only 3 Grammy Awards -- one for this album, the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1970; then for "He Touched Me" in 1972. He did, however, receive over a dozen Grammy nominations. ** Birthdays 1957 - LeVar Burton (actor: Alex Haley's Roots, Star Trek: Next Generation) 1959 - John McEnroe (tennis' bad boy for his frequent outbursts on the tennis court: Wimbledon Men's Singles Champion [1981,83, 84]; U.S. Open Men's Singles Champion: [1979, 80, 81, 84]) 1961 - Andy Taylor (musician: guitar: group: Duran Duran: Planet Earth, Hungry like the Wolf, Save a Prayer, Rio, Is There Something I Should Know, Union of the Snake, Wild Boys) ** Chart Toppers 0 1991 Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) - C & C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams All the Man that I Need - Whitney Houston One More Try - Timmy -T- Brother Jukebox - Mark Chesnutt =======================================================

History for February 17: ** This is PTA Day! The National Congress of Mothers was organized on this day in 1897 in Washington, DC by Alice McLellan Birney and Phoebe Apperson Hearst. At first, the objectives of the organization were devoted to child study. The National Congress urged parents to study the school curriculums that were being used in the schools their children attended. The Congress also suggested that parents, both mothers and fathers, should take reading courses that provided information about children and schooling. The group later changed its name to the National Congress of Parents and Teachers or the NPTA with local groups known as the PTA (Parent-Teacher Associations). The first State Congress of the NPTA was organized in New York in 1897. And one of the first major projects the PTA worked on was the extension of kindergartens to the elementary school grades. In recent years many local PTA groups emphasized greater involvement of students and are known as Parent-Teacher-Student Associations or PTSA. PTA or PTSA meetings are commonly held monthly at public schools throughout the U.S. If you're a member, remember that you're supposed to be promoting the educational, emotional and social welfare of our children. ** Events 1958 - Former New York Giants football star Frank Gifford signed a seven-year contract with Warner Brothers in a film deal that didn't make him the movie star the studio expected. So, Giff went into broadcasting instead. His first job was as a sportscaster for WCBS-TV in New York. He then moved to WABC-TV in New York and on to network television as primary play-by-play announcer and then to color commentator on ABC's "Monday Night Football". Frank is married to Kathie Lee Gifford of "Regis and Kathie Lee" morning TV fame. 1985 - Postage stamp prices were hiked to 22 cents for first-class mail in the U.S. 1985 - Laffit Pincay Jr. rode his 6,000th career winner at Santa Anita Race Track in Arcadia, CA. He became the third jockey to reach that coveted mark (behind Willie Shoemaker and Johnny Longden). Talk about a Winner's Circle of racing legends... 1987 - Don Mattingly won the highest award in the 13-year history of salary arbitration when a judge ruled that the New York Yankee first baseman deserved a salary of $1,975,000. Have times ever changed... ** Birthdays 1766 - Thomas Malthus (economist, demographer: The Malthusian Theory: population growth exceed production growth) 1934 - Willie (Charles) Kirkland (baseball: SF Giants, Cleveland Indians Baltimore Orioles, Washington Senators) 1936 - Jim Brown (Pro Football Hall of Famer; actor: The Dirty Dozen, El Condor, Ice Station Zebra, Crack House) ** Chart Toppers Karma Chameleon - Culture Club Joanna - Kool & The Gang Jump - Van Halen That's the Way Love Goes - Merle Haggard

History for February 18: ** This is Nude Descending a Staircase Day! No, this isn't about the latest Hugh Hefner "Playboy" centerfold... We speak of this day in 1913 when the famous French painting, "Nude Descending a Staircase" by the French artist Marcel Duchamp, was displayed at an 'Armory Show' (don't ask) in New York City. The work was labeled as America's first look at modern art. Critics called the work "scandalous" and "meaningless." Yeah, well, it's a beautiful, classic work of art no matter if it looks like an android doing "The Twist". ** Events 1841 - The first continuous filibuster in the U.S. Senate began. It lasted until March 11th. Talk about a big bag of wind... 1908 - U.S. postage stamps were sold for the very first time. They cost only a penny... 1985 - Diver Greg Louganis was recognized as the top amateur athlete in the United States, as he received the James E. Sullivan Award of the Amateur Athletic Union in Indianapolis, IN. Louganis had won double gold at the 1984 Olympic Games. 1987 - The executives of the Girl Scout movement decided, because the older girls wanted a change, that it was time to change the color of the scout uniform from the traditional Girl Scout green to the newer Girl Scout blue. ** Birthdays 1920 - Jack Palance (Vladimir Palahnuik) (Academy Award-winning actor: City Slickers [1991]; Requiem for a Heavyweight, Batman, Cyborg 2, Cops and Robbersons, Bronk, Ripley's Believe It or Not) 1931 - Toni Morrison (Chloe Anthony Wofford) (Nobel Prize [1993] and Pulitzer Prize-winning author: Beloved [1988]; National Book Critics Circle Award: Song of Solomon [1977], Jazz, Tar Baby, Sula, The Bluest Eye) 1933 - Yoko Ono Lennon (singer: Walking on Thin Ice; artist; John Lennon's widow) 1954 - John Travolta (actor: Welcome Back Kotter, Saturday Night Fever, Grease, Urban Cowboy, Pulp Fiction, Get Shorty, Broken Arrow) 1957 - Vanna White (Rosich) (TV game show personality: Wheel of Fortune) 1964 - Matt Dillon (actor: My Bodyguard, Drugstore Cowboy, The Outsiders) ** Chart Toppers - 1985 Careless Whisper - Wham! featuring George Michael Loverboy - Billy Ocean Method of Modern Love - Daryl Hall John Oates Make My Life with You - The Oak Ridge Boys

History for February 19: ** This is Bollingen Prize Day! Thanks to the Bollingen Foundation and Yale University, starving poets have the opportunity to win thousands of dollars. The first Bollingen Prize in poetry ($5,000) was awarded to Ezra Pound on this day in 1949. Mr. Pound was presented with the prize for his poetry collection, "The Pisan Cantos". Unfortunately, this first award presentation by the Bollingen Foundation was filled with controversy. It seems that Ezra Pound, a talented poet, was also a pro-fascist, and had been charged with treason for broadcasting his political beliefs while in Italy during WWII. Pound was still given the award. The Bollingen Prize was presented annually through 1963 when Robert Frost was the recipient, after which it became a biennial award. The $5,000 award was upped to $10,000 in 1989 when Edgar Bowers was the prize winner, and to $25,000 in 1995. The $25,000 award went to poet, Kenneth Koch. Keep writing those odes, rhymes and stanzas. You may be the next winner of the Bollingen Prize in Poetry. And maybe, just maybe, the award will receive another cost-of-living adjustment. ** Events 1878 - Thomas Alva Edison, famed inventor, patented a music player at his laboratory in Menlo Park, NJ. (This music device is the one we know as the phonograph.) Here's the real skinny on the story: Edison paid his assistant $18 to make the device from a sketch Edison had drawn. Originally, Edison had set out to invent a telegraph repeater, but came up with the phonograph or, as he called it, the speaking machine. When asked why he invented the machine, Edison told reporters, "How else am I gonna listen to my Dixie Chicks stuff?" 1942 - The New York Yankees announced that they would admit 5,000 uniformed servicemen free to each of their home ball games during the coming season. 1984 - The XIV Winter Olympic Games ended at Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. The Soviet Union led all countries with 25 medals, the United States captured nine medals to tie for fifth place. Within the shadow of what was the Olympic Stadium, hundreds, maybe thousands, of Bosnians are now buried; the result of the civil war that began in the early 1990s. 1985 - Mickey Mouse was welcomed to China as part of the 30th anniversary of Disneyland. The touring mouse played 30 cities in 30 days. Tough schedule even for a mouse! 1987 - A controversial anti-smoking ad aired for the first time on television. It featured actor Yul Brynner in a public service announcement that was recorded shortly before his October 1985 death from lung cancer. ** Birthdays 1473 - Nicolaus Copernicus (Mikolaj Kopernick) (Polish astronomer: the Copernican theory: the sun is the center of our universe) 1924 - Lee Marvin (Academy Award-winning Best Actor: Cat Ballou [1965]; The Caine Mutiny, The Dirty Dozen, Delta Force, Ship of Fools; passed away Aug 29, 1987) 1966 - Justine Bateman (actress: A Century of Women, Primary Motive, The Fatal Image, Family Ties) ** Chart Toppers - 1986 How Will I Know - Whitney Houston When the Going Gets Tough, the Tough Get Going - Billy Ocean Kyrie - Mr. Mister Makin' Up for Lost Time (The Dallas Lovers' Song) - Crystal Gayle & Gary Morris

History for February 20: ** Today is Father of Little League Day! Millions of kids throughout the world have spent their summer days playing baseball thanks to a man named Carl E. Stotz. Stotz was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania on this day in 1910. Twenty-nine years later, Carl Stotz found a way for little boys to play at the man's game of baseball. He founded the Little League Baseball Organization, which consisted of three teams. (Today, each local league may have from four to ten teams.) Boys, ages 8 to 12, formed the baseball teams that played on a diamond two-thirds the size of a regulation diamond; and played for six innings. Wearing rubber cleats and using bats no longer than 33 inches, boys were able to participate in America's favorite pastime. Girls have been included in Little League since 1974 and championship tournaments are played at the end of the regular season of at least 15 games. The tournaments are held to select eight regional winners from around the world. In honor of Carl Stotz, each August, the regional winners from the U.S. compete in the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. ** Events 1792 - President George Washington signed the Postal Service Act. Letters delivered up to 30 miles cost six cents to mail. For letters up to 150 miles, postage was 12-1/2 cents. And, just like today, letters over 150 miles were not guaranteed to be delivered at all. 1962 - America's first space hero, John Glenn, made space history. Glenn orbited the world three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes. "Godspeed, John Glenn. You're cleared for orbit." 1974 - After a decade of marriage, Cher filed for separation from husband Sonny Bono. Not long afterwards, she filed for divorce and the accompanying alimony. This time she sang, "I Got You Babe", for real ... before becoming a successful solo singer and movie actress in films such as "Moonstruck" (Best Actress Oscar in 1987). ** Birthdays 1946 - J. (Jerome) Geils (guitarist: group: The J. Geils Band: Looking for a Love, Give It to Me, Freeze-Frame, Centerfold) 1955 - Kelsey Grammer (Emmy Award-winning actor: Frasier [1994, 1995]; Cheers, Another World) 1963 - Charles Barkley (basketball: Phoenix Suns; shortest player [6'6"] to lead NBA in rebounds) 1967 - Kurt Cobain (musician, singer: group: Nirvana: LP: Nevermind; creator of grunge rock; passed away [apparent suicide] April 8, 1994) 1967 - Andrew Shue (actor: Melrose Place) ** Chart Toppers - 1987 Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi Change of Heart - Cyndi Lauper Touch Me (I Want Your Body) - Samantha Fox How Do I Turn You On - Ronnie Milsap

History for February 21: ** Today is Washington Monument Day! On this day in 1855, the official dedication of the Washington Monument took place in Washington, D.C., although the monument wasn't completed for another thirty-three years. In fact, the structure took a total of forty-eight years to finish. The stone obelisk honoring the first President of the United States was designed by Robert Mills who died in this, the year of the dedication. A major visitor attraction, one can see the entire city of Washington D.C., plus parts of the surrounding states of Virginia and Maryland from the top of the 555-foot monument. If you visit the city when the cherry trees are in blossom, you will be treated to a spectacular view from ground level too, as images of the blossoms and monument shimmer in the rectangular pool facing the Washington Monument. Now, that's something to reflect on... ** Events 1878 - The first telephone directories issued in the U.S. were distributed to residents in New Haven, CT. It was easy to "Let Your Fingers Do the Walking" at that time as only 50 subscribers' names were listed. 1981 - Dolly Parton reached the top spot on the pop music charts with "9 to 5", from the movie of the same name, in which Dolly starred with Lili Tomlin and Jane Fonda. The hit song stayed at #1 for a week, gave way to Eddie Rabbitt's "I Love a Rainy Night" and bounced back two weeks later for another week at Number One. 1984 - The Toy Manufacturers of America met in New York City to show the top toys of the year. They included: Menudo, Michael Jackson (accessories sold separately), Mr. T. and Judy Garland from "The Wizard of Oz". Dolls were very big that year... ** Birthdays 1927 - Erma Bombeck (Fiste) (humorist, columnist, writer: The Grass Is Always Greener over the Septic Tank) 1936 - Barbara Jordon (lawyer, educator, U.S. Congresswoman) 1943 - David Geffen (Tony Award-winning producer: Cats [1983], M Butterfly [1988]; Miss Saigon, Beetlejuice, Risky Business record executive: Geffen Records; partner in famous Dreamworks film production company with Jeffrey Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg) 1946 - Tyne (Ellen) Daly (Tony Award: Gypsy [1990] and Emmy Award-winning actress: Cagney and Lacey [1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 1987-88]; Christy, On the Town, Your Place or Mine, A Matter of Life and Death, Speedtrap, Intimate Strangers, The Enforcer, Larry, Angel Unchained, The Butter and Egg Man, John and Mary, The Virginian; daughter of actors James Daly and Hope Newell; sister of actor Tim Daly) ** Chart Toppers - 1988 Seasons Change - Expose What Have I Done to Deserve This? - Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield Father Figure - George Michael Twinkle, Twinkle Lucky Star - Merle Haggard

History for February 22: ** This is Gentle Giant Day! How tall is the tallest man? Most information collected before the 1900s can not be proven. In fact, exaggeration and dishonesty prevailed. Even medical papers were unreliable. Depending on the measurements of the time and the translation of such, even Goliath stood a mere 6 feet, 10 inches. However, there is irrefutable evidence that Robert Pershing Wadlow, born on this day in 1918 in Alton, Illinois, still holds the record for being the tallest recorded man. Oh yes, Robert was quite normal at birth, weighing in at 8.5 lbs. At the age of two, he had a double hernia operation and something changed. He started to grow, and grow and grow. By age 5 he was 5'4" tall and weighed 105 lbs. On his 8th birthday, Robert weighed in at 169 lbs. and topped the ruler at six feet. He grew another foot by the time he was thirteen and still another by his seventeenth year. On June 27, 1940, Mr. Wadlow was measured by Dr. Cyril MacBryde and Dr. C. M. Charles, Associate Professor of Anatomy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. They recorded Wadlow's height at 8' 11.1". A week later, Wadlow was fitted with a brace on his right leg. The brace fit poorly and inflamed his ankle, causing cellulitis. Robert Wadlow died from the infection on July 15, 1940. A coffin was made especially for him: 10'9" long, 32" wide, 30" deep. Had he not died, he would have continued to grow, according to the doctors. Wadlow, who faced constant public attention and often, ridicule, was always kind, patient and friendly, a demeanor that earned him the nickname 'the gentle giant'. Fortunately he was a gentle giant. If he wasn't, his harassers would have faced a 439 lb. man who wore shoes, size 37AA, a size-25 ring on hands that measured 12 3/4" from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger. His arm span was nine feet, five and three-quarter inches. What we want to know is, where did he buy his clothes? And, could he play basketball? ** Events 1860 - Organized baseball's first game was played in San Francisco, CA. With all the complaints, one would think that Candlestick Park was the first stadium in which the game was played but, this is not true. Candlestick wasn't opened until 1960. 1956 - Elvis Presley entered the music charts for the first time. "Heartbreak Hotel" began its climb to the number one spot on the pop listing, reaching the top on April 11, 1956. It stayed at the top for eight weeks. 1965 - Filming began for the Beatles' second movie, "HELP!", in the Bahamas. ** Birthdays 1732 - George Washington (1st U.S. President [1789-1797]; "I cannot tell a lie..." ; passed away Dec. 14, 1799) 1932 - Edward Kennedy (U.S. Senator from Massachusetts; brother of 35th U.S. President John F. Kennedy and U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy) 1950 - Julius Erving II (Basketball Hall of Famer: Philadelphia 76ers: Dr. J. the third pro player to score more than 30,000 career points [after Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar]) 1975 - Drew Barrymore (actress: Bad Girls, Irreconcilable Differences, E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial, Altered States, Wayne's World 2, Batman Forever, Scream, The Wedding Singer; autobiography [at age 14]: Little Lost Girl; daughter of actor/director John Barrymore, Jr.; granddaughter of actor John Barrymore, Sr.; great-niece of actors Ethel Barrymore and Lionel Barrymore) ** Chart Toppers - 1989 Straight Up - Paula Abdul Wild Thing - Tone Loc Born to Be My Baby - Bon Jovi Big Wheels in the Moonlight - Dan Seals

History for February 23: ** This is Stars, Stripes & Marines Forever Day! It was February 23, 1945 and four days of bitter battle had taken its toll on the 28th Regiment of the Fifth Marine Division of the U.S. Marines. Their task had been to neutralize the defenses and scale the heavily fortified Mount Surabachi. The volcanic peak, at the southern tip of the Japanese Island of Iwo Jima, was one of the first objectives of the Marines' invasion of this small, strategic island, 750 miles south of Tokyo. Although losses were heavy, the Marine platoon succeeded in its mission and reached the top of Mount Surabachi on this day. Victory was triumphant -- as the famous photograph (by Joe Rosenthal) of these Marines raising the American flag portrayed. The photograph inspired the Marine Corps Memorial, Iwo Jima Statue which now stands at Arlington National Cemetery, the largest cast bronze statue in the world. This monument is dedicated to all U.S. Marines (since 1775) who have given their lives for their country. As the flag was being raised, Navy Secretary Forrestal was standing on the beachhead below. When he saw Old Glory waving in the breeze, he told Lt. General Holland M. Smith, "The raising of that flag on Surabachi means a Marine Corps for the next 500 years." ** Events 1957 - The United States Supreme Court ruled that professional football operations of the NFL did fall within coverage of existing antitrust laws. 1974 - The Symbionese Liberation Army demanded $4 million more for the release of Patty Hearst. Hearst had been kidnapped on February 4th and her father, publisher Randolph Hearst, had already coughed up $2 million hoping for her freedom. Randolph said he would consider this request too. 1985 - Breaking with tradition, the TV show, "Gimme a Break", was broadcast live before a studio audience. It was the first TV sitcom to be seen live since television's Golden Age in the 1950s. ** Birthdays 1685 - George Frederick Handel (composer: Messiah) 1939 - Peter Fonda (director, actor: Easy Rider, Futureworld, The Wild Angel's, Love and a .45; Jane's brother; Henry's son; Bridget's Dad) 1943 - Fred Biletnikoff (football: Oakland Raiders wide receiver: Super Bowl II, XI) 1963 - Bobby (Roberto Martin Antonio) Bonilla (baseball: Chicago White Sox Pittsburgh Pirates [all-star: 1988-1991], NY Mets [all-star: 1993, 1995/highest salary in baseball: 1994: $6,300,000], Baltimore Orioles) ** Chart Toppers - 1990 Opposites Attract - Paula Abdul with The Wild Pair Two to Make It Right - Seduction Escapade - Janet Jackson On Second Thought - Eddie Rabbitt

History for February 24: ** Today is Voice of America Day! It was an historic day in radio broadcasting, as the Voice of America (VOA) signed on for the first time on this day in 1942. The worldwide, shortwave radio service, a department of the United States Government, continues to beam a variety of programming around the globe under the auspices of the United States Information Agency (USIA). The VOA transmits from modern studios in Washington, DC and beams much of its programming via satellite to transmitters worldwide. In addition, the VOA maintains huge transmitters in the U.S. and around the world in order to provide distinctly American information, culture and entertainment, in dozens of languages, to every corner of the globe. For years, the tune, "Yankee Doodle", has opened each sign-on broadcast. More than 40 years after the VOA was launched, the USIA started Radio Marti, an immensely powerful radio transmitter tethered from a huge blimp in the Florida Keys. The controversial station broadcast to Cuba, irritating Cuban Premier Fidel Castro enough for him to jam the signals of U.S. broadcasters. The Radio Marti blimp crashed after deflating while airborne a number of years ago. The station returned to the air and has been joined by TV Marti as well. ** Events 1866 - The Capitol in Washington, DC displayed an American flag made entirely of American bunting -- another first. 1940 - Frances Langford recorded one of the classic songs of all time -- and one that would become a Walt Disney trademark. "When You Wish Upon a Star" was recorded on Decca Records during a session in Los Angeles. Many artists have recorded the song, including pop diva Linda Ronstadt (with the Nelson Riddle Orchestra in the early 1980s). One can hear the song not only on record, but as the theme in the opening credits of any Disney movie, video and TV program and those "I'm going to Disneyland/World!" commercials, too. 1942 - The U.S. Government shut down deliveries of all 12-gauge shotguns for sporting use. The Feds needed to make more weapons available for war production. 1985 - Quarterback Doug Flutie played his first game as a pro. Flutie led the New Jersey Generals against Birmingham, losing 38-28. The former Boston College standout had a shaky start in his USFL debut, but still completed 12 of 18 passes in the fourth quarter of the game. 1989 - Iran's Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini was so irritated by Salman Rushdie's novel, "The Satanic Verses", that he sentenced the author to death and slapped a one to three-million-dollar bounty (depending upon who got him) on his head. Talk about "2 thumbs down..." ** Birthdays 1786 - Wilhelm Grimm (author w/brother Jakob: Grimm's Fairy Tales: Rumpelstiltskin, Snow-White, The Sleeping Beauty, Tom Thumb) 1922 - Steven Hill (actor: Law & Order, Mission: Impossible, The Firm, Billy Bathgate, Legal Eagles, Yentl, A Child is Waiting) 1947 - Edward James Olmos (Emmy Award-Winning Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Miami Vice [1985]; Stand and Deliver, Blade Runner) ** Chart Toppers - 1991 All the Man that I Need - Whitney Houston One More Try - Timmy -T- Someday - Mariah Carey Walk on Faith - Mike Reid

History for February 25: ** This is Mr. Magoo Day! Mr. Magoo was born on this day in 1913 ... well, not really. It's the birthday of Mr. Magoo's voice, actor Jim Backus. The actor, who bore no resemblance to the extremely nearsighted, Rutgers College pennant-waving, elderly Magoo, brought him to life once John Hubley created him in 1949. Backus' raspy, Mr. Magoo voice is immediately recognizable to 'toon aficionados the world over. Mr. Backus entire persona is also immediately recognizable to "Gilligan's Island" fans. From 1964 to 1967 (with reruns, it seems much longer than 4 seasons), he played the role of Thurston Howell III in CBS-TV's popular "Gilligan's Island" series; and returned for several sequels, the first, "Rescue from Gilligan's Island" aired in 1978 and was a big hit. (Later versions did not fare as well; although one can catch them in reruns on late-night TV.) Jim (James Gilmore) Backus starred in "I Married Joan" from 1952 through 1955; was the first host of "Talent Scouts" in 1962 and played the role of Dagwood's boss, Mr. Dithers, in the 1968 version of "Blondie". Jim Backus appeared in many films including: "The Great Lover" in 1949, "Rebel Without a Cause" in 1955, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in 1963, "Angel's Brigade" in 1979 and "Slapstick of Another Kind" in 1984. This is just a sampling of the entertainment brought to us by the man whose career spanned several decades of radio, film and TV until his death on July 3, 1989. We miss you, Mr. Quincy Magoo. ** Events 1836 - Samuel Colt was sure as shootin', as he received a patent for what became his now famous pistol, the Colt 45. 1924 - Ty Cobb, one of the legends of baseball, issued an edict to his team, the Detroit Tigers, that forbid players to play the game of golf during training camp. A report in the Detroit Free Press said that Cobb went so far as to confiscate players' golf clubs! Wow! Talk about being a little 'teed off', huh? 1964 - Twenty-two-year old Cassius Clay won the world heavyweight boxing title by defeating Sonny Liston in the seventh round in Miami, FL. Clay had been an 8-1 underdog. In fact, only 8,297 fans showed up for the bout. 1986 - "We are the World" captured four Grammy Awards. The song, featuring more than 40 superstar artists gathered at one time, was awarded the Top Song, Record of the Year, Best Pop Performance and Best Short Video Awards. ** Birthdays 1841 - Pierre Renoir (Impressionist artist: Oarsman at Chatou, The Bathers) 1943 - George Harrison (former Beatle, singer: My Sweet Lord, Isn't It a Pity, What is Life?, All Those Years Ago, Concert for Bangla-Desh) 1943 - Sally Jessy Raphael (TV talk-show hostess) 1951 - Cesar (Encarnacion) Cedeno (baseball: Houston Astros [all-star: 1972-1974, 1976], Cincinnati Reds, SL Cardinals [World Series: 1985], LA Dodgers) ** Chart Toppers - 1984 Jump - Van Halen 99 Luftballons - Nena Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper Stay Young - Don Williams

History for February 26: ** This is Grand Canyon Day! The Grand Canyon was established as a National Park on this day in 1919 by an act of the U.S. Congress. The gigantic gorge that cuts through the high plateaus of the northwest corner of Arizona was formed by thousands of years of erosion. The raging Colorado River was the culprit. Called one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon National Park covered 1,218,375 acres ... and still does. It measures 18 miles across, over two hundred miles long, and is a mile from its rim to the Colorado River below. The Grand Canyon, home to American Indian tribes for many hundreds of years, was first discovered by European explorers on the Coronado expedition of 1540. An inspiration for artists, musical compositions, amusement park attractions, novels and more, it remains one of nature's most magnificent displays, attracting over two million sightseers a year. ** Events 1916 - Mutual signed Charlie Chaplin to a film contract. Three years later, the 'old' Charlie Chaplin films were released and were very successful at the box office. 1930 - Seven years after Garrett A. Morgan invented traffic lights, New York City decided it might be a good idea to install some of the newfangled contraptions. The city fathers had been studying traffic plans in other cities and had rejected the wide use of amber lights being used to slow motorists down before they came to a red light. The New York Board ruled that the yellow lights were ineffective. So on this date, after too many complaints had been received from drivers complaining about pedestrians straying into their paths, the first red and green signal lights were placed at Manhattan street corners. 1993 - Six people were killed and more than a thousand injured in New York City. A van packed with a 1,210-pound bomb exploded in the parking garage underneath the World Trade Center. The explosion left a gigantic crater 200 feet wide and caused over 591 million dollars in damage. Fourteen of his followers and Dr. Sheik Omar Abdul Rahman were accused of the bombing. Rahman is now serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison. ** Birthdays 1802 - Victor Hugo (author: Les Miserables; famous quote: "An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come.") 1932 - Johnny Cash (guitarist, Grammy award-winning country singer: Folsom Prison Blues [1968], I Walk the Line, Don't Take Your Guns to Town, A Boy Named Sue, Ring of Fire; TV show with wife: June Carter) 1953 - Michael Bolton (Grammy Award-winning singer: When a Man Loves a Woman [1991], How Am I Supposed to Live Without You [1989]) ** Chart Toppers - 1985 Careless Whisper - Wham! featuring George Michael Loverboy - Billy Ocean Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On - Mel McDaniel

History for February 27 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1706 - English writer John Evelyn died; he kept a diary throughout most of his life which is now considered an invaluable record of the period. 1807 - American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow born; he wrote ``The Song of Hiawatha'' and ``The Wreck of the Hesperus.'' 1847 - Dame Ellen Terry, English stage actress, born. She played her first role at age eight and became the leading Shakespearean actress of the time. 1879 - The discovery of saccharin was reported. 1887 - Alexander Borodin, Russian composer and scientist, died. 1888 - Lotte Lehmann, German soprano born. She sang in ``Der Rosenkavalier'' after being chosen by Richard Strauss. 1900 - The British Labor Party was founded with Ramsay MacDonald as its Secretary. 1902 - John Steinbeck, American novelist and Nobel Prize winner, born. 1930 - Joanne Woodward, American film actress and wife of Paul Newman, born. 1932 - Elizabeth Taylor, film actress, born in London. She made her screen debut in 1942 at the age of 10 in ``There's One Born Every Minute.'' 1933 - The German parliament building, the Reichstag, was destroyed by fire. Alleging a Communist conspiracy, the Nazis used it as a pretext to crush its opponents. A Dutchman, Marius van der Lubbe, was executed for starting the fire. 1951 - The 22nd amendment to the U.S. constitution was finally ratified, limiting presidential terms of office. 1967 - Pink Floyd records its first single, ``Arnold Layne,'' in London. 1973 - Militant Indians began an occupation of Wounded Knee, South Dakota, in a siege that lasted until May. 1995 - Mafia superboss Salvatore ``Toto'' Riina and 47 other suspected members of the crime organization went on trial on charges of complicity in 48 murders in Sicily.

History for February 27: ** This is Marian Anderson Day! In the 1960s, folk-rock singer Joan Baez was exposed to the prejudices of the Daughters of the American Revolution when she was refused permission to use their hall for a concert. Similarly, the D.A.R. prevented opera singer Marian Anderson from performing at Washington's Constitution Hall in 1939. The former was based on political prejudice, the latter on racial prejudice. Negative reactions to both incidents were directed at the D.A.R. and ironically, helped to promote the success of the singers. Anderson did sing in Washington, D.C., on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. It was Easter Sunday, 1939. 75,000 people showed up to hear her sing. Thousands more heard her sensational voice on a simultaneous radio broadcast. Marian Anderson, who was born in Philadelphia on this day in 1897, was destined to become one of the world's finest contraltos. She began her singing career as a member of the Union Baptist Church choir. However, even a performance with the New York Philharmonic Orchestra could not dispel the racial hate that would prevent her from having a successful career in the United States. And so, Marian Anderson moved to Europe where she was accepted for her color and her magnificent voice and versatility. Sixty years after her birth, Marian Anderson became the first African-American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera. She then became a U.S. delegate to the United Nations. In 1961, she came full circle. This time, she was invited to sing in Washington, D.C. -- at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy, and was, several years later, presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Marian Anderson passed away on April 8, 1993; but the sound of her voice will live forever. ** Events 1908 - Star #46 was added to the U.S. flag -- for Oklahoma, which had entered the union on November 16, 1907. 1942 - Notre Dame football coach Frank Leahy announced his intention to concentrate on the T formation instead of the famous Knute Rockne 'Notre Dame shift' in South Bend, Indiana. Go, Fighting Irish! Rah! 1974 - A new magazine was issued by Time-Life (now Time-Warner). The magazine was "People". It had an initial run of one million copies and became the most successful celebrity weekly 'zine ever published. Weekly circulation of "People" grew to 3,424,858 by 1994. When you include the people that "People" is passed around to by other people, that figure is way higher. "People. People who need "People"." Indeed... ** Birthdays 1917 - John Connally (former governor of Texas: suffered gunshot wounds during Kennedy assassination in 1963; passed away June 15, 1993) 1932 - Elizabeth Taylor (Academy Award-winning actress: Butterfield 8 [1960], Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? [1966], Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award [1992]; Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, National Velvet, Cleopatra; Perfume spokesperson [Passion]) 1980 - Chelsea Clinton (daughter of 42nd U.S. President William Clinton and 1st Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton) ** Chart Toppers - 1986 How Will I Know - Whitney Houston Kyrie - Mr. Mister Sara - Starship There's No Stopping Your Heart - Marie Osmond

Today in History for February 28 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1784 - John Wesley signed the ``deed of declaration'' formalizing the establishment of the Wesleyan faith, or Methodism. 1824 - Blondin, pseudonym of Jean-Francois Gravelet, French tightrope walker who made several crossings of Niagara Falls, born. 1844 - The U.S. navy was demonstrating its new frigate Princeton On the Potomac River when one of its guns exploded, killing the secretary of state, navy secretary and other officials. 1854 - U.S. opponents of slavery meeting at Ripon, Wisconsin agreed to form a new political party; the Republican Party was born later in the year. 1901 - Professor Linus Pauling, U.S. chemist and physicist, born; he won the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1954 and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1962. 1909 - British poet and critic Stephen Spender born. 1913 - Vincente Minnelli, U.S. film director, born. He won several Oscars for his musicals in the 1950s. His marriage to Judy Garland produced a daughter, Liza Minnelli. 1916 - Henry James, American novelist, died in England. 1933 - A day after the Reichstag burned down, Adolf Hitler persuaded President Hindenburg to sign a decree suspending guarantees of personal liberty, freedom of speech and the press and the right of assembly. 1967 - Henry Luce, American publisher, died. He was a co-founder of Time magazine and also founded Life and Fortune. 1971 - The male voters of Liechtenstein defeated a referendum on giving women the vote. 1975 - In Britain's worst underground rail crash, 42 people died when a train crashed at London's Moorgate station. 1991 - After 42 days of the Gulf War, U.S. and allied forces ceased fire and Iraq told its army to stop fighting. 1993 - The siege at Waco, Texas, began after federal agents tried to serve an arrest warrant for weapons charges on Branch Davidian sect leader David Koresh. 1996 - Princess Diana, on what she called the saddest day of her life, agreed to divorce her estranged husband, Prince Charles.

Today in History for February 29 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1792 - Gioacchino Rossini, Italian composer of ``The Barber of Seville,'' born. 1840 - John Philip Holland, inventor of the modern submarine, born in Ireland. 1868 - Benjamin Disraeli took over as British prime minister from Lord Derby. 1896 - William Wellman, U.S. film director of ``Wings,'' ``Public Enemy ``and ``A Star is Born,'' born. 1896 - Shri Morarji Desai, former Indian prime minister, born. He became prime minister in 1977 but his government was troubled by internal strife and Desai resigned in 1979. 1944 - The Germans opened a third major offensive against Anzio beach-head. 1948 - A Cairo to Haifa train was bombed by the underground Jewish Stern Gang, killing 35 British troops. 1956 - Pakistan became an Islamic Republic. 1960 - The port of Agadir was destroyed in an earthquake, killing 12,000 people out of a population of 40,000. 1968 - Dr Jocelyn Burnell announced the discovery of the first pulsating radio source (pulsar). 1984 - Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau resigned as leader of the Liberal Party. 1988 - Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa was arrested for demonstrating outside Parliament. 1996 - The long siege of Sarajevo was declared formally at an end as Moslem-Croat police took over a strategically-located suburb. 1996 - In the worst accident in Peru's history, a Faucett airline Boeing 737 crashed in the Andes killing all 117 passengers and six crew. The plane, on a flight from Lima, crashed at the city of Arequipa, 625 miles south of Lima.

History for February 29: ** This is Leap Year Day! We all know that Leap Year is the year we add an extra day to the month of February -- giving February 29 days; but do you know when this all began and why it is called LEAP year? This confusing state of calendars began in 45 B.C., when Julius Caesar added an extra day to the Julian calendar every fourth year upon the advice of astronomer, Sosigenes. Or it could have been 1582 when Pope Gregory XIII ordered every fourth year to be a leap year (leap year brought the Gregorian calendar closer to the earth's orbital period of 365.2422 days) unless it is a century year that cannot be divisible by 400. Or maybe it was 1698 when the Protestant rulers of Germany and the Netherlands thought it was time they agreed with the pope, or 1752 when the English made this calendar move or 1918 when the Russians picked up on the Gregorian calendar. It's your call. It is called Leap Year because it is not a COMMON year. A common year consists of exactly 52 weeks plus one day. That extra day means that a specific date moves one day (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, etc.) ahead the following year. For example: if your birthday falls on a Tuesday in one common year, it will fall on a Wednesday in the next one. Just when you get it all straight, four years have passed and a leap year comes along to confuse the issue. A leap year consists of exactly 52 weeks plus two days. So now, if your birthday fell on a Wednesday last year, it will fall on a Friday this year (February 29 through February 28 of next year). Got that? Just be happy you're not listed on our Birthday Board for this leap year. Those who are must divide their years by four for their calendar ages unless there's a century year in the way -- one that cannot be divided by 400, that is. Leap Years also have a very uncommon tradition attached to them. It seems that in a Leap Year or Bissextile, a woman could propose marriage to the man of her choice. At least that's what happened in Scotland in 1288 when a law was passed making this custom legal. This traditon spread throughout the rest of the United Kingdom of Great Britain, as did the law. A woman was expected to enforce and insist upon acceptance from the gentleman of choice or he would receive a penalty or fine. A penalty could be that the gentleman had to pay for a silk or satin dress selected by the scorned woman. And, you know the old saying, "Hell hath no fury like that of a woman scorned." ... especially in a Leap Year. ** Events 1704 - The town of Deerfield, MA was raided on this day by French Canadians and Indians who were trying to retrieve their church bell that had been shipped from France. The bell was to hang in the Canadian Indian's village church. Neither the raiders nor the residents of Deerfield were aware that the bell had been stolen from the ship. The Deerfield folks had purchased the bell from a privateer, unaware that it belonged to the Indian congregation. Although 47 people were killed in the incident, we could say that the 120 captured were saved by the bell. 1860 - The first electric tabulating machine -- the forerunner of the calculator -- was invented by Herman Hollerith. We think it was unfortunate that Mr. Hollerith chose to make his invention on Leap Day, causing the machine to only calculate numbers divisible by four. 1944 - The first woman appointed secretary of a national political party was named to the Democratic National Committee. Dorothy McElroy Vredenburgh of Alabama began her new appointment this day. 1980 - Gordie Howe of the Detroit Red Wings became the first player in NHL history to score 800 career goals (in a 3-0 Wings' win over the St. Louis Blues). Howe finished his career with 801 regular-season goals. Only Wayne Gretzky has surpassed that mark. ** Birthdays 1840 - John Philip Holland (inventor of first true submarine accepted by U.S. Navy [spent 57 years working with submersibles]; invented device to allow sailors to escape from damaged subs; passed away Aug 12, 1914) 1916 - Dinah (Frances Rose) Shore (Emmy Award-winning singer, entertainer: The Dinah Shore Show [1951], Dinah's Place [1970]; Daytime Emmy: Dinah's Place [1970], Dinah! [1974]; The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, Oh, God!, Death Car on the Freeway; singer: Yes, My Darling Daughter, The Breeze and I, Blues in the Night, I'll Walk Alone, Buttons and Bows; sponsored Dinah Shore Classic pro golf tournament for over twenty years; passed away Feb 24, 1994) 1972 - Antonio Sabato, Jr. (actor: Earth 2, Beyond the Law, War of the Robots, Thundersquad) ** Chart Toppers - 1992 To Be with You - Mr. Big I'm Too Sexy - R*S*F (Right Said Fred) Remember the Time - Michael Jackson What's She Doing Now - Garth Brooks

History for March 1: ** This is FM Radio Day! Hey gang, crank up the FM stereo tuner and celebrate the reason why you listen to that hard rock/alternative music stuff in the first place. FM Radio began in the U.S. when station W47NV in Nashville, TN started operations on this day in 1941. W47NV was the first commercial FM radio station to receive a license, some 20 years after its AM radio counterpart, KDKA in Pittsburgh. For those of you who don't remember, FM stands for 'frequency modulation' as opposed to 'amplitude modulation'. W47NV operated with 20,000 watts on a frequency of 44,700 kilocycles. FM stations don't do that anymore. They operate in a different segment of the radio spectrum (88-108 MHz) and at power outputs not exceeding 100,000 watts, except in rare instances. (There are a few FM stations in the U.S. with power output up to 300,000 watts and antennas more than a thousand feet high.) In the beginning, FM radio was pretty much a graveyard for beautiful music that numbed us in doctor's offices and in elevators. It became a primary source for educational programming; featuring classical music, opera and jazz. Today, more than 80 percent of radio listening in the United States is done by way of FM and one can hear just about everything, from oldies, rock and pop, country and blues to National Public Radio -- not to mention Howard Stern and his ilk. (And if you haven't heard Howard Stern's ilk, you haven't heard anything.) That's it. I'm Mr. Wizard. Thank you. And thank you FM! ** Events 1867 - The Cornhusker State, aka the Beef State, aka the Tree Planter State, aka Nebraska (37th state), entered the United States of America. Nebraska means 'flat water' in Oto Indian speak. Lincoln is the official seat of Nebraska government. Nebraska's motto: Equality before the law. The western meadowlark holds the honor of being the state bird; while the goldenrod takes its place as the state flower. Other state symbols include the cottonwood tree (state tree); the honeybee (state insect); blue agate (state gemstone); whitetail deer (state mammal); mammoth (state fossil); prairie agate (state rock); "Beautiful Nebraska" (state song) ... that's original ... and, the state soil: typic arguistolls, Holrege Series. State soil? 1968 - Elton John's first record, "I've Been Loving You", was released by Philips Records in England. Philips, not realizing the potential of the soon-to-be superstar, released him in 1969, just prior to his teaming with lyricist Bernie Taupin. Elton then signed a contract with Uni Records and began to turn out what would become a string of more than 50 hits over the next 25 years. 1969 - Mickey Mantle announced his retirement from baseball on this day. 'Number 7' was considered to be the final link to the great Yankee dynasty of the 1950s and 1960s. Mantle's World Series records include: home runs (18), runs scored (42), RBIs (40), walks (43) and strikeouts (54). Mickey Mantle died in 1995. ** Birthdays 1926 - Pete (Alvin) Rozelle (football: LA Rams GM, NFL commissioner; passed away Dec 6, 1996) 1927 - Harry Belafonte (singer: The Banana Boat Song, Jamaica Farewell, Mary's Boy Child; actor: Island in the Sun, Buck and the Preacher; UNICEF goodwill ambassador; Shari's father) 1954 - Catherine Bach (actress: The Dukes of Hazzard, African Skies, Rage and Horror, Street Justice, Driving Force, Cannonball Run 2, Nicole) 1954 - Ron Howard (Emmy Award-winning producer: From the Earth to the Moon [1998]; actor: The Andy Griffith Show, Happy Days, American Graffiti; director: Night Shift, Splash, Cocoon, Backdraft, Apollo 13) 1956 - Timothy Daly (actor: Diner, Wings) ** Chart Toppers - 1988 Father Figure - George Michael What Have I Done to Deserve This? - Pet Shop Boys & Dusty Springfield She's like the Wind - Patrick Swayze featuring Wendy Fraser I Won't Take Less Than Your Love - Tanya Tucker

History for March 2: ** This is TIME Day! Take time to celebrate the fact that on this day in 1923, the first issue of the weekly periodical "TIME" appeared on newsstands. The first issue was 32 pages and featured a charcoal sketch of House Speaker Joseph Gurney 'Uncle Joe' Cannon on the cover. It was the United States' first modern news magazine. The worldwide news weekly, founded by Henry Luce and Briton Hadden, is printed in several languages and is among the most popular magazines in history with readership topping four million. The magazine, published by Time Inc., has a corporate staff housed in its own building: the Time and Life Building in New York City. ** Events 1925 - State and federal highway officials developed a nationwide route-numbering system and adopted the familiar U.S. shield-shaped numbered marker. For instance, in the east, there is U.S. 1 that runs from New England to Florida and in the west, the corresponding highway, U.S. 101, from Tacoma, WA to San Diego, CA. 1927 - Babe Ruth signed a 3-year contract with the New York Yankees for a guarantee of $70,000 a year, thus becoming baseball's highest paid player. 1962 - Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain scored 100 points and broke an NBA record as the Philadelphia Warriors beat the New York Knicks 169-147. Chamberlain broke NBA marks for the most field goal attempts (63), most field goals made (36), most free throws made (28), most points in a half (59), most field goal attempts in a half (37), most field goals made in a half (22), and most field goal attempts in one quarter (21). The 316 total points scored tied an NBA record. What's not known is if Chamberlain set the record for most gallons of sweat pouring off a man's body during a game. 1974 - Stevie Wonder got five Grammy Awards for his album, "Innervisions" and his hit songs, "You Are The Sunshine of My Life" and "Superstition". 1987 - Government officials reported that the median price for a new home had topped $100,000 for the first time. The new six-figure price: $110,700, actually, was up from $94,600. ** Birthdays 1793 - Sam Houston (fought for Texas' independence from Mexico; President of Republic of Texas; U.S. Senator; Texas governor; passed away in 1863) 1904 - Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) (Pulitzer Prize-winning author [1984]: The Cat in the Hat, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Green Eggs and Ham; passed away Sep 24, 1991) 1931 - Mikhail Gorbachev (President of the Soviet Union) 1931 - Tom Wolfe (author: The Bonfire of the Vanities, The Right Stuff) 1944 - Lou Reed (Firbank) (singer, songwriter, guitarist: group: Velvet Underground; solo: Walk on the Wild Side, Charley's Girl; I Love You Suzanne; appeared in Paul Simon film: One Trick Pony) 1962 - Jon Bon Jovi (John Bongiovi) (singer, musician, songwriter: You Give Love a Bad Name, Living on a Prayer) ** Chart Toppers Straight Up - Paula Abdul Lost in Your Eyes - Debbie Gibson The Lover in Me - Sheena Easton I Sang Dixie - Dwight Yoakam

History for March 3: ** Today is Star-Spangled Banner Day! It was on this day in 1931 that "The Star-Spangled Banner", written by Francis Scott Key, officially became the national anthem of the United States. Despite the fact that millions sing (in a manner of speaking) the anthem before sporting events, civic club meetings and other public gatherings, it is still ranked as the most difficult national anthem on earth to sing. While's Key's lyrics reflected an enduring sentiment of America during war time of 1812, with its "rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air" over Fort McHenry at Baltimore, MD; the melody goes against most everything musical and the words themselves are quite difficult to remember -- especially those following the first verse. Originally an English drinking song, "To Anacreon in Heaven", the melody is next to impossible for most of us to sing. Maybe that's why it was a drinking song. You either have to be drunk to sing it or if everyone's drunk, who cares! Amateur singers embarrass themselves as they attempt to hit the high notes at the end of the song. They do this in the shower and at community events; while professional opera singers and pop music stars go flat ... or forget the words ... in front of national television audiences. Performers such as Robert Morley, Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Jose Feliciano, Ray Charles and others have had difficulties in musically translating the nation's anthem. Almost from the moment the song was adopted officially, there has been movement to bring about change. Many would like to see "America the Beautiful" become the U.S. national anthem and every so often, there is talk of such a change, but to no avail, in this, "the home of the braaaaaaaaaaaaave." ** Events 1845 - The U.S. Congress passed legislation overriding a President's veto. It was the first time Congress had done so. President John Tyler was in office at the time. 1845 - Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America. The word 'Florida' comes from the Spanish 'feast of flowers'. But we call it the Sunshine State. The capital of the Sunshine State is ... no, not Walt Disney World ... Tallahassee. The state flower is the fragrant orange blossom and the mockingbird is the state bird. Do you think the mockingbird can mimic Donald Duck? Or maybe it sings the Florida state song, "Suwannee River". The Florida state motto is: "In God we trust." 1985 - Kevin McHale of the University of Minnesota set a Boston Celtics scoring record this night as he poured in 56 points in a 138-129 win over the Detroit Pistons. ** Birthdays 1911 - Jean Harlow (Harlean Carpenter) (actress: Platinum Blonde, Red Dust, Bombshell, Dinner at Eight, China Seas, Libeled Lady; passed away June 7, 1937) 1920 - James Doohan (actor: Star Trek TV series, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Trek: Generations, Loaded Weapon 1, Bug Buster) 1962 - Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Olympic gold medalist & 1st woman to hold world record in the heptathlon: 7,044 points [1992]; 1st athlete to win multi-event medals in 3 Olympics [pentathlon, long jump]) 1966 - Tone-Loc (rap singer: Wild Thing) ** Chart Toppers - 1982 Centerfold - The J. Geils Band Open Arms - Journey Shake It Up - The Cars Lord, I Hope This Day is Good - Don Williams

Reuters Today in History for March 4 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1394 - Portuguese explorer Prince Henry the Navigator born. He sponsored expeditions along the African coast which led to the foundation of the overseas Portuguese empire. 1461 - In the English Wars of the Roses, Edward of York took the English throne as Edward IV. 1678 - Antonio Vivaldi, Italian composer, born. Best known for ``The Four Seasons,'' he wrote more than 230 violin concertos and 120 concertos for other solo instruments. 1681 - King Charles II granted William Penn by charter almost all of what is now Pennsylvania. 1789 - The first U.S. Congress convened in New York City until September 29. 28 Senators and 65 Representatives sat for the 13 States. 1791 - Vermont became the 14th state of the United States. 1793 - George Washington was inaugurated for a second term as president of the United States in Philadelphia. He was the only president to be inaugurated in two cities the first was New York. 1801 - Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated as the third president of the United States and he became the first to be inaugurated in the new capital of Washington. 1824 - The Royal National Lifeboat Institution was founded. 1877 - Tchaikovsky's ballet ``Swan Lake'' was first performed at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. 1913 - John Garfield, U.S. film actor, born as Julius Garfinkle. Best known for his roles in the films ``Juarez'' and ``The Postman Always Rings Twice.'' 1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt was sworn in as 32nd U.S. president. 1970 - The French submarine Eurydice sank off the coast of Toulon. All 57 aboard died. 1971 - Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau secretly married Margaret Sinclair. 1975 - Film actor Charlie Chaplin was knighted at Buckingham Palace.

History for March 4: ** Today is Mike Day! This day is celebrated by disc jockeys, TV hosts, movie stars, department store announcers, rock groups, politicians and many, many others. For it was on this day in 1877 that Emile Berliner, the man behind so many inventions, came up with a thing called the microphone. Good thing, too, because the Bell System, run by Alexander Graham Bell, was in desperate need of something to save it from financial ruin -- and to help the progress of the telephone. So, the Bell Labs came up with a compact way to put Mr. Berliner's microphone on a wooden box, with a crank, an earpiece, a cradle hook for the earpiece and some wires, and called it the telephone. There was no such thing as a telephone dial. One rang up 'Jenny' (the operator) with three turns on the crank. That got her to put a cord into the switchboard connecting you directly to the phone you were calling. Because of the microphone, people could hear you speak. Neat, huh? And in 1957, operators in upstate New York (90 miles from Manhattan) and other somewhat rural areas throughout the U.S. were still saying, "Number, plee-uz" into their little mouthpiece microphones attached to headsets. Even as late as the 1980s, the average Joe would shy away when a microphone was stuck in his face. Today, with all the amazing electronic gadgets we have, hardly a soul is afraid of a microphone. Witness karaoke! ** Events 1791 - Vermont, the 14th state, was admitted to the union on this day. It sits way up in the northeast corner of the United States, adjacent to New York, nestled in the Green Mountains. No wonder it's known as the Green Mountain State! Coincidentally, that's what the French phrase 'vert mont' means. Montpelier is Vermont's capital city. "Hail Vermont" is the state song which goes right along with the state motto: Vermont, Freedom and Unity. The hermit thrush stands alone as the state bird; and the red clover is the colorful state flower which attracts the state insect, the honeybee. The Morgan horse is the state animal, and the state tree ... you guessed it ... is the one that makes all that famous Vermont maple syrup, the sugar maple tree. Every now and then some of these state symbols make sense. 1925 - Calvin Coolidge took the oath of office in Washington DC. The presidential inauguration was broadcast on radio for the very first time. 1950 - Walt Disney's "Cinderella" was released. It was the first full-length, animated, feature film in eight years from the man who brought us Mickey Mouse. 1985 - "Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care" was published with Dr. Michael Rothenberg sharing authorship with Dr. Benjamin Spock, 'The Baby Doc'. It was the fifth edition of the book to be published. 30,000,000 copies had been printed -- second only to the Bible in the best seller category. ** Birthdays 1888 - Knute Rockne (College Football Hall of Famer: coach: Notre Dame [1918-1930]: 122 games: won 195, lost 12, tied 5; killed in plane crash Mar 31, 1931) 1961 - Ray 'Boom Boom' Mancini (lightweight boxing champion, actor: The Dirty Dozen: The Fatal Mission, Aces: Iron Eagle III, The Search for One-eye Jimmy, Body and Soul; film based on his life: Heart of a Champion: The Ray Mancini Story [1985]) 1968 - Patsy Kensit (actress: Tunnel Vision, Fall from Grace, Blame It on the Bellboy, Chicago Joe and the Showgirl, Lethal Weapon, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, The Great Gatsby) 1969 - Chastity Bono (singer; daughter of Sonny & Cher) ** Chart Toppers - 1991 All the Man that I Need - Whitney Houston Someday - Mariah Carey One More Try - Timmy -T- Walk on Faith - Mike Reid

History for March 5: ** This is Annie Oakley Day! Just five feet tall, one wouldn't expect Phoebe Anne Oakley Mozee to be able to use a rifle, a pistol or a shotgun. Yet, the diminutive Annie Oakley -- as she was better known -- found out, at the age of nine, that she was a dead shot. Born in a log cabin in Patterson Township, Ohio, Annie starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show for seventeen years equally adept at hitting targets with any of the three weapons. On this day in particular, in 1922, Annie broke all existing records for women's trap shooting. She smashed 98 out of 100 clay targets thrown at 16 yards while at a match at the Pinehurst Gun Club in North Carolina. She hit the first fifty, missed the 51st, then the 67th. This was a record-breaker, true; but Annie Oakley was well-known throughout the United States and Europe for her expert shooting ability. In one day, 'Little Sure Shot' took a .22 rifle and hit 4,772 glass balls out of 5,000 tossed in the air. She could hit a playing card from 90 feet (the thin side facing her), puncturing it at least five times before it hit the ground. It was this display that named free tickets with holes punched in them, Annie Oakleys. In 1935, Phoebe Mozee was immortalized on film in "Annie Get Your Gun", which was later made into a musical for the stage. In 1985, another film, "Annie Oakley", was made for TV. It included silent-film footage of the record-breaking sharp-shooter, taken by Thomas Edison. ** Events 1623 - The first temperance law in the colonies was enacted -- in Virginia. 1836 - Samuel Colt manufactured the first pistol: a .34-caliber 'Texas' model. 1946 - Winston Churchill delivered his famous Iron Curtain Speech at Fulton, MO, "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent." 1986 - The U.S. dollar made its largest one-day gain against other world currencies since 1978 as it closed up 2-1/2 points or just over 2.2 percent from the previous day's closing mark. ** Birthdays 1945 - Norm Thompson (football: St. Louis Cardinals) 1946 - Rocky (Robert) Bleier (football: Pittsburgh Steelers running back: Super Bowl IX, X, XIII, XIV) 1948 - Eddy Grant (singer, songwriter: Living on the Front Line, Do You Feel My Love, I Don't Wanna Dance, Electric Avenue, Romancing the Stone; group: Equals: Baby Come Back, Black Skin Blue Eyed Boys; owned studio: Coach House Studios, another in Barbados) ** Chart Toppers - 1984 Jump - Van Halen 99 Luftballons - Nena Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper Woke Up in Love - Exile

Today in History for March 5 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1534 - Antonio Allegri da Correggio, Italian Renaissance painter, dies. 1751 - James Madison, fourth president of the United States, born. He sponsored the first 10 amendments to the U.S. constitution. 1770 - In the ``Boston massacre'' five people are killed when British troops open fire on a crowd. 1778 - Thomas Arne, English composer of ``Rule, Britannia,'' dies. 1827 - Count Alessandro Giuseppe Volta, Italian inventor of the first electric battery, dies. 1933 - Election returns in Germany give the Nazis and their allies 52 percent of Reichstag seats. 1953 - Soviet leader Joseph Stalin (Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili) dies after three decades in power. 1953 - Sergei Prokofiev, Russian composer, dies. Best known for his orchestral fairytale ``Peter and the Wolf'' and for his film scores ``Alexander Nevsky'' and ``Ivan the Terrible.'' 1970 - The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty comes into force with 45 countries, including the three main nuclear powers, having signed the agreement. 1977 - In the United States President Carter answers questions from listeners over 26 states in the first presidential phone-in. 1984 - William Powell, American film actor dies; best known for his roles in ``The Thin Man,'' ``My Man Godfrey'' and ``Life With Father.'' 1984 - Tito Gobbi, Italian operatic baritone, dies; he was famed for his role as ``Scarpia'' in Giacomo Puccini's operatic shocker ``Tosca.'' 1989 - Time Inc. and Warner Communications Inc. decide to merge into a world-leading media and entertainment giant. 1993 - Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson is banned for life after he was ruled to have failed a second dope test just five years after his exit in disgrace from the 1988 Seoul Olympics. 1994 - White House lawyer Bernard Nussbaum resigns, becoming the first casualty of the Whitewater affair that had plagued the Clinton administration.

History for March 6: ** This is Remember the Alamo Day! It was on this day in 1836, the last of a thirteen-day siege, that Mexico's dictator, Santa Anna and his thousand-man army defeated a little band of Texas volunteers. The last of these 189 brave men (who included Davy Crockett) died on March 6, holed up in the Alamo. Their fight for Texas' liberty did not go unnoticed. 46 days later, with the battle cry, "Remember the Alamo," General Sam Houston and his Texans captured Santa Anna and finished the job started at the Alamo. Texas gained its independence. ** Events 1926 - And now, camel news: On this day, in Tunis, Africa, the lead camel in a race was clocked at an amazing 12 minutes over the 3-1/8 mile course, an average of 3 minutes, 40 seconds a mile. Talk about gettin' off the hump, huh? 1962 - Frank Sinatra recorded his final session for Capitol Records in Hollywood. Sinatra had been recording for his own record label, Reprise, for two years. His final side on Capitol was "I Gotta Right to Sing the Blues", with Skip Martin's orchestra. 1964 - Tom O'Hara ran the mile in 3 minutes, 56.4 seconds, setting a world indoor record in Chicago, IL. And he still didn't beat that speedy dromedary. 1981 - Walter Cronkite, the dean of American television newscasters, said "And that's the way it is" for the final time, as he closed the "CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite". An audience estimated at 17,000,000 viewers saw 'the most trusted man in America' sign-off. Cronkite retired after more than 30 years in broadcasting. He was replaced by Dan Rather at the anchor desk. 1985 - Yul Brynner played his famous role as the king in "The King and I" in his 4,500th performance in the musical. The actor, age 64, opened the successful production on Broadway in 1951. ** Birthdays 1475 - Michelangelo (de Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni) (Renaissance artist: Sistine Chapel ceiling; sculptor: David; architect: St. Peter's [Rome]; passed away in 1564) 1619 - Cyrano De Bergerac (French soldier, author: The States and Empires of the Sun; subject of famous play whose title bears his name; passed away in 1655) 1806 - Elizabeth Barrett Browning (Moulton) (poet: Sonnets from the Portuguese - "How do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways."; Robert Browning's wife; passed away June 29, 1861) 1972 - Shaquille O'Neal (basketball: Orlando Magic: NBA Rookie of the Year [1993]) ** Chart Toppers - 1985 Careless Whisper - Wham! featuring George Michael Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon California Girls - David Lee Roth Baby Bye Bye - Gary Morris

Today in History for March 6 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1475 - Michelangelo Buonarotti, Italian painter, sculptor and architect, born. Described as the most brilliant representative of the Italian Renaissance, he was famed for his work on the Sistine Chapel, his painting of ``The Last Judgment'' and his statue of ``David.'' 1619 - Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac, French satirist and dramatist, born. 1836 - The siege of the Alamo ended when Mexican troops under General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna captured the mission fort garrisoned by Davey Crockett and 154 Texans. 1853 - Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi's opera ``La Traviata'' was performed for the first time, in Venice. 1888 - Louisa May Alcott, U.S. novelist and author of ``Little Women,'' died. 1900 - Gottfried Daimler, motor engineer who improved the engine and made the first motorcycle, died. 1930 - Prepackaged frozen food produced by the company set up by Clarence Birdseye went on sale for the first time in Springfield, Massachussetts. Peas, fish, meat, loganberries and spinach were among the products available for sale. 1932 - John Philip Sousa, U.S. bandmaster and composer of military marches, died. 1941 - U.S. sculptor Gutzon Borglum died. He carved the heads of Presidents Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt on Mount Rushmore, South Dakota,. 1944 - In World War II, 658 U.S. bombers began a daylight attack on Berlin from bases in Britain and dropped 2,000 tons of bombs. 1951 - Ivor Novello, Welsh composer and playwright, died. 1967 - Zoltan Kodaly, Hungarian composer of ``Dances of Galanta,'' died. 1973 - Pearl Buck, U.S. author of ``The Good Earth,'' died; she won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1938. 1980 - Belgian-born French author Marguerite Yourcenar became the first woman writer to be elected to the Academie Francaise. 1992 - Michelangelo, one of the most alarming computer viruses to surface, struck thousands of personal computers around the world.

Commandancy of the Alamo Bejar, Fby 24th 1836-- TO THE PEOPLE OF TEXAS & ALL AMERICANS IN THE WORLD Fellow Citizens & Compatriots-- I am besieged, by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna--I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man--The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken-- I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls-- I _shall never surrender or retreat. Then_ I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid, with all dispatch-- The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country-- _Victory or Death._ _________________ _________________ William Barret Travis Lt. Col. Comdt. ************************ (The Alamo fell on 6 March 1836.)

wow marcia, a lot for that day in history!

I noted that! Wolfie, thanks for coming in here...it is lonely sometimes...especially with one of the hosts missing and one too busy for another conference...*sigh* Some days have two bunches of history and today there is apparently none!

History for March 7, 2000: ** This is We Are the World Day! The song "We Are the World", from the album of the same name, was played on the radio for the first time on this day in 1985. Forty-five of pop music's top stars gathered together to combine their talents to record the music of Lionel Richie and Michael Jackson. Richie and Jackson sang, too, while Quincy Jones did the producing of the USA for Africa record. To insure that the all-night recording session went off without a hitch and that the true cause of the song was etched into the hearts and minds of the wide array of internationally known talent performing, Richie placed a hand-written sign outside the studio at A&M Records in Hollywood which simply said, "Check Your Egos at the Door." The proceeds of the multimillion-selling recording went to aid African famine victims. The project, coordinated by Ken Kragen, was deemed a huge success. ** Events 1955 - "Peter Pan", with Mary Martin and Cyril Richard, was presented as a television special for the first time. 1955 - Baseball commissioner Ford Frick indicated that he was in favor of legalizing the spitball. The commissioner said, "It's a great pitch." Many, like Gaylord Perry and others would agree, but the rules never changed to allow the dastardly pitch. Catchers often said that when catching a spitball, one needed to wear a raincoat for protection. 1959 - Melvin C. Garlow became the first pilot to fly over a million miles in jet airplanes. 1987 - World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight champ, 'Iron' Mike Tyson, became the youngest heavyweight titlist ever as he beat James Smith in a decision during a 12-round bout in Las Vegas. ** Birthdays 1942 - Michael York (actor: Logan's Run, Cabaret, The Heat of the Day) 1946 - Peter Wolf (Blankfield) (singer: group: J. Geils Band: Centerfold; Lights Out, Freeze-Frame; married Faye Dunaway) 1952 - Lynn Swann (football: Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver: Super Bowl IX, X, XIII, XIV; TV sportscaster) 1960 - Ivan Lendl (tennis champion: Australian Open [1989,1983,1990], French Open [1984, 1986, 1987], U.S. Open [1985, 1986, 1987]) ** Chart Toppers - 1986 Kyrie - Mr. Mister Sara - Starship Living in America - James Brown You Can Dream of Me - Steve Wariner

History for March 8: ** Today is Beulah Day! Because Louise Beavers, a talented actress, was born on this day in 1902 and not some fifty years later, she was forced to forever play the role of a maid. Louise, a member of the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, performed in a time when a black woman was stereotyped and unable to get choice roles. Even in the part of a maid, she able to show the world that she was an extremely talented actress. One critic, Jimmie Fiddler, said her starring role in the film, "Imitation of Life", was the finest performance of 1935. Louise Beavers appeared in more than 125 films over a thirty-year period, including "Tammy and the Bachelor" [1957], "The Jackie Robinson Story" [1950], "Dixie Jamboree" [1944], "Reap the Wild Wind" [1942], "General Spanky" [1936] and "Coquette" [1929]. Yet, she is still best remembered for her role as "Beulah", the maid, in the television series by the same name. The part was originally played by Ethel Waters. A major cast change was made in 1952 when actress Hattie McDaniels of "Gone with the Wind" fame was to replace Waters. McDaniels became ill and Louise Beavers took over. "Beulah" ended when Louise no longer wanted to play the part. ** Events 1855 - A train passed over the first railway suspension bridge -- at Niagara Falls, NY. 1962 - The Beatles performed for the first time on the BBC in Great Britain. John, Paul, George and ... Pete Best sang "Dream Baby" on the show, "Teenager's Turn" on 'Auntie Beeb' (as the BBC was known). 1971 - A new undisputed world heavyweight boxing champion was crowned. 'Smokin' Joe Frazier, of Philadelphia, won a decision over Muhammad Ali, who had been previously undefeated. For the night's work, both Frazier and Ali collected the tidy sum of $2,500,000. 1985 - The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) taxed themselves to discover that 407,700 Americans were millionaires -- more than double the total of just five years before. ** Birthdays 1841 - Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. (jurist: associate justice of U.S. Supreme Court [1902-1932]; writer: The Common Law; passed away Mar 6, 1935) 1943 - Lynn Redgrave (actress: Georgy Girl, House Calls, Chicken Soup Centennial, Rehearsal for Murder) 1959 - Aidan Quinn (actor: Legends of the Fall, Avalon, All My Sons, Desperately Seeking Susan, A Streetcar Named Desire) ** Chart Toppers - 1987 Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi Jacob's Ladder - Huey Lewis & The News Somewhere Out There - Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram Mornin' Ride - Lee Greenwood

Today in History for March 8 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1849 - Thomas Ewing of Ohio was appointed by U.S. President Zachary Taylor as the first Secretary of the Interior Department. 1869 - Hector Berlioz, French composer of the ``Symphonie fantastique'' and the opera ``Les Troyens,'' died. 1879 - Otto Hahn, German Nobel prize winner for chemistry (1944) and co-discoverer of nuclear fission, born. 1889 - John Ericsson, Swedish-born U.S. ship designer and inventor of the first successful screw propeller, died. 1910 - The Royal Aero Club issued the first British pilot's licence to J.T.C. Moore Brabazon. 1917 - Riots and strikes in St. Petersburg marked the start of the ``February Revolution'' in Russia. 1917 - Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, German soldier, inventor and pioneer in airship development, died. 1948 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that religious instruction in public schools violated the constitution. 1950 - The Soviet Union said it was in possession of the atomic bomb. 1958 - The Chinese government imposed martial law on the restive Tibetan capital of Lhasa. 1961 - Sir Thomas Beecham, English conductor, died. He was founder of several British orchestras including the London Philharmonic and was best known for his interpretations of Mozart and Sibelius. 1971 - Harold Lloyd, U.S. silent film star and comedian, died. Best remembered for the scene in ``Safety Last'' in which he was seen dangling from a skyscraper with nothing to hold on to but the hand of a clock. 1973 - IRA car bombs exploded outside the Old Bailey courthouse and Scotland Yard police headquarters in London, killing one and injuring 238. 1983 - British composer William Walton died. His orchestral piece ``Facade'' is regarded as his most popular success. 1999 - New York Yankees baseball legend Joe DiMaggio died aged 84.

Today in History for March 9 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1074 - Pope Gregory VII declared all married Roman Catholic priests to be excommunicated. 1454 - Amerigo Vespucci, Italian explorer who made many voyages to the New World, born. The name for the continents of America was derived from his name. 1796 - Napoleon Bonaparte married Josephine de Beauharnais, widow of a former French officer executed during the revolution. 1831 - The French Foreign Legion was founded by King Louis Philippe with its headquarters in Algeria. 1864 - In the U.S. Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant was appointed commander-in-chief of the Union armies. 1918 - Frank Wedekind, German actor and dramatist, died. His brand of satire often roused controversy, which led to him being imprisoned for a time. 1941 - In World War Two the Italian offensive in Albania began but became bogged down after only four days. 1943 - Bobby Fischer, former world chess champion, born. In 1972 he became the first American to win the world chess championship when he beat Boris Spassky of the Soviet Union in Reykjavik. 1940 - The late actor Raul Julia born. 1945 - The U.S. 1st Army captured Bonn, Germany. 1964 - French actress Juliette Binoche, who won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in ``The English Patient,'' born. 1992 - Former Israeli prime minister Menachem Begin died. Once a member of the Irgun Zvai Leumi resistance group and a hard-liner concerning the Arabs, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1978 for his part in the Camp David settlement with President Anwar Sadat of Egypt. 1994 - Spanish actor Fernando Rey, who starred in the film ``The French Connection'' and also the films of Luis Bunuel, died aged 76. 1995 - President Bill Clinton approved a visa for Gerry Adams to enter the United States and raise funds for Sinn Fein. 1996 - George Burns, one of America's best loved and most enduring entertainers, died less than two months after celebrating his 100th birthday.

On this day... 1497 Nicolaus Copernicus first recorded astronomical observation 1745 Bells for first American carillon shipped from England to Boston 1791 George Hayward, US surgeon, first to use ether 1796 Napoleon Bonaparte marries Josephine de Beauharnais 1798 Dr. George Balfour becomes first naval surgeon in the US Navy 1820 James Monroe's daughter Maria marries in the White House 1822 Charles Graham of NY patents artificial teeth 1858 Albert Potts of Philadelphia patents the street mailbox 1861 Confederate currency authorized-$50, $100, $500, $1,000 1862 "Monitor" (Union) & "Merrimack" (Rebel) battle in Hampton Roads 1864 Ulysses S. Grant is appointed commander of Union Army 1873 Royal Canadian Mounted Police founded 1889 Kansas passes first general antitrust law in US 1907 First involuntary sterilization law enacted, Indiana 1916 General Fransisco "Poncho" Villa invades US (17 killed) 1916 Germany declares war against Portugal 1932 Eamon De Valera becomes President of Ireland 1945 Japanese proclaim the independence of Indo-China 1954 Edward R. Murrow criticizes Senator Joseph McCarthy 1961 Sputnik 9 carries Chernushka (dog) into orbit 1966 Andrew Brimmer becomes first black governor of Federal Reserve Board 1989 Eastern Airlines files for bankruptcy Birthdates which occurred on March 9th: 1454 Amerigo Vespucci, explorer 1564 David Fabricius, Essens Germany, astronomer 1890 Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, Soviet Foreign Minister 1892 David Garnett, England, novelist/editor (Lady into Fox) 1892 Vita Sackville-West, England, novelist/poet (The Land) 1902 Will Greer, Frankfort Indiana, actor (Grandpa Walton-The Waltons) 1918 Mickey Spillane, mystery writer 1920 Carl Betz, Pittsburgh, actor (Alex Stone-Donna Reed Show) 1926 Irene Papas, Corinth Greece, actress (Moses The Lawgiver) 1927 Jack Jensen, baseball player (AL MVP 1958) 1934 Joyce Van Patten, Queens NY, actress (Good Guys, Don Rickles Show) 1934 Yuri Gagarin, Russia, first man into space (aboard Vostok 1) 1936 Glenda Jackson, England, actress (Hopscotch, Touch of Class) 1936 Marty Ingels, Brooklyn, comedian (I'm Dickens, He's Fenster) 1936 Mickey Gilley, country singer 1938 Charles Siebert, Kenosha Wisconsin, actor (One Day at A Time, Trapper John) 1940 Raul Julia, Puerto Rico, actor (Kiss of the Spider Woman) 1942 Mark Lindsay, Eugene Oregon, singer (Paul Revere & the Raiders) 1943 Bobby Fischer, US, world chess champion (1972-75) 1948 Jeffrey Osborne, singer (On the Wings of Love) 1950 Danny Sullivan, Indy-car racer 1954 Keven Wade, Chappaqua NY, screen writer (Working Girls) 1955 Ornella Muti, Rome Italy, actress (Flash Gordon) Deaths which occurred on March 9th: 1661 Jules Cardinal Mazarin, Chief Minister of France 1962 Dr. Howard Engstrom, a designer of the Univac computer dies at 59 1969 Richard Crane, actor (Surfside 6), dies at 50 1975 Joseph Dunninger, mentalist (Amazing Dunninger), dies at 82 1982 Alan Badel, actor (Shogun), dies at 58 1983 Faye Emerson, actress (I've Got a Secret), dies of cancer at 65 1986 Ned Calmer, TV host (In the First Person), dies at 78 1992 Menachim Begin, Israeli Prime Minister (1977-1983) dies at 78

Born on March 9 under the sign of Pisces: They include Leland Stanford, railroad builder and founder of California's Stanford University, in 1824 English novelist and poet Victoria Sackville-West in 1892 Composer Samuel Barber in 1910 Detective novelist Mickey Spillane in 1918 (age 82) Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space, in 1934 Actors Joyce Van Patten in 1934 (age 66) Marty Ingles in 1936 (age 64) Raul Julia in 1940 Trish Van Deere in 1943 (age 57) Former world chess champion Bobby Fischer in 1943 (age 57) Actresses Linda Fiorentino ("Men In Black") in 1960 (age 40) Juliette Binoche ("The English Patient") in 1964 (age 36) Football player Brian Bosworth in 1965 (age 35) Actor Emmanuel Lewis in 1971 (age 29) On This Date in History: In 1796, French general and future emperor Napoleon Bonaparte married Josephine de Beauharnais. In 1864, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was appointed commander in chief of Union forces in the Civil War. In 1967, the daughter of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, Svetlana, defected to the United States. In 1986, the module containing the bodies of the seven astronauts killed in the January 28th explosion of the shuttle Challenger was located off Florida. In 1989, the Senate voted 53-47 against confirming John Tower as secretary of defense. Also in 1989, William Bennett was confirmed by the Senate as the nation's first Cabinet-level drug czar. In 1990, Haitian dictator Gen. Prosper Avril stepped down from power under pressure and the military agreed to turn the nation over to civilian rule. In 1991, Israeli troops fired on Palestinian protesters in the occupied Gaza Strip, wounding 55. In 1992, a federal judge in New York announced a final $1.3 billion agreement to settle the civil suits growing out of the 1989 collapse of Drexel Burham Lambert Inc., once the most powerful firm on Wall Street. In 1993, gunmen linked to the former Contra rebels stormed the Nicaraguan Embassy in Costa Rica and took the ambassador and at least 18 others hostage. Also in 1993, Rodney King testified in the federal trial of four Los Angeles police officers who were videotaped beating and kicking him. In 1996, Los Angeles police Detective Mark Furman began his testimony at the O.J. Simpson double murder trial.

History for March 9: ** Today is New World Day! A baby born in Florence, Italy on this day in 1451 was destined to become one of the world's most famous explorers. Amerigo Vespucci was a merchant and an outfitter of ships, a job that introduced him to Christopher Columbus. Their stars would cross again in 1507 when a German map maker honored Amerigo Vespucci by naming the new continent on his maps, America. The mapmaker had not heard of Columbus' discovery at the time. So Columbus got the credit for the discovery; but the discovery bore the name of Vespucci ... forever. In reality, Vespucci had participated in two major expeditions between the years 1499 and 1502, to the coast of South America. There he discovered the Amazon and Plate Rivers. Vespucci thought he had discovered a new continent ... or a New World. ** Events 1822 - Charles M. Graham of New York City received a patent for artificial teeth. So, in honor of the momentous occasion, let's all try to keep a stiff upper ... plate today! 1985 - The most requested movie in history, "Gone With The Wind", went on sale in video stores across the U.S. for the first time. The tape cost buyers $89.95. The film, starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, cost $4.5 million to produce and has earned over $400 million, making it one of the biggest money-makers in motion picture history. "GWTW" is now the cornerstone of the massive MGM film library owned by Ted Turner. 1986 - Bill Cosby broke Liberace's long-standing record and earned the biggest box-office gross in the 54-year history of Radio City Music Hall in New York City. 1987 - Chrysler Corporation offered to buy American Motors Corporation on this day. The car maker offered up to $1 billion dollars for the financially troubled AMC. Remember the Gremlin? How about the Rambler American -- the car with seats that reclined to a completely horizontal position? ** Birthdays 1451 - Amerigo Vespucci (merchant, explorer; America named for him; passed away in 1512; see New World Day [above]) 1934 - Yuri Gagarin (Russian cosmonaut: the first man to travel in space; killed plane crash Mar 27, 1968) 1940 - Raul Julia (Raul Rafael Carlos Julia y Arcelay) (actor: The Addams Family, Kiss of the Spider Woman; four Tony award nominations: Proteus, Mack the Knife; passed away Oct 24, 1994) 1960 - Linda (Clorinda) Fiorentino (actress: Unforgettable, Bodily Harm, The Last Seduction, Vision Quest) 1971 - Emmanuel Lewis (actor: Webster) ** Chart Toppers - 1988 Father Figure - George Michael Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley I Get Weak - Belinda Carlisle Face to Face - Alabama

Time capsules In 515 B.C., the re-building of the great Jewish temple in Jerusalem was completed. In 1862, the U.S. Treasury issued the first American paper money, in denominations from $5 to $1,000. James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and was sentenced to 99 years in prison on this date in 1969. Ray would later recant, claiming he did not fire the bullet that killed the civil rights leader. Just before his death, Ray met in prison with members of the King family, who declared afterwards that they believed he was innocent. In 1987, the Vatican condemned human artificial fertilization or generation of human life outside the womb and said all reproduction must result from the "act of conjugal love." In 1991, former POWs held by Iraq returned to the United States to a hero's welcome. In 1992, President Bush and Democratic challenger Bill Clinton got sweeping Southern victories in the Super Tuesday primaries. Former Sen. Paul Tsongas won in New England. In 1993, FBI agents arrested a third person, a 25-year-old Kuwaiti-born chemical engineer, in connection with the World Trade Center bombing. Rapidly melting snow and ice jams in 1993 forced rivers out of their banks and hundreds from their homes in Nebraska in the worst flooding in 15 years. This was a bad year for flooding in the nation's midsection. At one point, downtown Fargo, N.D., flooded and then burned down after the high water prevented fire trucks from getting to the fire. There's something ironic about buildings surrounded by floodwater catching fire but we're sure the irony was lost on Fargo officials. And in 1993, an anti-abortion demonstrator fatally shot a doctor at a Pensacola, Fla., clinic. In 1994, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevented reported the number of new AIDS cases in the United States had more than doubled in 1993. In 1995, retired Air Force Gen. Michael Carns withdrew from consideration to head the CIA after an FBI background check turned up potential violations of labor and immigration law involving a young family friend Carns had arranged to bring to the United States from the Philippines. In 1997, The Citadel announced that 10 male cadets had been disciplined for mistreating two female cadets; the women later resigned from the South Carolina military academy. In 1998, Indonesian President Suharto was re-elected to a seventh term. ------------------ Birthday's ------------------+ Barry Fitzgerald in 1888 French composer Arthur Honegger in 1892 Jazz cornetist Bix Beiderbecke in 1903 Poet Margaret Fishback in 1904 (age 96) Playwright David Rabe and actor Chuck Norris, both in 1940 (age 60) Kim Campbell, the first woman prime minister of Canada, and journalist Bob Greene, both in 1947 (age 53) Actresses Sharon Stone in 1958 (age 42) and Jasmine Guy ("A Different World") in 1964 (age 36) Britain's Prince Edward in 1964 (age 36) -----------------------------------------------------------

On This Day - March 10 On this day...March 10 241 -BC- Battle of Aegusa: Roman fleet sinks 50 Carthagean ships 1791 John Stone, Concord Massachusetts, patents a pile driver 1847 First money minted in Hawaii 1849 Abraham Lincoln applies for a patent; only US president to do so 1862 US issues $5, $10, $20, $50, $100, $500 & $1000 paper money 1874 Purdue University (Indiana) admits it's first student 1876 First telephone call made (Alexander Graham Bell to Thomas Watson) 1880 Salvation Army of England sets up US welfare & religious activity 1888 Heavyweight boxing champ John L. Sullivan draws Charlie Mitchell in 30 rounds 1893 Ivory Coast becomes a French colony 1896 Charilaos Vasilakos of Greece wins first modern marathon in 3:18 1906 Coal dust explosion kills 1,060 at Courrieres France 1913 William Knox becomes first in American Bowling Congress to bowl 300 1933 Nevada becomes first US state to regulate narcotics 1939 17 villages damaged by hailstones in Hyderabad India 1940 Germany invades the Benelux countries 1946 Train derailment kills 185 near Aracaju Brazil 1956 Peter Twiss sets new world air record 1,132 mph (1,823 kph) 1963 Pete Rose debuts with hits in his first two at bats in spring training 1963 Wilt Chamberlain of NBA SF Warriors scores 70 points vs. Syracuse 1966 Five time Horse of the Year, Kelso, retires 1966 North Vietnamese capture US Green Beret Camp at Ashau Valley 1969 James Earl Ray pleads guilty of killing Martin Luther King, Jr. 1971 Senate approves amendment decreasing voting age to 18 1975 Dog spectacles patented in England 1980 Willard Scott becomes the weathercaster on the Today Show 1982 Sygyzy: all 9 planets aligned on same side of Sun 1985 Dallas Maverick coach Dick Motta is 4th NBA coach to win 700 games Birthdates which occurred on March 10th: 1538 Thomas Howard Duke of Norfolk; executed by Queen Elizabeth in 1572 1772 Friedrich von Schlegel Germany, romantic writer/critic 1842 Ina Donna Coolbrith US, poet laureate of California 1845 Alexander III Russian Tsar (1881-94) 1867 Lillian D Wald US, sociologist/organizer (Visiting Nurses) 1880 Michael Jacobs NYC, boxing promoter 1898 Cy Kendall St Louis, actor (Mysteries of Chinatown) 1900 Sherman Billingsley Enid Oklahoma, talk show host (Stork Club) 1908 Kristian Palusalu Finland, heavyweight wrestler (Olympic-gold-1936) 1911 Warner Anderson Brooklyn, actor (Doctor, Lineup, Matthew-Peyton Place) 1914 Chandler Harper golfer (1950 PGA champ) 1916 James Herriot Scotland, writer (All Creatures Great & Small) 1926 Marques Haynes Harlem Globetrotters 1927 Donn Trenner New Haven Connecticut, orchestra leader (ABC's Nightlife) 1932 Anatoliy Roschin USSR, super heavyweight wrestler (Olympic-gold-1972) 1937 Tamara Press USSR, shot putter (Olympic-gold-1960, 64) 1938 Ron Mix NFL tackle (San Diego Chargers, Oakland Raiders) 1940 Chuck Norris martial art champ/actor (Missing in Action, Walker Texas Ranger) 1940 David Rabe playwright (Streamers) 1940 Dean Torrence surf music singer (Jan & Dean-Little Old Lady) 1945 Katherine Houghton actress (Guess Who's Coming to Dinner) 1947 Tom Scholz rock guitarist/keyboardist (Boston) 1948 Austin Carr NBA star (Cleveland Cavaliers) 1958 Sharon Stone Meadsville Pennsylvaniaa, actress 1963 Jasmine Guy Boston, actress (Whitley-Different World) Deaths which occurred on March 10th: 1913 Harriet Tubman abolitionist, conductor on Underground RR, dies in NY 1973 Sir Richard Sharples governor of Bermuda, is assassinated 1980 Doctor Tarnoff Jean Harris kills Scarsdale diet doctor 1984 June Marlowe actress, dies at 81 1985 Konstanin Cherneko Soviet leader 1986 Ray Milland actor (Lost Weekend-Academy Award 1945), dies at 81 1988 Andy Gibb pop singer

History for March 10: ** This is Salvation Army Day! It had been two years after 'General' William Booth changed the name of the Christian Mission, the organization he had founded in London in 1865, to the Salvation Army. Commissioner George Scott Railton and seven women officers of Booth's army landed in New York on this day in 1880 to officially put the Salvation Army to work in the United States. The Salvation Army's work consisted of providing food, shelter and clothing to the needy along with the spreading of the Gospel to the spiritually needy. Fresh-air camps, boys' clubs, family welfare-work programs, aid to prisoners and their families, and low-cost housing for the poor continue to be everyday features of the working army of men and women. Wherever disaster strikes, the Salvation Army is there to help. The Salvation Army is a worldwide organization, familiar to and accepted by most as the Christian religious organization that administers aid to all without question. ** Events 1876 - Alexander Graham Bell sent the first clear telephone message -- into a nearby room -- to his assistant, Mr. Watson. "Mr. Watson, come here, I want you," were the first words spoken into the invention that Bell had created. 1937 - An audience of 21,000 jitterbuggers jammed the Paramount Theatre in New York City to see a young clarinetist whom they would crown, 'King of Swing' on this night. The popular musician was Benny Goodman. 1941 - The Brooklyn Dodgers announced that their players would wear batting helmets during the 1941 baseball season. General Manager Larry McPhail predicted that all baseball players would soon be wearing the new devices. He was right. 1965 - Walter Matthau and Art Carney opened in "The Odd Couple", one of Neil Simon's greatest theatrical triumphs. It would also become a hit on television, with Tony Randall playing the tidy Felix Ungar and Jack Klugman as slovenly sportswriter, Oscar Madison. The play opened at the Plymouth Theatre in New York City. ** Birthdays 1940 - Chuck Norris (Carlos Ray) (karate champion, actor: Code of Silence, Delta Force, Forced Vengeance, Lone Wolf McQuade, Missing in Action, Walker: Texas Ranger) 1958 - Sharon Stone (actress: Last Dance, Casino, The Specialist, Basic Instinct, Total Recall, War & Remembrance series, Above the Law, Police Academy 4: Citizens on Patrol, Allan Quartermain and the Lost City of Gold, King Solomon's Mines, Calendar Girl Murders, Deadly Blessing, The Bay City Blues) 1964 - Prince Edward (royalty: son of Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II) 1964 - Jasmine Guy (actress: A Different World, America's Dream, A Century of Women, Runaway, Harlem Nights, School Daze) ** Chart Toppers - 1981 I Love a Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt 9 to 5 - Dolly Parton Keep on Loving You - REO Speedwagon Do You Love as Good as You Look - The Bellamy Brothers

On this day...March 11 537 Goths lay siege to Rome 1302 Romeo & Juliet's wedding day, according to Shakespeare 1702 First London daily newspaper 1779 US army Corps of Engineers established 1791 Samuel Mulliken, Philadelphia, is firsst to obtain more than one US patent 1810 Emperor Napoleon married by proxy to Archduchess Marie Louise 1824 US War Dept creates the Bureau of Indian Affairs 1850 Woman's Medical College of Penn (first female medical school) 1851 The opera "Rigoletto" is produced (Venice) 1861 Confederate convention in Montgomery, adopts constitution 1865 General Sherman's Union forces occupies Fayetteville, NC 1867 Great Mauna Loa eruption (Hawaiian volcano) 1867 The opera "Don Carlos" is produced (Paris) 1882 Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association organized in Princeton NJ 1888 Great blizzard of '88 strikes NE US 1892 First public basketball game (Springfield, Mass) 1918 Save the Redwoods League founded 1927 First armored commercial car hold-up in US, Pittsburgh 1927 First Golden Gloves tournament 1935 Bank of Canada opens 1938 German troops enter Austria 1941 FDR signs Lend-Lease Bill 1942 General MacArthur leaves Bataan for Australia 1948 First black in the US Tennis Open (Reginald Weir) 1948 Jewish Agency of Jerusalem bombed 1953 First woman army doctor commissioned (F.M. Adams) 1953 An American B-47 accidentally drops a nuclear bomb on South Carolina, the bomb doesn't go off due to 6 safety catches 1958 Charles Van Doren finally loses on TV game show "21" 1959 "Raisin in the Sun," first Broadway play by a black woman,opens 1960 Pioneer 5 launched into solar orbit between Earth & Venus 1961 Then NHL record 40 penalties, Black Hawks & Maple Leafs (20 each) 1966 Military coup led by Indonesian General Suharto breaks out 1967 Pink Floyd releases their first song (Arnold Layne) 1968 Anti-Zionist Clandestine Radio Voice of El Assifa starts transmitting 1974 Rhino Store gives people 5 to take home Danny Bonaduce's Album 1977 34 Israelis killed by Palestinians on the Tel Aviv-Haifa highway 1982 Harrison Williams (Sen-D-NJ) resigned rather than face expulsion 1985 Mikhail S. Gorbachev replaces Konstantin Chernenko as Soviet leader 1986 Japanese probe Sakigake flies by Halley's Comet at 6.8 million km 1986 NFL adopts instant replay rule 1987 Wayne Gretzky scores 1,500th NHL point 1991 Janet Jackson signs $40 million 3 album deal with Virgin records Birthdates which occurred on March 11th: 1544 Torquato Tasso Italy, Renaissance poet (Aminta, Apologia) 1731 Robert Treat Paine judge, signer of Declaration of Independence 1811 Urbain Jean Joseph le Verrier co-discovered Neptune 1860 Thomas Hastings NYC, architect (NY Public Library) 1876 Carl Ruggles Marion MA, composer (Evocations) 1885 Malcolm Campbell first auto racer to travel 5 miles/min. (8 km/min) 1890 Vannevar Bush developed first electronic analogue computer 1897 Henry Dixon Cowell Menlo Park CA, composer (New Musical Resources) 1898 Dorothy Gish stage & silent film actress (Orphans of the Storm) 1899 Frederick IX King of Denmark (1947-72) 1903 Dorothy Schiff publisher (NY Post) 1908 Lawrence Welk Strasburg ND, orchestra leader (Lawrence Welk Show) 1911 Fitzroy Maclean British diplomat 1913 John Weinzweig Toronto Canada, composer (Enchanted Hill) 1914 Ralph Ellison writer (Invisible Man, Shadow & Act) 1916 Sir Harold Wilson (L) British PM (1964-70, 1974-76) 1920 D.J. Enright England, poet/novelist (Some Men are Brothers) 1920 Kenneth Dover chancellor (St. Andrews University) 1923 A. Louise Brough tennis player (4 time Wimbledon champ) 1923 Terry Alexander London, actor (Tony-Behind the Scenes) 1926 Patricia Tindaole England, architect 1926 Ralph Abernathy civil rights leader 1928 Albert Salmi Brooklyn NY, actor (Daniel Boone, 79 Park Avenue) 1930 David Gentleman designer/painter 1931 Peter Walters CEO (Midland Bank) 1931 Rupert Murdoch Australia, publisher (NY Post), owns FOX-TV Network 1932 Nigel Lawson British government official (The Power Game) 1934 Sam Donaldson El Paso TX, ABC White House correspondent 1936 Antonin Scalia Trenton NJ, Supreme Court Justice 1938 Malcolm Keith Speed Biritish high court judge 1942 Peter Eyre actor (Hedda) 1944 Ric Rothwell drummer (Mindbenders-Games of Love) 1945 Timothy Mason consultant (British Arts Council) 1945 Tricia O'Neal Louisiana, actress (Piranha Part II) 1947 Dominique Sanda Paris, actress (Inheritance, Beyond Good & Evil) 1947 Geoffrey Hunt Australia, world-champion squash player 1947 Mark Stein Bayonne NJ, rocker (Vanilla Fudge-You Keep Me Hanging On) 1948 George Kooymans rocker (Golden Earring) 1950 Bobby McFerrin singer (Don't Worry, Be Happy-1989 Grammy) 1952 Douglas Adams England, author (Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy) 1952 Susan Richardson Coatesville PA, actress (Susan-8 is Enough) 1961 Bruce Watson rocker (Big Country-Wonderland) 1961 Mike Percy rocker (Dead or Alive-Spin Me Round) Deaths which occurred on March 11th: 1845 John Chapman, [Johnny Appleseed] dies in Allen County,Indiana 1874 Charles Sumner, a white civil rights leader, dies at 63 1957 Richard E. Byrd, US, explorer (Antarctica), dies at 68 1975 Sammy Spear, orchestra leader (Dom Deluise Show), dies at 65 1975 Walter Kinsella, actor (Happy-Martin Kane Private Eye), dies at 74 1979 Victor Kilian, actor (Gentleman's Agreement), dies at 88 1987 Woody Hayes, football coach (Ohio State), dies at 74 1992 David Carroll, actor (Grand Hotel), dies of pulmonary embolism at 41

Today in History for March 11 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1544 - Italian poet Torquato Tasso born. Best remembered for his epic poem ``Gerusalemme Liberata,'' an idealized story about the First Crusade. 1702 - The first English daily newspaper to meet with some success, The Daily Courant, was launched near Fleet Street in London. 1820 - Benjamin West, U.S. painter, died. He was history painter to King George III of England and a founder member of the Royal Academy. 1851 - The first performance of Giuseppe Verdi's opera ``Rigoletto'' was given in Venice. 1892 - Raoul Walsh, U.S. film director, born; best known for his American gangster films, including ``High Sierra,'' ``White Heat'' and ``The Roaring Twenties.'' 1931 - Rupert Murdoch, Australian newspaper and television magnate, born. 1935 - Hermann Goering officially created the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe. 1941 - The U.S. Congress passed the Lend-Lease Bill, which enabled Britain to borrow money to buy additional food and arms during World War Two. 1955 - Sir Alexander Fleming, Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin (1928), died. 1957 - Richard E. Byrd, U.S. naval officer, pioneer aviator and polar explorer, died. 1960 - At Cape Canaveral, Pioneer V was launched into orbit around the sun. 1970 - Erle Stanley Gardner, U.S. author and lawyer, died. He wrote nearly 100 detective and mystery novels and created the character Perry Mason. 1981 - Chilean President Augusto Pinochet was sworn in for an eight-year term as president. 1985 - Mikhail Gorbachev became head of the Soviet Union following the death of Konstantin Chernenko. At 54, he was the youngest member of the ruling Politburo. 1985 - The Egyptian Al-Fayed brothers won control of the House of Fraser in London and thus gained control of the department store Harrods.

On this day... 1496 Jews are expelled from Syria 1609 Bermudas becomes an English colony 1664 First naturalization act in American colonies 1664 New Jersey becomes a British colony 1737 Galileo's body moved to Church of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy 1755 First steam engine in America installed, to pump water from a mine 1789 US Post Office established 1848 Second republic established in France 1850 First US $20 gold piece issued 1868 Britain annexes Basutoland in Africa 1868 Congress abolishes manufacturer's tax 1877 British annex Walvis Bay in southern Africa 1884 Mississippi establishes first US state college for women 1888 Second day of the Great Blizzard of '88 in NE US (400 die) 1903 AL offically approves NY Highlanders (Yankees) 1904 First main line electric train in UK (Liverpool to Southport) 1904 Andrew Carnegie establishes Carnegie Hero Fund 1912 Capt Albert Berry performs first parachute jump from an airplane 1912 Girl Guides (Girl Scouts) founded in Savannah 1913 Foundation stone of the Australian capital in Canberra laid 1917 Russian Dumas sets up Provisional Committee; workers set up Soviets 1930 Mohandas Gandhi begins 200m (300km) march protesting British salt tax 1930 Stella Walsh sets record for the 220-yard dash (0:26.1) 1933 FDR conducts his first "fireside chat" 1935 England establishes 30 MPH speed limit for towns & villages 1938 Nazi Germany invades Austria (Anschluss) 1939 Pope Pius XII crowned in Vatican ceremonies 1940 Finland surrenders to Russia during WW II, giving up territory 1945 NY is first to prohibit discrimination by race & creed in employment 1945 The British Empire celebrates it's first British Empire Day 1946 Part of Petsamo province ceded by Soviet Union to Finland 1958 British Empire Day is renamed "Commonwealth Day" 1959 House joins Senate approving Hawaii statehood 1964 Malcolm X resigns from Nation of Islam 1966 Jockey Johnny Longden retires after 40 years (6,032 wins) 1967 Austrtia's Reinhold Bachler ski jumps 505 feet 1968 Mauritius gains independence from Britain (National Day) 1969 Paul McCartney marries Linda Louise Eastman in London 1970 US lowers voting age from 21 to 18 Birthdates which occurred on March 12th: 1685 George Berkeley, Ireland, philosopher/bishop of Cloyne 1806 Jane Means Appleton Pierce, first lady 1821 Sir John Abbott, Quebec Canada, (C) third Canadian PM (1891-92) 1824 Gustave Kirchoff, Prussia, physicist (Gesammelte Ashandlongen) 1831 Clement Studebaker, automobile pioneer 1835 Simon Newcomb, US, scientist/mathematician/astronomer 1838 William Perkin, inventor (first artificial dye) 1862 Jane Delano, US, nurse/teacher, founded Red Cross 1863 Gabriele D'Annunzio, Italy, writer/military hero (The Intruder) 1889 Philip Guedalla, historian 1890 Vaslav Nijinsky, Soviet ballet master (NS) 1910 Roger L. Stevens, producer (Giant) 1911 Gustavo Diaz Ordaz, President of Mexico 1912 James McKay, Lord Provost of Edinburgh 1912 Kylie Tennant, novelist 1912 Paul Weston, Springfield MA, orchestra leader (Jim Nabors Hour) 1917 Tom Normanton, British MP 1918 James Bracken, race horse trainer 1922 Helen Parrish, Columbus Ga, actress (Hour Glass, Show Business) 1922 Lane Kirkland, union president (AFL-CIO) 1925 William G. Whitehurst, (Rep-R-Va) 1926 David Oliver Williams, trade unionist (COHSE) 1926 George R. Ariyoshi, (Gov-D-Hawaii) 1926 Gudrun Ure actress 1927 Raul Alfonsin, President of Argentina 1928 Edward Albee, playwright (Virgina Woolfe, Zoo Story) 1930 Antony Acland, British ambassador to US 1930 Scoey Mitchill, Newburgh NY, comedian (Barefoot in the Park, Rhoda) 1932 Andrew Young, (Mayor-D-Atlanta) 1936 Lloyd Dobbins, Newport News VA, newscaster (NBC News Overnight) 1936 Patrick Procktor painter 1937 Elizabeth Vaughan opera soprano 1939 Barbara Feldon, Pittsburgh, actress (Agent 99-Get Smart) 1940 Al Jarreau, jazz singer 1940 Millie Perkins, actress (Diary of Anne Frank, Table for 5, Shooting) 1942 Bert Campaneris, baseball player 1942 Paul Kanter, guitarist (Jefferson Starship) 1946 Liza Minnelli, Los Angeles, singer/actress 1948 James Taylor, vocalist 1949 Mary Alice Williams, news reporter (NBC-TV) 1953 Joanna Kerns, actress (Maggie-Growing Pains) 1956 Dale Murphy, Portland, baseball player 1957 Marlon Jackson, singer (Jackson 5) 1957 Steve Harris, rock bassist (Iron Maiden) 1962 Darryl Strawberry Los Angeles, baseball player Deaths which occurred on March 12th: 1507 Cesare Borgia, Cardinal/soldier/politician 1628 John Bull, organist/composer 1888 Henry Bergh, founder of ASPCA, dies at 76 1914 George Westinghouse, inventor 1924 Hilaire Comte de Chardonnet, inventor (rayon) 1925 Sun Yat-Sen, Chinese revolutionary leader 1932 Ivar Kreuger, industrialist 1955 Charlie Parker, jazz musician, dies at 34 in NYC 1958 Princess Ingeborg, of Sweden, dies at 79 1973 Frankie "Fordham Flash" Frisch, baseball player, dies at 74 1974 Billy Fox, Protestant member of Dublin parliament, assassinated 1978 Tolchard Evans, composer/conductor 1984 Arnold Riley, playwright/actor

Today in History for March 12 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1832 - Captain Charles Boycott, English land agent, born. After he refused to lower rents on his estates in Ireland, tenants refused any communication with him and his name was adopted to describe this form of protest. 1863 - Gabriele D'Annunzio, Italian poet and politician, born. 1890 - Vaslav Nijinsky, legendary leading Russian dancer with Diaghilev's Russian ballet, born. 1922 - Jack Kerouac, U.S. novelist, born. A member of the ``beat generation,'' he was best known for his novel ``On the Road.'' 1925 - Chinese revolutionary leader Sun Yat-sen died. Known as the father of modern China, he became its first provisional president for a short time (1911-1912). 1928 - Edward Albee, U.S. playwright and author of ``Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf,'' born. He won Pulitzer prizes in 1967, 1975 and 1994. 1930 - In India, Mahatma Gandhi began a 300-mile protest journey to defy the British law establishing a monopoly in producing salt. 1933 - U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt gave the first of his nation-wide ``fireside chats'' on radio. 1940 - Finland signed a peace treaty with the Soviet Union, ending the 14-week war which the Russians won by sheer weight of numbers. 1945 - Anne Frank, the Jewish teen-ager who kept a diary of her wartime experiences, died in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Germany. She was 15. 1946 - Liza Minnelli, singer and film actress daughter of Judy Garland and Vicente Minnelli, born; famed for her role in the film ``Cabaret.'' 1955 - Charlie Parker, influential U.S. jazz saxophonist, died. 1985 - Eugene Ormandy, U.S. conductor, died. He directed the Philadelphia Orchestra from 1936-1980 and was especially noted for his performances of Rachmaninoff and Shostakovitch. 1994 - The Church of England broke with 460 years of male dominance when it ordained its first women priests in Bristol Cathedral. 1999 - U.S.-born violinist and music teacher Sir Yehudi Menuhin died in Berlin.

This day - March 13 On This Date in History: In 1781, the distant planet Uranus was discovered by British astronomer William Herschel. In 1868, the U.S. Senate began impeachment proceedings against President Andrew Johnson on charges of "high crime and misdemeanors." He was acquitted by one vote. In 1933, in the depths of the Great Depression, banks throughout the United States began to re-open after a weeklong bank holiday declared by President Roosevelt in a successful effort to stop runs on bank assets. In 1989, the Food and Drug Administration quarantined all fruit imported from Chile after traces of cyanide were found in two Chilean grapes. In 1990, the Soviet Congress of People's Deputies formally ended the Communist Party's monopoly rule, establishing a presidential system and giving Mikhail Gorbachev broad new powers. Also in 1990, President Bush lifted a five-year-old trade embargo against Nicaragua. In 1992, more than 400 people were killed when a powerful earthquake hit northeastern Turkey. In 1993, an "unprecedented" winter storm blasts the eastern part of the nation from Dixie north to Canada -- crippling travel, causing power failures, floods and tornadoes, and killing dozens of people. In 1994, the president of the independent black homeland of Bophuthatswana was deposed after repeatedly changing his mind about allowing his nation to participate in the upcoming South African elections. South Africa took direct control of the area. In 1996, a gun collector opened fire on a kindergarten class in Dunblane, Scotland -- killing 16 children, their teacher and then himself. Also in 1996, Liggett, the fifth-biggest tobacco company, broke ranks with its rivals and settled a class-action cancer lawsuit. In 1996, world leaders -- including President Clinton, Russia's Boris Yeltsin, King Hussein of Jordan and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat -- met in Cairo, Egypt, to reaffirm the Middle East peace process. In 1997, a Jordanian soldier shot and killed seven Israeli schoolgirls at the Israeli-Jordanian border. In 1998, Sgt. Maj. Gene McKinney, the first black ever to serve as sergeant major of the Army, was acquitted by a military jury of all sex charges filed against him. He was, however, convicted of coaching a witness and was reduced one rank and reprimanded. In 1999, a fight for the heavyweight boxing championship of the world -- between American Evander Holyfield and Lennex Lewis of Britain -- ended in a draw, although most fans and boxing officials felt Lewis had clearly won.

On this day...MaRCH 13 483 St Felix III begins his reign as Catholic Pope 607 12th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet 1519 Cortez lands in Mexico 1639 Cambridge College renamed Harvard for clergyman John Harvard 1677 Massachusetts gains title to Maine for $6,000 1759 27th recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet 1781 Sir William Herschel sees "comet" (really discovered Uranus) 1793 Eli Whitney patents the cotton gin 1852 Uncle Sam cartoon figure debuts in NY Lantern weekly 1861 Jefferson Davis signs bill authorizing use of slaves as soldiers 1868 Senate begins President Andrew Johnson impeachment trial 1869 Arkansas legislature passes anti-Klan law 1884 Standard Time adopted in US 1887 Chester Greenwood of Maine patents earmuffs 1888 Great Blizzard of 1888 rages 1894 J. L. Johnstone of England invents horse racing starting gate 1913 Kansas legislature approves motion-picture censorship 1921 Mongolia declares independence from China 1923 Lee de Forest demonstrates his sound-on-film moving pictures, NYC 1925 Tennessee makes it unlawful to teach evolution 1928 450 die in St. Francisquito Valley Dam burst (California) 1930 Clyde Tombaugh announces discovery of Pluto at Lowell Observatory 1938 Anschlu�-Austria annexed by Nazi Germany 1942 Julia Flikke, Nurse Corps, becomes first woman colonel in US army 1943 Frank Dixon wins Knights of Columbus mile (4:09.6) 1960 NFL's Chicago Cardinals move to St. Louis 1961 Floyd Patterson KOs Ingemar Johannson to retain championship 1961 JFK sets up the Alliance for Progress 1965 Jeff Beck replaces Eric Clapton of the Yardbirds 1969 Apollo 9 returns to Earth 1970 Digital Equipment Corp introduces PDP-11 minicomputer 1970 SF city employees begin four-day strike 1979 Gairy dictatorship in Grenada overthrown by New Jewel Movement 1980 Ford Motor Co found innocent in death of 3 women in a fiery Pinto 1982 Elaine Zayak lands 6 triple jumps to win world skating championship 1985 Funeral services held for Konstantin Chernenko (Moscow) 1987 John Gotti is acquitted of racketeering 1989 27th shuttle, Discovery 8, launched, first woman to do the countdown 1989 FDA orders recall of all Chilean fruit in US 1991 Exxon pays $1-billion dollars in fines & cleanup of Alaskan oil spill 1992 570 die in a Turkish earthquake 1992 FCC rules companies can own 30 AM & 30 FM stations (formerly 12) Birthdates which occurred on March 13th: 1733 Joseph Priestly, England, clergyman/scientist, discovered oxygen 1798 Abigail Powers Fillmore, first lady 1855 Percival Lowell, predicted discovery of Pluto 1860 Hugo Wolf, Austria, composer 1872 Oswald Garrison Villard, American journalist 1901 Paul Fix, Dobbs Ferry NY, actor (Rifleman) 1907 Frank Wilcox, DeSoto Missouri, actor (John-Beverly Hillbillies) 1908 Paul Stewart, NYC, actor (Top Secret USA, Deadline) 1908 Walter Annenberg, Milwaukee, publisher (Triangle-TV Guide) 1910 Sammy Kaye, Rocky River Ohio, orchestra leader (Sammy Kaye Show) 1911 L. Ron Hubbard, science fiction writer/scientologist (Dianetics) 1913 William J. Casey, CIA director (1981-87) 1914 Sammy Kaye, bandleader (Swing & Sway with Sammy Kaye) 1917 Ina Ray Hutton, Chicago, orchestra leader (Ina Ray Hutton Show) 1917 Tessie O'Shea, England, actress (Entertainers) 1918 George McAfee, NFL halfback (Chicago Bears) 1929 Peter Breck, Rochester NY, actor (Black Saddle, Big Valley, Benji) 1929 Walter Medio, race horse trainer 1939 Neil Sedaka, Brooklyn, singer/songwriter 1947 Tomas Hinojosa, jockey 1950 Robert S Woods, actor (Bo-One Life to Live, Waltons) 1951 Fred Berry, St. Louis, actor (Rerun-What's Happening) 1953 Andy Bean, Lafayette Georgia, PGA golfer 1953 Deborah Raffin, Los Angeles, actress (Ransom, Demon, 40 Carats) 1954 Robin Duke, Toronto Canada, comedienne (SCTV, SNL) 1956 Dana Delany, NY, actress (Colleen McMurphy-China Beach) 1960 Adam Clayton, Oxfordshire, rock bassist (U2) 1968 Christopher Collett, NYC, actor (Manhattan Project) 1971 Tracy Wells, actress (Heather-Mr Belvedere) Deaths which occurred on March 13th: 1881 Tsar Alexander II, of Russia, assassinated 1901 Benjamin Harrison, 23rd US President, dies in Indianapolis 1906 Susan B. Anthony, American suffragist 1938 Clarence S. Darrow, Scopes Monkey Trial attorney, dies in Chicago 1964 Kitty Genovese, stabbed to death in Queens; 40 neighbors looked on 1973 Stacy Harris, actor, dies at 54 1974 Howard St. John, actor (Investigator, Dr Lewis-Hank), dies at 68 1974 Janos Prohaska, actor (Andy Williams Show), dies at 52 1987 Bernhard Grzimek, zoologist (West Germany), dies at 78 1987 Gerald Moore, England, pianist (Am I Too Loud), dies at 87 1990 Bruno Bettelhelm, psychoanalyst, commits suicide at 86

History for March 13 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1781 - The German-born English astronomer Sir William Herschel discovered the planet Georgium Sidus, later known as Uranus. 1860 - Hugo Wolf, Austrian composer, born. Best known for his books of songs, notably ``Spanish Song Book'' and ``Goethe Song Book.'' 1865 - During the U.S. Civil War, the Confederate Congress under President Jefferson Davis signed a bill allowing slaves to join the army in exchange for freedom. 1894 - The world's first theatrical striptease act took place at the Divan Fayouau Music Hall in Paris, consisting of a girl stripping to go to bed. 1901 - Benjamin Harrison, 23rd president of the United States, died; he was the only president to succeed and be succeeded by the same man Grover Cleveland. 1906 - Susan Anthony, pioneer and leader of the women's suffrage movement in the U.S., died. In 1888 she organized the International Council of Women. 1928 - The St. Francis dam 40 miles north of Los Angeles burst and flooded the valley; at least 450 people were drowned. 1943 - Stephen Vincent Benet, U.S. poet and novelist, died. Best known for ``John Brown's Body,'' a long narrative poem on the U.S. Civil War. 1961 - Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, then 79, married his model Jacqueline Rocque, 37, in Nice, France. 1972 - Clifford Irving admitted to a New York court that he had fabricated his autobiography of Howard Hughes, thus defrauding his publisher McGraw Hill. 1990 - The Soviet parliament voted to end the political monolopy of the Communist Party after 72 years. 1992 - Pravda, founded in 1912 by Lenin and the official newspaper of the Soviet Communist Party, ceased publication due to lack of funds. 1995 - Odette Hallowes, one of Britain's war heroines, died. She became the first woman to be awarded the George Cross for gallantry for her work in occupied France in World War Two. 1996 - A gunman shot dead 16 children and a teacher at a school in Dunblane, Scotland. He then shot himself. 1996 - Krzysztof Kieslowski, Polish film director, died. Famed for his ``Decalogue'' - ten films on the Ten Commandments - and his ``Three Colours'' series of films.

Know Your History for March 13: ** This is Uncle Sam Day! Hey! Let's take the day off! It's Uncle Sam Day! On this day back in 1852, the New York "Lantern" newspaper published an Uncle Sam cartoon for the first time. The drawing was the work of Frank Henry Bellew. Through the years, the caricature changed with Uncle Sam becoming symbolic of the U.S. being just like a favorite uncle. A prime example of this symbolism were U.S. Army posters that portrayed Uncle Sam pointing and saying, "I want you!" As a result, many of us joined his ranks. Uncle Sam always wore a nifty suit of red, white and blue, a hat with stars and stripes down the trousers of both of his long legs. The origins of how he became known as Uncle Sam are varied, but include a dock worker wondering what the words "From U.S." meant on shipping crates. Reportedly, he was told jokingly, "Oh, this is from your Uncle Sam." ** Events 1877 - Chester Greenwood of Farmington, ME patented the earmuff. Of course, being in very Northern Maine, he picked the right place to patent such much-needed outdoor gear, as it is extremely cold in upstate Maine for, oh, about 10 months a year. So cold, that some wear earmuffs indoors. We do here, as well, just to keep the office roar down to a minimum. Thank you Mr. Greenwood! 1930 - It was announced that the planet Pluto had been discovered by astronomers who had been looking for another planet in the solar system. ** Birthdays 1733 - Joseph Priestley (chemist: discovered oxygen) 1957 - Glenne Headly (actress: Mr. Holland's Opus, Grand Isle, Mortal Thoughts, Dick Tracy, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Purple Rose of Cairo) 1960 - Adam Clayton (musician: group: U2: Sunday Bloody Sunday, With You or Without You) ** Chart Toppers - 1984 Jump - Van Halen Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Cyndi Lauper Somebody's Watching Me - Rockwell Going, Going, Gone - Lee Greenwood

On This Day March 14... 1629 Royal charter granted Massachusetts Bay Colony 1644 England grants patent for Providence Plantations (now Rhode Island) 1812 Congress authorizes war bonds to finance War of 1812 1826 General Congress of South American States assembles at Panama 1885 The opera "The Mikado" is produced (London) 1900 US currency goes on gold standard 1903 First national bird reservation established in Sebastian, FL 1918 First concrete ship to cross the Atlantic (Faith) is launched, SF 1923 President Harding became first US President to file an income tax report 1931 First theater built for rear movie projection (NYC) 1936 Federal Register, first magazine of the US gov't., publishes first issue 1939 Nazis dissolve republic of Czechoslovakia 1950 FBI's "10 Most Wanted Fugitives" program begins 1951 During Korean War, UN forces recapture Seoul 1954 NBA Baltimore Bullets end a 32 game road losing streak 1960 14 die in a train crash in Bakersfield California 1960 Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia) sets NBA playoff record of 53 points 1963 SF Guy Rodgers ties NBA record with 28 assists 1964 Dallas jury finds Jack Ruby guilty of Lee Harvey Oswald murder 1965 Israeli cabinet approves diplomatic relations with West Germany 1967 First NFL-AFL common draft, Baltimore Colts pick Bubba Smith 1967 JFK's body moved from temporary grave to a permanent memorial 1971 Barbra Striesand appears on "The Burt Bacharach Special" on CBS TV 1978 NFL permanently adds 7th official (side judge) 1983 OPEC cut oil prices for first time in 23 years 1987 Katarina Witt wins her 3rd world figure skating championship 1990 Mikhail S. Gorbachev becomes president of the Soviet Congress 1992 Farm Aid V 1992 Soviet newspaper "Pravda" suspends publication Birthdates which occurred on March 14th: 1816 Montgomery D. Corse, Virginia, Brig Gen (Confederacy) 1821 Jens Worsaae, Denmark, archeologist 1833 Lucy Hobbs Taylor, first US woman dentist 1837 Charles Ammi Cutter, librarian, originated Cutter system 1854 Paul Ehrlich, Germany, bacteriologist (Nobel-1908) 1854 Thomas Riley Marshall, 28th Vice President (1913-21) 1911 Pete Piute [Morris Kaufman], NYC, comedian (Village Barn) 1912 Les Brown, Reinerton PA, orchestra leader 1918 Dennis Patrick, Philadelphia, actor (Dear Dead Delilah, Dallas, Rituals) 1919 Max Shulman, novelist (Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Tender Trap) 1920 Hank Ketcham, cartoonist (Dennis the Menace) 1922 Colin Fletcher, author (Walking Through Time) 1925 John Wain, England, novelist/poet (Hurry on Down) 1928 Frank Borman, Gary IN, astronaut (Gemini 7, Apollo 8), Eastern Airline president 1929 Thomas Bell, Jr., race horse trainer 1933 Michael Caine, UK, actor (Blame it on Rio) 1933 Quincy Jones, Chicago, composer/singer 1934 Eugene A. Cernan ,Chicago, astronaut (Gemini 9, Apollo 10 & 17) 1939 Bertrand Blier, France, novelist/director (Going Places) 1940 Rita Tushingham, Liverpool, England, actress (Green Eyes) 1943 Jim Pons, bassist (Turtles-Happy Together) 1945 Walter Parazaider, rocker (Chicago) 1946 Steve Kanaly, Burbank CA, actor (Fleshburn, Ray Krebbs-Dallas) 1947 Billy Crystal, Long Beach NY, comedian 1952 David Byrne, guitarist/vocalist (Talking Heads-Burning Down the House) 1954 Adrian Zmed, Chicago, actor (TJ Hooker, Dance Fever) 1954 David La Croix, race horse trainer 1955 Boon Gould, rock guitarist (Level 42) 1961 Gary Del'Abati producer (Howard Stern Show) 1964 Richard Migliore, jockey 1967 Melissa Brennan Reeves, Eatontown, NJ (Jennifer-Days of our Lives) 1983 Jordan Taylor Hanson, Tulsa OK, singer-Hanson Deaths which occurred on March 14th: 1883 Karl Marx, author of "The Communist Manifesto" 1925 Walter Camp, father of American football, dies at 65 1975 Susan Hayward, dies at 56 1983 Maurice Ronet, actor, dies at 55 1986 Edith Atwater, actress (Phyllis-Love on a Rooftop), dies at 74 1992 Steven Brian Pennell, first executed in Delaware in 45 years, at 34

Today in History for March 14 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1804 - Johann Strauss the elder, Austrian composer, born; he is best known for his ``Radetzky March.'' 1835 - Giovanni Virginio Schiaparelli, Italian astronomer, born. He discovered the ``canals'' of Mars and the asteroid Hesperia. 1879 - Albert Einstein, German-born scientist and physicist, born. One of the world's greatest physicists, he published his special theory of relativity in 1905 and his general theory of relativity in 1916. 1883 - Karl Marx, German philosopher and economist, died in London. With Friedrich Engels, he published the Communist Manifesto. 1885 - ``The Mikado,'' the comic operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan, premiered at the Savoy Theater, London. 1900 - The United States adopted the gold standard. 1932 - George Eastman, American photographic pioneer who founded the Kodak company, committed suicide. 1933 - Michael Caine, English film actor, born. 1945 - The heaviest bomb of World War Two, the 22,000-pound ``Grand Slam,'' was dropped by the RAF's Dambuster Squadron in Germany on the Bielefeld railway viaduct. 1954 - The Vietnamese took the Gabrielle strongpoint against the French in the battle of Dien Bien Phu. 1964 - Jack Ruby was found guilty of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy. 1975 - Susan Hayward, U.S. actress, died. She won Best Actress Oscar for her role in the film ``I Want to Live!'' in 1958. 1976 - Busby Berkeley, U.S. director and choreographer, died. Best known for his lavish mass choreography in the films ``42nd Street,'' ``Gold Diggers of 1933'' and ``Roman Scandals.'' 1995 - Norman Thagard, the first American astronaut to fly in a Russian rocket, blasted off from the windswept plains of Kazakhstan. 1997 - Academy Award-winning director Fred Zinnemann, whose classic films included ``High Noon,'' ``From Here to Eternity'' and ``A Man for All Seasons,'' died. He was 89.

Know Your History for March 14: ** This is Gold Record Day! On this day in 1958, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the first gold record. It was Perry Como's "Catch A Falling Star" on RCA Victor Records. The tune became the first to win million-seller certification, though other songs dating as far back as the 1920s may have sold a million records or more. Due to lack of a certification organization like the RIAA, they weren't awarded the golden platter. The next three gold records that were certified after Perry Como's million seller were the 45 rpm recordings of "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" by Laurie London, "Patricia", an instrumental by the 'Mambo King', Perez Prado and "Hard Headed Woman" by Elvis Presley. The first gold-album certification went to the soundtrack of the motion picture, "Oklahoma!", featuring Gordon MacRae. Is there really a gold record inside the wooden frame presented to winners? Those who know say, "No." Its a gold-leaf veneer of maybe 18 kt. gold and/or it is a record painted gold. Yes, the song earning the award is supposed to be the one making up the gold record, but this is not always the case, according to several artists who have tried to play theirs. ** Events 1794 - Eli Whitney patented his cotton gin, making it possible to clean 50 pounds of cotton a day, compared to a pound a day before Whitney's invention. 1923 - U.S. President Warren G. Harding became the first Chief Executive to pay taxes and account for his income. Harding's tax bill amounted to nearly $18,000. 1985 - Bill Cosby captured four People's Choice Awards for "The Cosby Show". The awards were earned from results of a nationwide Gallup Poll. Barbara Mandrell stunned the audience by announcing that she was pregnant while accepting her second award on the show. She talked about "the child here tonight in my tummy." Bob Hope won the award as All-Time Entertainer beating Clint Eastwood and Frank Sinatra for the honor. Mr. Hope, however, did not announce that he was pregnant. ** Birthdays 1833 - Lucy Taylor (1st woman in U.S. to receive a degree in dentistry [1866]) 1854 - Paul Ehrlich (1908 Nobel prize for medicine; founded chemotherapy discovered Salvarsan - a remedy for syphilis, developed antitoxin for diphtheria) 1928 - Frank Borman (Apollo astronaut, former president of former Eastern Airlines) 1934 - Eugene (Andrew) Cernan (astronaut: pilot: Gemini 9 [June, 1966]; crew member: Apollo 17 [Dec, 1972] moon landing, spent three days exploring lunar surface [w/astronaut Harrison Schmitt], Cernan quote before departing for Earth, "As we leave the moon at Taurus-Littrow, we leave as we came and, God willing, as we shall return, with peace and hope for all mankind. God speed the crew of Apollo 17.") ** Chart Toppers - 1985 Can't Fight This Feeling - REO Speedwagon The Heat is On - Glenn Frey Material Girl - Madonna My Only Love - The Statler Brothers

Today in History for March 15 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 44 B.C. - Conspirators led by Brutus and Cassius assassinated Gaius Julius Caesar, Roman Emperor. 1767 - Andrew Jackson, U.S. general and seventh president of the United States, born. He was the first president born in South Carolina and the first to travel on a train. 1781 - During the American Revolution, Cornwallis, with 1,900 British soldiers, defeated an American force of 4,400 in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in Connecticut. 1883 - In London, Irish-American terrorists attempted to blow up the offices of The Times newspaper. 1892 - The first escalator, the Reno Inclined Elevator, was patented by Jesse W. Reno of New York. 1898 - Sir Henry Bessemer, British inventor and engineer, died. He invented an economical process for converting cast iron into steel. 1909 - The American Harry G. Selfridge opened his department store in London. 1916 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sent 12,000 troops under General Pershing over the border to Mexico in a failed mission to pursue the bandit Pancho Villa. 1937 - The first central blood bank to preserve blood for transfusion by refrigeration, was set up at Cook County Hospital in Chicago. 1939 - The German army crossed the Czech frontier and Adolf Hitler proclaimed the protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. 1964 - Elizabeth Taylor married Richard Burton in Montreal. 1975 - Aristotle Onassis, Greek shipping magnate, died. In 1968 he had married Jacqueline Kennedy, widow of U.S. President John F. Kennedy. 1979 - Pope John Paul II published his first encyclical ``Redemptor Hominis'' in which he warned of the growing gap between rich and poor. 1983 - Dame Rebecca West (Cicily Isabel Fairfield), English author, died. Best known for her novels and her study of Yugoslavia ``Black Lamb and Grey Falcon.'' 1990 - Mikhail Gorbachev was elected the first executive president of the Soviet Union. On the same day the Soviet parliament ruled that Lithuania's declaration of independence was invalid and that Soviet law was still in force in the Baltic republic.

March 15th Music History Today's birthdays include: Producer Arif Mardin, who was born in 1932 (age 68) Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh in 1940 (age 60) Mike Love of the Beach Boys in 1941 (age 59) Sly Stone, whose real name is Sylvester Stewart, and David Costell of Gary Lewis and the Playboys, both in 1944 (age 56) War guitarist Howard Scott in 1946 (age 54) Guitarist Ry Cooder in 1947 (age 53) Dee Snider of Twisted Sister in 1955 (age 45) Steve Coy of Dead or Alive, and Terence Trent D'Arby, both in 1962 (age 38) Rockwell, whose real name is Kenneth Gordy, son of Motown's Berry Gordy, in 1964 (age 36) ------------------------------------------------------------ In 1956, Colonel Tom Parker became Elvis Presley's personal manager. In 1957, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers arrived in Britain for a tour. In 1972, a Los Angeles radio station played the Donny Osmond song "Puppy Love" for 90 minutes non-stop. In 1975, Marc Bolan's group T-Rex disbanded. In 1980, the Clash film "Rude Boys" opened in London. Also in 1980, Phil Lynott's third volume of poetry -- "A Collected Work of Phil Lynott" -- was published. In 1984, Liverpool, England, named the surviving Beatles "freemen" -- the city's highest honor. ----------------------------------------------------------- In 1987, Barbara Mandrell was named All-Around Female Entertainer by the People's Choice Awards. In 1994, Whitney Houston and Toni Braxton each took home two awards from the eighth annual Soul Train Music Awards. In 1995, Paul McCartney announced that the surviving Beatles had recorded some new songs, which would be released at year's end, along with the TV documentary "The Beatles Anthology." Also in 1995, Mick Jagger and "Forrest Gump" producer Steve Tisch announced they'd formed a film production company, to be known as Lip Service. In 1995, Madonna told a Los Angeles radio station that she'll star in the title role of the movie version of "Evita." In 1999, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Curtis Mayfield, the Staple Singers, the late Dusty Springfield and the late Del Shannon were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a ceremony in New York City.

Almanac for Wednesday, March 15, the 75th day of 2000 with 291 to follow. The moon is waxing, moving toward its full phase. The morning stars are Mercury and Venus. The evening stars are Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Born on this date under the sign of Pisces: They include Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, in 1767 German immunologist Emil von Behring in 1854 Hollywood movie mogul Lew Wasserman in 1913 (age 87) Trumpet playing bandleader Harry James in 1916 U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg in 1933 (age 67) Actor Judd Hirsch in 1935 (age 65) Model Fabio, born Fabio Lanzori, in 1961 (age 39) On This Date in History: In 44 B.C., Julius Caesar was assassinated by Brutus and other Roman nobles in Rome. In 1493, Christopher Columbus returned to Spain after his first voyage to the New World. In 1916, General John "Black Jack" Pershing marched into Mexico to capture revolutionary leader Pancho Villa, who had staged several cross-border raids. The two-year expedition was unsuccessful. In 1984, the acquittal of a Miami police officer on charges of negligently killing a ghetto youth sparked a rampage by angry blacks in Miami. 550 people were arrested. In 1985, two decades of military rule in Brazil ended with the installation of a civilian government. In 1990, the Israeli Knesset brought down Yitzhak Shamir's government on a no-confidence motion after the Likud Party leader refuses to accept a U.S. peace proposal. In 1991, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic declared Serbia's secession from the Yugoslav federation. In 1993, the New York Post filed for bankruptcy protection hours after the newspaper's new buyer fired 72 employees, throwing the future of the 192-year-old tabloid into doubt. In 1994, despite being the subject of a criminal investigation into his financial affairs, Rep. Dan Rostenkowski, D-Ill., chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, won a hard-fought battle for renomination. He'd lose the November general election. In 1997, the rebellion in Zaire continued as Kisangani, the African nation's third-largest city, fell to rebel forces.

Know Your History for March 15: ** This is #1 Album Day! "Billboard" magazine debuted a new feature. It was the record chart of top albums. What album was the first to top this new chart? For those who thought it was something by Lauryn Hill, move two steps back, please. For those who thought it was a wax cylinder from Thomas Edison and the Record Rappers, jump back another three spaces. If, however, you said that the first album to reach #1 on this day in 1945 was "The King Cole Trio", you are absolutely correct! Of course, the albums mentioned on the "Billboard" list were, for several years, 78 rpm disks, not the 33-1/3 albums we came to know. "Billboard" and other trade magazines continue to list the week's top albums. "Billboard" lists the Top 200 in order, from #1 on down. Some even have 'bullets' to reflect the week's top movement in sales and radio airplay. ** Events 44BC - The ancient Roman calendar referred to the 15th of March, May, July or October as the Ide or Ides of the month. The fifteenth day of every other month was the Ide. We only remember March as the month that has Ides because it was on this day that Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated. It was one William Shakespeare who helped to promote the Ides of March. He sure knew how to run a PR campaign. 1913 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson held the first open presidential news conference just 11 days after his inauguration. 1937 - The first blood bank was established -- in Chicago, IL at the Cook County Hospital. Have some cookies and maybe an orange to celebrate... 1968 - "LIFE" magazine called Jimi Hendrix, "the most spectacular guitarist in the world." ** Birthdays 1767 - Andrew Jackson (7th U.S. President [1829-1837]; married to Rachel Robards; nickname: Old Hickory [passed away June 8, 1845]) 1932 - Alan Bean (astronaut: lunar module pilot: Apollo 12 [man's second lunar landing], forth man to set foot on the moon [Nov 19, 1969]; commander of Skylab 3 mission [U.S.' first space station: 1973]) 1935 - Judd Hirsch (Emmy Award-winning actor: Taxi [1980-81,1982-83]; Ordinary People, The Good-bye People, Running on Empty) 1935 - Jimmy (Lee) Swaggert (evangelist) 1940 - Phil Lesh (Chapman) (musician: bass: group: Grateful Dead: St. Stephen, China Cat Sunflower, Dark Star, Uncle John's Band, New Speedway Boogie, Truckin', Box of Rain, Alabama Gateway; composer: electronic music) 1961 - Fabio (Lanzoni) (model: covers of romance novels; writer: Pirate) 1962 - Terence Trent D'Arby (singer, songwriter: Wishing Well, LP: Introducing the Hard Line) ** Chart Toppers - 1986 Sara - Starship These Dreams - Heart Secret Lovers - Atlantic Starr I Could Get Used to You - Exile

TODAY'S ALMANAC - Thursday, March 16, 2000 "The History, Days and Events that Shape Your Life" ------------------------------------------------------------ *----------- A Thought for the Day ------------* Emile Auguste Chartier said, "Nothing is more dangerous than an idea, when it's the only one we have." *----------------------------------------------* Today is Thursday, March 16, the 76th day of 2000 with 290 to follow. The moon is waxing, moving toward its full phase. The morning stars are Mercury and Venus. The evening stars are Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. ------------------------------------------------------------ Born on this date under the sign of Pisces: They include James Madison, fourth president of the United States, in 1751 German physicist Georg Ohm, a pioneer in the study of electricity, in 1787 Former first lady Pat Nixon in 1912 Entertainer Jerry Lewis in 1926 (age 74) Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, D-N.Y., in 1927 (age 73) Filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci in 1941 (age 59) Actor Erik Estrada in 1949 (age 51) Actress Kate Nelligan in 1951 (age 49) ------------------------------------------------------------ On This Date in History: In 1802, Congress authorized the establishment of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. In 1926, Robert Goddard launched the world's first liquid- fuel rocket. In 1966, American astronauts Neil Armstrong and David Scott docked their Gemini-8 space vehicle with an Agena craft, a first in orbital history. In 1968, some 300 Vietnam villagers died at the hands of American troops in what came to be known as the My Lai massacre. In 1978, the Senate approved the first of two Panama Canal pacts. The treaty guaranteed neutrality of the canal after Panama assumes control at the end of 1999. In 1991, Baghdad claimed its troops had crushed an uprising in southern Iraq that began in the wake of the Gulf War. In 1992, a state court in Los Angeles awarded humorist Art Buchwald and producer Alain Bernheim $900,000 from Paramount Studios for Buchwald's idea for the movie "Coming to America," which was a hit for comedian Eddie Murphy. In 1993, authorities met "face-to-face" for the first time with representatives from the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, in an effort to peacefully end the 17-day siege. In 1994, the International Atomic Energy Agency said North Korea barred its inspectors from checking one of the Communist nation's seven nuclear sites. Also in 1994, Tonya Harding pleaded guilty to helping to cover up the plot against fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan. In 1998, in a 14-page statement, the Vatican apologized for not doing more to prevent the murders of millions of Jews at the hands of the Nazis. In 1999, millionaire magazine publisher Steve Forbes announced his second bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Know Your History for March 16: ** This is Le Roi du Crazy Day! Who could have known that Joseph Levitch, the baby boy born on this day in 1926 in Newark, New Jersey, would someday wear the crown of the 'King of Crazy'! Maybe his father had a clue when he introduced his five year old on stage at Brown's Hotel in Loch Sheldrake, NY. Little Joey sang, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime". Today, that theatre bears the name of this actor, singer, dancer, musician, comedian, producer, professor, and humanitarian. Maybe you've been to the Jerry Lewis Theatre in the borscht belt in upstate New York. Certainly, you've seen Jerry Lewis perform. Maybe your first experience was seeing him in his role as the goofy partner of the suave, romantic Dean Martin. From 1946, when the two performed together for the first time in Atlantic City's 500 Club, till a decade later when the partners split; we were entertained with club appearances and no less than a dozen movies. The first, "My Friend Irma", premiered at New York's Paramount Theatre. The opening stage act starred Martin and Lewis in person. Jerry Lewis' mugging skills became the central force behind many of the movies the two made. Films like "That's My Boy" and "The Caddy" catapulted him into stardom. From 1951 through 1959, Jerry's name appeared in the top ten of box-office stars (6 years with his partner and 3 solo). In fact, in 1959, Paramount signed him to a fourteen-film contract for ten million dollars -- probably the most expensive contract signed with a performer at the time. He was back in the top ten from 1961 through 1964 and had received acclaim as Best Director for "The Nutty Professor" from the French. Comedian, film star and director was never enough for the zany, talented Lewis. He had a top-ten hit in 1956, "Rock-A-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody"; his own TV variety show from 1965 to 1974 and he continued to make movies, work the club circuit, and teach film at USC. His devotion to supporting the Muscular Dystrophy Association is known world wide. There are few who have never seen the annual Labor Day Telethon for MDA hosted by the untiring Jerry Lewis. Undaunted by protesters he continues the quest to raise money to help those stricken with neuromuscular diseases. And, undaunted by the fact that his talents have never been truly recognized by his fellow Americans, Jerry Lewis continues to entertain us. A cult hero to the French, he remains 'Le Roi du Crazy'. ** Events 1850 - The novel, "The Scarlet Letter", by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was published for the first time. Attention: Any sweater with a big letter "A" on it should not be worn today! So, please, put the letter sweaters away for a day, ok? Thank you. In case you forgot, other novels by Mr. Hawthorne included "The House of Seven Gables", "The Marble Faun", "Twice-Told Tales", "Tanglewood Tales" and "The Wonder Book". 1964 - Paul Hornung, 'The Golden Boy', and Alex Karras, the guy who punched out a horse in the movie, "Blazing Saddles", were reinstated to the NFL after an 11-month suspension for betting on football games. 1985 - "People" magazine listed the top 57 money-making show-biz stars. At the pinnacle was Paul McCartney, former Beatle and leader of the group, Wings, whose music empire was said to be worth $500 million. Bob Hope made the list with a worth of about $200 million. 1987 - "Bostonia" magazine printed an English translation of Albert Einstein's last high school report card. The brain behind the theory of relativity did relatively well with an 'A' in math, of course, but a 'D' in French. ** Birthdays 1751 - James Madison (4th U.S. President [1809-1817]; married to Dorothea 'Dolly' Todd; nickname: Father of the Constitution; passed away June 28, 1836) 1906 - Henny (Henry) Youngman (comedian: "Take my wife ... please.", Joe & Dad, The Henny and Rocky Show; actor: Amazon Women on the Moon, National Lampoon Goes to the Movies, The Unkissed Bride, Goodfellas [cameo]; passed away Feb 24, 1998) 1954 - Nancy Wilson (musician: guitar, singer: group: Heart: Crazy on You, Magic Man, Barracuda, Straight On; actress: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Wild Life) 1955 - Isabelle Huppert (actress: Le Ceremonie, The Separation, Violette, Story of Women, Entre Nous) ** Chart Toppers - 1987 Jacob's Ladder - Huey Lewis & The News Somewhere Out There - Linda Ronstadt & James Ingram Let's Wait Awhile - Janet Jackson Baby's Got a New Baby - S-K-O

MUSIC HISTORY & TRIVIA - Friday, March 17, 2000 "A look at what happened in years past on this day in music" Today's birthdays include: Nat "King" Cole, who was born in 1919; John Sebastian, who was with the Lovin' Spoonful before going solo, and Them drummer Patrick McCauley, both in 1944 (age 56) War drummer Harold Brown in 1946 (age 54) Thin Lizzy's Scott Gorham in 1951 (age 49) Singer Susie Allanson in 1952 (age 48) Level 42 keyboardist/singer Mike Lindup in 1959 (age 41) ------------------------------------------------------------ In 1962, Alexis Korner's Blues Inc. debuted at the Ealing Club in London. with future Rolling Stone Charlie Watts on drums. Within weeks, Mick Jagger and Jack Bruce would join the group -- Jagger as a vocalist and Bruce on bass. In 1968, the Bee Gees made its U.S. television debut -- performing "To Love Somebody" and "Words" on "The Ed Sullivan Show." In 1973, Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" album first entered the Billboard Top-200 album chart -- and has hardly left it since. In 1978, "American Hot Wax" -- the biopic about disc jockey Alan Freed -- premiered. In 1982, Samuel George Jr., lead singer of the Capitols, was stabbed to death at the age of 39. The Capitols -- a Detroit trio -- had a top-10 hit in 1966 with the song "Cool Jerk." In 1987, Boy George met Princess Diana at a London disco. Also in 1987, fire damaged the San Diego, Calif., home of Jim Croce's widow, Ingrid. ------------------------------------------------------------ In 1990, Prince began filming "Graffiti Bridge," the follow- up to his movie "Purple Rain." Also in 1990, former Blind Faith bassist Ric Grech died at the age of 44. In 1994, Michael Jackson's mother testified before a Los Angeles grand jury investigating whether to bring criminal charges of child molestation against her pop star son. No charges were ever filed. In 1996, a British newspaper (the London Sun) reported that Michael Jackson had purchased a French castle near EuroDisney outside Paris. In 1997, filming began on the first motion picture ever shot inside Graceland. It starred Harvey Keitel as a man who claims to be Elvis Presley and Bridget Fonda as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator. In 1998, "Van Halen 3" -- featuring new vocalist Gary Cherone -- was released. Also in 1998, Ice Cube kicked off a promotional tour to push the film "The Player's Club" as well as the soundtrack CD. In 1998, rapper C-Bo -- a.k.a. Shawn Thomas -- was sentenced to two more months in jail in Sacramento, Calif., after testing positive for marijuana. That was a violation of his probation.

TODAY'S ALMANAC - Friday, March 17, 2000 "The History, Days and Events that Shape Your Life" Today is Friday, March 17, the 77th day of 2000 with 289 to follow. This is St. Patrick's Day. The moon is waxing, moving toward its full phase. The morning stars are Mercury and Venus. The evening stars are Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. ------------------------------------------------------------ Born on this date under the sign of Pisces: They include German engineer Gottleib Daimler, inventor of the gasoline-burning internal combustion engine, in 1834 Children's author and illustrator Kate Greenaway in 1846 Golfer Bobby Jones in 1902 Actress Mercedes McCambridge in 1918 (age 82) Jazz legend Nat "King" Cole in 1919 Ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev in 1938 Actors Patrick Duffy in 1949 (age 51) Kurt Russell in 1951 (age 49) Leslie-Anne Down in 1954 (age 46) Gary Sinise in 1955 (age 45) Rob Lowe in 1964 (age 36) Vicki Lewis ("NewsRadio") in 1966 (age 34) ------------------------------------------------------------ On This Date in History: In 1776, the Continental Army under Gen. George Washington forced British troops to evacuate Boston. In 1945, the battle against Japanese forces for the Pacific island of Iwo Jima ended in victory for the United States. In 1958, the U.S. Navy launched the satellite Vanguard-1 into orbit around the earth. In 1978, the tanker Amoco Cadiz ran aground on the coast of Brittany in France, eventually spilling some 220,000 tons of crude. In 1991, Iran and Saudi Arabia resumed diplomatic relations broken in 1988. In 1992, 10 people were killed and at least 126 injured in a bomb blast that destroyed the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1993, an Amtrak passenger train hit a gasoline tanker in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., killing the tanker driver and five other people. Also in 1993, actress Helen Hayes died at age 92. In 1994, former President Reagan said Oliver North, who was running for a U.S. Senate seat from Virginia, lied when he said Reagan "knew everything" about the Iran-Contra operation. In 1995, President Clinton met with Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Fein, the political arm of the Irish Republican Army, at the White House. In 1997, Anthony Lake, President Clinton's nominee as director of the CIA, withdrew his name from consideration following questions about his management ability while head of the National Security Council. In 1999, the International Olympic Committee voted to expel six members in connection with the bribery scandal related to the effort by Salt Lake City, Utah, to win the 2002 Winter Olympic Games. Five other IOC members had already resigned.

Know Your History for March 17: ** This is Wearin' O' the Green Day! In 432 A.D., Bishop Patrick left his home in England and returned to the country where he had once been enslaved. His purpose was to introduce Christianity to the Irish people. Many legends were told about Patrick, including the most famous, that he had charmed all the snakes into the sea, ridding Ireland of them. He was so loved that he was made the Patron Saint of all of Ireland. St. Patrick's Day has been celebrated in Ireland on his feast day, March 17th, since the year 461. Today, Saint Patrick's Day is still a legal, national holiday in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Irish people have traveled to all parts of the world bringing their holiday with them. In 1762, those who came to New York formed the first of New York City's St. Patrick's Day parades; an annual event ever since. This year, 125,000 marchers walk the two-mile green stripe down NYC's famed Fifth Avenue, with another 2,000,000 watching them, the largest St. Patrick's Day parade anywhere. Most of those New Yorkers will be wearing the three-leafed shamrock. It is said that St. Patrick used the green-leafed clover to illustrate the Trinity. We'll be wearing green or we'll be be pinched for sure, whether we're Irish or not ... even though we don't know how the pinch became part of the day's traditions. Maybe it's those leprechauns who started the pinching. When and how corned beef, boiled cabbage and potatoes became part of this day's celebration are also a mystery. We can kinda figure this one out for ourselves; but green beer and green bagels are another story. ** Events 1941 - The National Gallery of Art was officially opened by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in Washington, D.C. 1967 - Snoopy and Charlie Brown, of the comic strip "Peanuts", made the cover of "LIFE" magazine. 1969 - Golda Meir was sworn in as the fourth premier of Israel. 1985 - William Schroeder set a record for heart transplant patients as he reached his 113th day of life with the artificial organ. ** Birthdays 1777 - Roger Taney (Chief Justice of the U.S.: his decision that Congress had no power to abolish slavery in territories helped bring on the Civil War [Dred Scott case]) 1938 - Rudolf Nureyev (Russian ballet dancer: defected to U.S. [1961]; danced with Dame Margot Fonteyn, the Martha Graham Dance Company; was artistic director of the Paris Opera Ballet) 1964 - Rob Lowe (actor: St. Elmo's Fire, About Last Night) ** Chart Toppers - 1988 Never Gonna Give You Up - Rick Astley I Get Weak - Belinda Carlisle Man in the Mirror - Michael Jackson Too Gone Too Long - Randy Travis

ST PATRICK March 17th is celebrated as Saint Patrick's Day, a holiday honoring the missionary credited with converting the Irish to Christianity. There is no small amount of controversy surrounding Saint Patrick's actual identity; some historical sources maintain that he was not actually Irish, suggesting that he was indeed born around 373 A.D. in either Scotland or in Britain. Born Maewyn Succat, the missionary took on the name of Patricius later in life, upon entering the priesthood. At the age of 16, it is reported that Patricius--or Patrick--was kidnapped by seafaring slave traders, who in turn sold him into bondage in Ireland. Held there for over six years, the young man worked as a shepherd. Allegedly, it is during this pastoral time that he began to experience various epiphanies. As a result, he guarded these visions as closely as his flocks, cultivating a devout Christian faith in those Irish fields. Indeed, it is this faith that allowed Patrick to escape his trials of bondage; as the story goes, it was an unseen voice that led the shepherd-saint out of Ireland. It was not until almost fifty years later that Patrick returned to the country, arriving on the Gaelic shores as a 60 year-old missionary. It's said that Patrick was renowned for his charismatic personality, enabling him to win over many converts from among the Irish masses. He used the three-leafed clover, or shamrock, to explain the concept of the Trinity to his new converts. Among the many miracles that have been attributed to St. Patrick, it has been said that Saint Patrick drove all the snakes out of Ireland and into the ocean. This story probably has more basis in allegorical import than historical fact, as the serpent was a revered pagan symbol; in either event, this tale highlights Patrick's role in driving proto-Christian paganism from the shores of Ireland.

Today in History for March 18 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1662 - The first buses, eight-seater vehicles known as ``carrosses a cinq solz,'' ran in Paris. 1745 - Sir Robert Walpole, British Whig statesman and the nation's first and longest-serving prime minister, died. He held the post from 1721 to 1742. 1776 - Britain repealed the Stamp Act, a taxation measure despised in its American colonies, but too late to stop the U.S. declaraion of independence. 1768 - Laurence Sterne, Irish-born clergyman and novelist, author of ``The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy,'' died. 1842 - Stephane Mallarme, French Symbolist poet, born. His ``L'Apres-midi d'un Faune'' inspired composer Claude Debussy to write an orchestral prelude of the same name. 1844 - Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Russian composer and conductor, born. As a teacher, his pupils included Stravinsky and Prokofiev. 1858 - Rudolf Diesel, German engineer and inventor of the engine that bears his name, born. 1869 - Arthur Neville Chamberlain, British Conservative prime minister, born. His 1937-40 premiership was marked by a policy of appeasement toward Adolf Hitler. 1893 - Wilfred Owen, English poet, born. His poems about the First World War expressed his anger at the futility of war. 1905 - Robert Donat, English film actor who won an Oscar for ``Goodbye Mr Chips,'' born. 1922 - A court in British India sentenced Mahatma Gandhi to six years imprisonment for his civil disobedience campaign. 1932 - John Updike, American novelist, poet and critic, born. 1940 - Hitler and Mussolini met at the Brenner pass in the Alps. They agreed that Italy should enter World War II within months alongside Nazi Germany. 1949 - The text of the North Atlantic Treaty was published. 1965 - Soviet cosmonaut Aleksei Leonov made the first space walk.

Today in History for March 19 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1593 - Georges de La Tour, French painter, born. Noted for painting candlelight scenes such as ``The Mocking of Job.'' 1813 - David Livingstone, Scottish explorer and missionary in Africa who discovered the Victoria Falls in 1855, born. After being feared dead on his next trip he was found alive by journalist Henry Stanley with the words ``Dr. Livingstone, I presume?'' 1821 - Sir Richard Burton, English explorer, born. He penetrated the holy cities of Mecca and Medina disguised as a pilgrim. He also translated the ``Arabian Nights.'' 1848 - Wyatt Earp, American law officer who took part in involved in several gunfights including one at the O.K. Corral, born. 1861 - The Maori insurrection in New Zealand ended in surrender. 1872 - Sergei Diaghilev, Russian ballet impresario, born. 1906 - Adolf Eichmann, Nazi colonel who played a major part in the extermination of Jews in World War Two, born. In 1960 Israeli agents seized him from Argentina and he was later tried and executed. 1920 - The United States refused to sign the Versailles Treaty and join the League of Nations, for fear of being drawn into a war if another member country was invaded. 1928 - Patrick McGoohan, U.S. actor best known for the cult TV series ``The Prisoner,'' born. 1932 - Australia's Sydney Harbour Bridge was officially opened. 1933 - Philip Roth, American author, born. Noted for his novels about Jewish middle-class life. 1936 - Ursula Andress, actress who made her name in the 1962 James Bond movie ``Dr. No,'' born in Switzerland. 1950 - Edgar Rice Burroughs, American novelist, died. Famed for the ``Tarzan'' stories. 1970 - The heads of the West and East German governments, Willy Brandt and Willi Stoph, met at Erfurt. It was the first east-west meeting since Germany was divided. 1997 - Willem de Kooning, a founder of the Abstract Expressionist school that transformed American art in the 1940s, died.

Today in History for March 20 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 43 B.C. - Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso), Roman poet, born. He was exiled from Rome in 9 A.D. 1727 - Sir Isaac Newton, British scientist and mathematician, died. He was noted for his theories and discoveries especially that of gravity. 1780 - The firm of James Watt & Co. was formed for the manufacture of the first duplicating machines, invented by Watt to cope with the large amount of copying involved in his steam engine business. 1815 - Napoleon arrived back in Paris from Elba to reclaim power at the start of ``The Hundred Days'' before defeat at Waterloo. 1828 - Henrik Ibsen, Norwegian poet and playwright, born. His realistic social dramas, including ``A Doll's House'' and ``Hedda Gabler,'' influenced many writers. 1852 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery novel ``Uncle Tom's Cabin'' was first published in book form. 1890 - Beniamino Gigli, Italian operatic tenor, born; with a repertory of over 60 roles, he retired in 1955 after over 40 years singing. 1890 - Lauritz Melchior, Danish operatic tenor, born. Probably the greatest Wagnerian tenor of all time, he sang Wagner's ``Tristan und Isolde'' over 200 times. 1908 - Sir Michael Redgrave, English actor, born. Best known for his roles in ``The Captive Heart'' and ``The Browning Version.'' 1917 - Dame Vera Lynn, English singer and sweetheart of British forces during World War Two, born. 1934 - The first experiments with the forerunner of radar were carried out at Kiel Harbour, Germany, by Dr. Rudolph Kuenhold. 1945 - Lord Alfred Bruce Douglas, editor and poet, died. His close association with Oscar Wilde eventually led to Wilde's trial and imprisonment for homosexual practices. 1948 - Eugene Ormandy conducted the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra on CBS TV in the first symphony concert to be televised in the United States. 1964 - Brendan Behan, Irish writer and playwright, died. A member of the IRA, he was imprisoned twice. 1976 - After an eight-week trial, Patricia Hearst was found guilty of armed robbery in April 1974 in the United States.

Time Capsule for March 20 In 1976, San Francisco newspaper heiress Patty Hearst was convicted of bank robbery. In 1977, Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and her son, Sanjay, lost their parliamentary races in India's general elections. The Congress party also was defeated and the state of emergency in India was lifted. In 1986, the House rejected a $100 million aid package for the Nicaraguan Contras, a major Reagan policy setback. Also in 1986, the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 1800 for the first time. In 1987, the federal government approved the sale of AZT, a treatment but not a cure for AIDS. ------------------------------------------------------------ In 1991, Baghdad was warned to abide by the cease-fire after U.S. fighter jets shot down an Iraqi jet fighter in the first major air action since the end of the Persian Gulf War. In 1992, gay rights groups angered over the treatment of bisexual characters in the film "Basic Instinct" protested outside movie theaters. In 1994, the strongest of the aftershocks to the Northridge earthquake in January hit Southern California, measuring 5.3 on the Richter scale. In 1995, 12 people were killed and more than 5,000 made ill by a nerve gas attack on the Tokyo subway system. Members of a religious sect were blamed. Also in 1995, conservative commentator Pat Buchanan launched his second bid for the presidency. In 1996, Lyle and Erik Menendez were convicted of murdering their wealthy parents in Los Angeles. Also in 1996, the world learned of "mad cow" disease from a British government report questioning the safety of British beef. In 1997, the Liggett Group, the 5th-largest U.S. tobacco company, agreed to admit that smoking was addictive and caused health problems, and that the tobacco industry had sought for years to sell its products to children as young as 14. ------------------------------------------------------------ +------------------ Birthday's ------------------+ Roman poet Ovid in 43 B.C. Adventurer and writer Edward Judson, originator of the dime novel, in 1820 Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen in 1828; psychologist B.F. Skinner in 1904 Actor-bandleader Ozzie Nelson in 1907 Former New York Mayor Abe Beame in 1906 (age 94) British actor Sir Michael Redgrave in 1908 Producer/director Carl Reiner in 1922 (age 78) Fred Rogers ("Mister Rogers") in 1928 (age 72) Actor Hal Linden ("Barney Miller") in 1931 (age 69) Singer-songwriter Jerry Reed in 1937 (age 63) Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney in 1939 (age 61) Former hockey player Bobby Orr in 1948 (age 52) Actor William Hurt in 1950 (age 50) Filmmaker Spike Lee and actress Theresa Russell, both in 1957 (age 43) Actress Holly Hunter in 1958 (age 42)

History for March 20, 2000: ** This is Uncle Tom's Cabin Day! It was on this day in 1852 that Harriet Beecher Stowe's classic book was published. "Uncle Tom's Cabin", subtitled "Life Among the Lowly" became an instant success, selling 300,000 copies in its first year. It has since been translated into twenty languages and performed as a play the world over. "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was even spotlighted in the Broadway musical and film, "The King and I". Maybe you remember the haunting chant from the show, "Run Eliza, Run!" Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel remains a must-read for school children -- and a reminder to all of us of an ugly time in the history of the United States. The antislavery novel and the adapted plays all feature the elderly, kind slave, Uncle Tom; the slave child, Topsy; Little Eva, the daughter of Tom's owner; Eliza, a young mulatto woman and the cruel, northern-born overseer who beat Tom to death, Simon LeGree. The book brought much sympathy from around the world toward the American "peculiar institution" of slavery. In fact, Abraham Lincoln told Harriet Beecher Stowe she was "the little woman who wrote the book that started this great war," referring of course, to the Civil War. 'Til this day, we refer to an employer or any other with slave-driving tendencies as a 'Simon LeGree'. ** Events 1865 - A plan by John Wilkes Booth to abduct President Abraham Lincoln was foiled when Lincoln changed plans and failed to appear at the Soldier's Home near Washington, DC. Booth would later assassinate the President while Lincoln was attending a performance at Ford's Theatre in the nation's capital. 1897 - The first intercollegiate basketball game to use five players per team was held. Yale beat Pennsylvania by a score of 32-10 in New Haven, CT. 1969 - Beatle John Lennon married Yoko Ono at the Rock of Gibraltar on this day. Lennon called the location, "quiet, friendly and British." He was the second Beatle to marry in eight days. Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman were wed a week earlier. 1985 - Libby Riddles won the $50,000 top prize in the 1,135-mile Anchorage-to-Nome dog race. The Iditarod was called Alaska's ultimate endurance test and this was the first time a woman had won. Libby completed the course in 18 days, twenty minutes and seventeen seconds. Another woman, Susan Butcher, won the next three Iditarod trail-sled dog races. The first race was run in 1973. The annual race commemorates the emergency during a 1925 diphtheria epidemic when medical supplies had to be rushed to Nome by dog sled. ** 1828 - Henrik Ibsen (Norwegian playwright: Hedda Gabler, Peer Gynt, The Wild Duck, The Pillars of Society, An Enemy of the People) 1950 - William Hurt (actor: Broadcast News, The Accidental Tourist, Altered States, The Big Chill, Trial by Jury, Children of a Lesser God) 1957 - Spike Lee (director: She's Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Crooklyn, Clockers) 1957 - Spike Lee (director: She's Gotta Have It, Do the Right Thing, Mo' Better Blues, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Crooklyn, Clockers) ** Chart Toppers - 1991 Someday - Mariah Carey One More Try - Timmy -T- Show Me the Way - Styx I'd Love You All Over Again - Alan Jackson

Benedict Arnold Cannon Found on Auction Site BURLINGTON, Vt. (Reuters) - A cannon believed to be from a Revolutionary War boat commanded by American traitor Benedict Arnold and plucked 70 years ago from the shores of Lake Champlain turned up on the shores of online auctioneer eBay Inc., Vermont's U.S. Attorney said on Friday. The bronze ``swivel gun,'' which was recently handed over to the U.S. Naval Historical Center in Washington, was fetching bids above $2,000 on eBay a few weeks ago when Vermont historians heard about the auction and contacted Vermont U.S. Attorney Charles Tetzlaff. Law enforcement and eBay officials tracked down the seller a retired U.S. Air Force general -- who said he bought the historic hardware for $500 two years ago at a Virginia antiques show. The seller ``did the right thing'' by giving the cannon, which the U.S. government contends is its property, over to authorities, Tetzlaff said. The seller had been told that the cannon was removed from the shores of Lake Champlain with a truck and chain in the 1930's when it was in the way of a planned boat pier. Based on that information and a preliminary examination, experts believe the cannon might have come from an area of the lake known as Arnold's Bay, in Panton, Vermont, where Arnold destroyed four ships on Oct. 13, 1776, after the Battle of Valcour Island, Tetzlaff said. Markings on the armament indicate it was cast by the same Philadelphia firm that made the Liberty Bell. Before committing treason and joining the British, Arnold commanded the American naval fleet on Lake Champlain, a strategic waterway between the American colonies and British Canada.

Today in History for March 21 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1556 - The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, was burned at the stake as a heretic. 1685 - Johann Sebastian Bach, composer and best known of the large German family of musicians, born. Noted for his ``Brandenburg Concertos'' and the 48 preludes and fugues known as ``The Well-Tempered Clavier.'' 1804 - The French civil code, the Code Napoleon, was first promulgated. 1839 - Modest Mussorgsky, Russian composer notably of ``Boris Godunov'' and ``Pictures at an Exhibition,'' born. 1869 - Florenz Ziegfeld, U.S. theatrical producer noted for creating the ``Follies'' stage revue, born. 1871 - Otto von Bismarck opened the first Reichstag, or Parliament, in the newly created German Reich. 1917 - Czar Nicholas II and his family were arrested by the revolutionary forces in Russia. 1918 - The Second Battle of the Somme, the last German offensive in World War One, began. 1945 - British warplanes destroyed Gestapo headquarters in Copenhagen, killing over 70 Nazis. The raid also killed civilians, including 86 schoolchildren, in Denmark's worst civilian disaster of the war. 1960 - South African police opened fire on a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville in the Transvaal, killing 69 unarmed black protesters and wounding more than 180. 1963 - Alcatraz Prison in San Francisco Bay, a harsh maximum-security jail which once housed gangster Al Capone, closed when the last 27 prisoners were transferred. 1965 - Martin Luther King led the start of a 4,000-strong civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. 1985 - Sir Michael Redgrave, British actor and film star, died. 1989 - Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke wept on television as he admitted to having an extra-marital affair. 1998 - Galina Ulanova, the leading ballerina at the Bolshoi Theater for nearly two decades after World War II, died aged 88. 1999 - British comedian Ernie Wise, who made his name in a legendary double act with the late Eric Morecambe, died. He was 73.

History for March 21, 2000: ** This is God Bless America Day! "God Bless America", written by Irving Berlin back in 1918 as a tribute by a successful immigrant to his adopted country, was recorded by Kate Smith for Victor Records on this day in 1939. Ms. Smith first introduced the song on Armistice Day, November 11, 1938, at the New York World's Fair. It was a fitting tribute to its composer, who gave all royalties from the very popular and emotional song to the Boy Scouts. The song became Kate Smith's second signature after "When the Moon Comes Over the Mountain"; and the second national anthem of the United States of America. On several occasions, it has even been suggested that the U.S. Congress enact a bill changing the national anthem to "God Bless America". ** Events 1826 - The Rensselaer School in Troy, New York was incorporated. The school known today as Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, became the first engineering college in the United States. Remember this when crossing over a bridge today... 1946 - The Los Angeles Rams signed Kenny Washington, the first black player to join a National Football League team since 1933. ** Birthdays 1685 - Johann Sebastian Bach (composer: Gottes Zeit, Toccata and Fugue in d minor, Little Organ Book, Mass in B Minor, Magnificat) 1944 - Manny (Manuel De Jesus Magan) Sanguillen (baseball: catcher: Pittsburgh Pirates [World Series: 1971, 1979/all-star: 1971, 1972, 1975], Oakland Athletics) 1958 - Gary Oldman (actor: The Scarlet Letter, True Romance, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Sid and Nancy, JFK) 1962 - Matthew Broderick (actor: War Games, The Freshman, Family Business, Ladyhawke, Ferris Bueller's Day Off) 1966 - Cynthia Geary (actress: Northern Exposure, 8 Seconds) 2228 - James T. Kirk (captain of the Starship Enterprise NCC1701)

"The History, Days and Events that Shape Your Life" *----------- A Thought for the Day ------------* It was Winston Churchill who said, "Nothing in life is so exhilberating as to be shot at without result." *----------------------------------------------* Today is Tuesday, March 21, the 81st day of 2000 with 285 to follow. The moon is waning, moving toward its last quarter. The morning stars are Mercury and Venus. The evening stars are Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. ------------------------------------------------------------ Born on this date under the sign of Aries: They include composer Johann Sebastian Bach in 1685 Mexican revolutionary and president Benito Juarez in 1806 Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1839 Theatrical impresario Florenz Ziegfeld in 1869 English theatrical director Peter Brook in 1925 (age 75) Actors James Coco in 1930 Al Freeman Jr. in 1934 (age 66) Timothy Dalton in 1946 (age 54) Gary Oldman in 1958 (age 42) Matthew Broderick in 1962 (age 38) Talk show host Rosie O'Donnell in 1962 (age 38) ------------------------------------------------------------ On This Date in History: In 1790, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia became the first U.S. secretary of state. He later was the third president of the United States. In 1918, American and German soldiers fought the key World War I battle of the Somme. In 1945, 7,000 Allied planes dropped more than 12,000 tons of explosives on Germany during a single World War II daytime bombing raid. In 1962, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pledged that Russia would cooperate with the United States in peaceful exploration of space. The joint American-Soviet Soyuz space mission was conducted in July 1975. In 1984, the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk collided with a nuclear-powered Soviet submarine in the Sea of Japan. In 1991, L. William Seidman, chairman of the FDIC and Resolution Trust Corp., said his agency needed $70 billion to protect deposits from bank collapses. In 1993, Russia plunged into its deepest political crisis since the August 1991 coup attempt following President Yeltsin's declaration of special rule by decree. Also in 1993, seven more adults left the besieged Branch Davidian compound as federal authorities continued negotiations with cult leader David Koresh to end the standoff. In 1993, Nicaraguan rebels ended their 13-day seizure of the Nicaraguan Embassy, freeing the last 11 hostages under a deal that gave them asylum in the Dominican Republic. In 1994, North Korea threatened to pull out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty if the United States reverses its decision to hold military exercises with South Korea. In 1996, European nations began banning British beef. In 1997, a Palestinian bomber and three women died in an explosion in Tel Aviv, Israel. In 1999, balloonists Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones landed near Cairo, Egypt, after becoming the first to circle the globe by balloon.

TIME CAPSULES - Tuesday, March 21, 2000 "Significant Events on This Day in History" In 1790, Thomas Jefferson of Virginia became the first U.S. secretary of state. He later was the third president of the United States. The key World War I Battle of Somme began on this date in 1918 when the Germans launched an artillery barrage against British and French troops. The battle lasted until April 4 and ended what had effectively been a stalemate. The Allies lost 230,000 men and the Germans almost as many. The Cold War wasn't so cold on this date in 1962, when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pledged that Russia would cooperate with the United States in peaceful exploration of space. A joint American-Soviet Soyuz space mission was conducted 13 years later, in July 1975. In 1984, the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk collided with a nuclear-powered Soviet submarine in the Sea of Japan. ------------------------------------------------------------ In 1991, L. William Seidman, chairman of the FDIC and Resolution Trust Corp., said his agency needed $70 billion to protect deposits from bank collapses. In 1993, Russia plunged into its deepest political crisis since the August 1991 coup attempt following President Yeltsin's declaration of special rule by decree. Also in 1993, seven more adults left the besieged Branch Davidian compound as federal authorities continued negotiations with cult leader David Koresh to end the standoff. And in 1993, Nicaraguan rebels ended their 13-day seizure of the Nicaraguan Embassy, freeing the last 11 hostages under a deal that gave them asylum in the Dominican Republic. In 1994, North Korea threatened to pull out of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty if the United States reverses its decision to hold military exercises with South Korea. In 1996, European nations began banning British beef. In 1997, a Palestinian bomber and three women died in an explosion in Tel Aviv, Israel. Around the world in 19 days. Swiss psychiatrist Bertrand Piccard and British co-pilot Brian Jones landed near Cairo, Egypt, on this date in 1999, completing the first around-the-world balloon flight. They flew -- or maybe we should say floated -- more than 29,000 miles after launching their quest from the Swiss Alps March 1. +------------------ Birthday's ------------------+ Composer Johann Sebastian Bach in 1685 Mexican revolutionary and president Benito Juarez in 1806 Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky in 1839 Theatrical impresario Florenz Ziegfeld in 1869 English theatrical director Peter Brook in 1925 (age 75) Actors James Coco in 1930, Al Freeman Jr. in 1934 (age 66), Timothy Dalton in 1946 (age 54), Gary Oldman in 1958 (age 42), and Matthew Broderick in 1962 (age 38) Talk show host Rosie O'Donnell in 1962 (age 38)

"Significant Events on This Day in History" In 1791, Congress enacted legislation forbidding slave trading with foreign nations. A hydroelectric milestone took place on this date in 1941: the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River began producing electric power for the Pacific Northwest. The Beatles released the band's first album in Britain, "Please Please Me," on this date in 1963. In 1987, Chad troops drove Libyan forces from a key airstrip in northern Chad, apparently ending Moammar Gadhafi's seven-year occupation. The Libyans abandoned $500 million worth of Soviet- made tanks and airplanes. ---------------------------------------------------------- In 1992, 27 people were killed when a US Air plane bound for Cleveland skidded off a runway at New York's LaGuardia Airport during a snowstorm and landed in the bay. In 1993, a U.S. nuclear submarine collided with a Russian nuclear sub in a Russian training area in the Barents Sea. There were no casualties. Here's a name from the past -- Brian "Kato" Kaelin. It was on this date in 1995 that the world's most famous houseguest, who'd been staying at O.J. Simpson's estate the night Simpson's ex-wife and friend were murdered, testified at the former athlete's double murder trial in Los Angeles. In 1997, Comet Hale-Bopp made its closest approach to Earth -- about 122 million miles.

Today in History for March 22 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1599 - Sir Anthony Van Dyke born. After Rubens he was probably the most prominent Flemish artist of the Baroque period. 1622 - In the James River area of Virginia, nearly 350 settlers were massacred by Indians. 1687 - Jean-Baptiste-Lully, French composer, died. He gallicised his name from Giovanni Battista Lulli when he became a French citizen. 1832 - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet and author of ``Faust,'' died. ``Faust'' was begun in 1775, but the first part was not published until 1808, and the second in 1832. 1842 - Carl August Nicolas Rosa, German violinist and composer, born. In 1873 he founded the Carl Rosa Opera Company. 1895 - Auguste and Louis Lumiere gave the first demonstration of motion pictures using celluloid film in Paris. 1896 - Thomas Hughes, English reformer, jurist and author of ``Tom Brown's School Days,'' died. 1910 - English novelist Nicholas Monsarrat, author of ``The Cruel Sea,'' born. 1917 - The United States became the first country to recognize the provisional government of Russia following the collapse of the monarchy. 1919 - The first international airline service was instituted between Paris and Brussels on a weekly schedule. 1923 - French actor and mime artist Marcel Marceau was born. Best known for his white-faced character ``Bip,'' based on Pip, a character from Charles Dickens' ``Great Expectations.'' 1930 - Stephen Joseph Sondheim, U.S. composer and lyricist, born. His musical credits include ``West Side Story,'' ``Gypsy,'' ``A Little Night Music,'' ``Sweeney Todd'' and ``Follies.'' 1935 - The first high-definition television service was officially inaugurated by the director-general of German broadcasting in Berlin. 1943 - Recording artist Keith Relf of The Yardbirds born. 1948 - Andrew Lloyd Webber, British composer, born. His musicals include ``Jesus Christ Superstar,'' ``Evita,'' ``Cats'' and ``Phantom of the Opera.''

Time Capsule - March 23, 2000 On this date in 1942, in the early days of World War II, Japanese-Americans were forcibly moved from their homes along the Pacific Coast to inland internment camps. The U.S. government feared an attack from Japan and was worried Japanese-Americans would aid the enemy. It was a low point in U.S. history. In 1966, Pope Paul VI met Britain's archbishop of Canterbury at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, the first meeting between the heads of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches in 400 years. In 1985, the United States completed the secret air evacuation of 800 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. In 1993, President Clinton held his first full-blown White House news conference on his 62nd day in office. In 1994, the nominee of the ruling party in Mexico was shot to death just after delivering a campaign speech in Tijuana. A suspect believed to be the gunman was arrested immediately. In 1996, Taiwan elected Lee Teng-hui in the island nation's first direct presidential election. In 1998, Russian President Boris Yeltsin fired his entire cabinet. "Titanic" won 11 Academy Awards on this date in 1998, tying the record total won by "Ben-Hur" back in 1959. In 1999, the vice president of Peru was assassinated. +------------------ Birthday's ------------------+ Culinary expert Fannie Farmer in 1857 Psychoanalyst Erich Fromm in 1900 Actress Joan Crawford in 1908 Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in 1910 Rocket scientist Wernher von Braun in 1912 Former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson Jr., in 1938 (age 62) Comedian Louie Anderson and singer Chaka Khan, both in 1953 (age 47) Actresses Amanda Plummer in 1957 (age 43) and Keri Russell ("Felicity") in 1976 (age 24). -----------------------------------------------------------

TODAY'S ALMANAC - Thursday, March 23, 2000 Today is Thursday, March 23, the 83rd day of 2000 with 283 to follow. The moon is waning, moving toward its last quarter. The morning stars are Mercury and Venus. The evening stars are Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Born on this date under the sign of Aries: They include culinary expert Fannie Farmer in 1857 Psychoanalyst Erich Fromm in 1900 Actress Joan Crawford in 1908 Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa in 1910 Rocket scientist Wernher von Braun in 1912 Former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson Jr., in 1938 (age 62) Comedian Louie Anderson and singer Chaka Khan, both in 1953 (age 47) Actresses Amanda Plummer in 1957 (age 43) Keri Russell ("Felicity") in 1976 (age 24) On This Date in History: In 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act for taxing the American colonies, an action that became a major grievance for rebellious colonials. In 1942, Japanese-Americans were forcibly moved from their homes along the Pacific Coast to inland internment camps. In 1966, Pope Paul VI met Britain's archbishop of Canterbury at the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, the first meeting between the heads of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches in 400 years. In 1983, the world's first recipient of a permanent artificial heart, Barney Clark of Seattle, died in a Salt Lake City hospital. In 1985, the United States completed the secret air evacuation of 800 Ethiopian Jews to Israel. In 1993, President Clinton held his first full-blown White House news conference on his 62nd day in office. In 1994, the nominee of the ruling party in Mexico was shot to death just after delivering a campaign speech in Tijuana. A suspect believed to be the gunman was arrested immediately. In 1996, Taiwan elected Lee Teng-hui in the island nation's first direct presidential election. In 1998, Russian President Boris Yeltsin fired his entire cabinet. Also in 1998, "Titanic" won 11 Academy Awards, tying the record total won by "Ben-Hur" in 1959. In 1999, the vice president of Peru was assassinated.

Those Were the Days: March 23 This is Monkey Day! An evolution law, enacted this day in the great State of Tennessee in the year 1925, made it a crime for a teacher in any state-supported public school or college to teach any theory that contradicted the Bible's account of man's creation. Tennessee's Governor Austin Peay said, "The very integrity of the Bible in its statement of man's divine creation is denied by any theory that man descended or has ascended from any lower order of animals." Opponents planned to challenge the law, denouncing it as a violation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state. Within two months, a Dayton, Tennessee high school science teacher, John T. Scopes was indicted, and later convicted, in the famous 'Monkey Trial' for teaching his students the theory of evolution; that man descended from a lower order of animals ... or monkeys. Scopes was fined $100. Defense Attorney Clarence Darrow stated that this was "the first case of its kind since we stopped trying people for witchcraft." Remember this the next time you think about swinging from a tree ... especially while eating a banana and singing, "Yaba daba daba." ** Events 1965 - Astronaut John Young became the first man to eat a corned beef sandwich in outer space. When it comes to events of progress, we will certainly add this to the record book, now won't we? ...along with that golf club stunt of Alan Shepard's from the surface of the moon years later. Young smuggled the sandwich on board in order to supplement the astronauts' meals of dehydrated foods, including powdered fruit juice (Tang). 1972 - New York Yankees baseball officials announced plans to keep the Yankees in the nation's largest city. Plans were also revealed concerning a major renovation of Yankee Stadium. While work was underway at 'The House that Ruth Built', the Bronx Bombers shared tenancy with the cross-town New York Mets in Flushing, New York at Shea Stadium. New Yorkers also got one other bonus from the announced plans: George Steinbrenner. 1985 - Singer Billy Joel married supermodel Christie Brinkley in private ceremonies held in New York City. 1985 - "We Are the World", by USA for Africa, a group of 46 pop stars, entered the music charts for the first time at number 21. ** Birthdays 1951 - Ron Jaworski (football: Philadelphia Eagles quarterback: Super Bowl XV) 1953 - Chaka Khan (Yvette Marie Stevens) (singer: Tell Me Something Good [with Rufus], You Got the Love; solo: I Feel for You) 1954 - Moses Malone (basketball: Buffalo Braves, Houston Rockets [single-game playoff record for most offensive rebounds [15: April 21, 1977 vs. Washington], Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Bullets, Atlanta Hawks, Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Bullets, Atlanta Hawks, San Antonio Spurs; NBA MVP: 1979, 1982, 1983; records: most consecutive games without a disqualification [1,212], most free throws made [8,531], most offensive rebounds [6,731]) 1966 - Marti Pellow (Mark McLoughlin) (singer: group: Wet, Wet, Wet) 1990 Princess Eugenie (British royalty: daughter of Prince Andrew and the Duchess of York) ** Chart Toppers - 1986 These Dreams - Heart Secret Lovers - Atlantic Starr Rock Me Amadeus - Falco What's a Memory like You (Doing in a Love like This) - John Schneider

Time Capsule March 24, 2000 In 1934, the United States granted the Philippine Islands independence, effective July 4th, 1946. In 1965, white civil rights worker Viola Liuzzo of Detroit was shot and killed on a road near Selma, Ala. In 1975, the beaver became the official symbol of Canada. In 1976, Argentine President Isabel Peron, widow of strongman ruler Juan Peron, was arrested in a military coup. In 1991, 12 people were killed and 29 wounded when South African police fired on ANC supporters at a rally in a black township in Daveytown after ordering the crowd to disperse. In 1992, Jerry Brown pulled an upset win over Bill Clinton in Connecticut, causing serious damage to the Arkansas governor's quest for the Democratic presidential nomination. In 1993, the suspected ringleader of the World Trade Center bombing that killed six people and injured more than 1,000 was arrested in Egypt and extradited to New York. In 1995, in a vote nearly along party lines, the House approved a bill that would overhaul welfare. In 1996, McDonalds stopped selling British beef in its British outlets. In 1998, four girls and a teacher at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Ark., were killed by bullets fired from a nearby woods. Police arrested two boys, ages 11 and 13, in connection with the slayings. In 1999, NATO launched attacks on targets in Yugoslavia after the Serbs refused to sign a peace agreement worked out for the future of the rebellious province of Kosovo. The air war lasted almost three months, until Serb forces withdrew from Kosovo.

TODAY'S ALMANAC - Friday, March 24, 2000 *----------- A Thought for the Day ------------* Samuel Butler wrote, "A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg." *----------------------------------------------* Today is Friday, March 24, the 84th day of 2000 with 282 to follow. The moon is waning, moving toward its last quarter. The morning stars are Mercury and Venus. The evening stars are Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. ------------------------------------------------------------ Born on this date under the sign of Aries: They include financier Andrew Mellon in 1855 Magician and escape artist Harry Houdini in 1874 Silent film actor Fatty Arbuckle in 1887 Pioneer film animator Ub Iwerks, whose artistry helped Walt Disney to realize his vision, in 1901 Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey in 1902 Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti in 1919 (age 81) Actors Norman Fell in 1925 and Steve McQueen in 1930 Roger Bannister, the first person to run the mile in less than four minutes, in 1929 (age 71) Dress designer Bob Mackie in 1940 (age 60) Actresses Donna Pescow in 1954 (age 46) and Laura Flynn Boyle in 1970 (age 30)

Today in History for March 25 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1409 - The Council of Pisa, formed to try to solve the schism in the Catholic church between the two popes Gregory and Benedict, held its first meeting at Pisa. 1807 - The slave trade in England was abolished. 1867 - Arturo Toscanini, Italian conductor and musical director, born. Famed for his temper in rehearsals, he was director of La Scala and the Metropolitan opera houses. He also conducted the NBC symphony orchestra. 1871 - Gutzon Borglum, U.S. sculptor famed for his presidential sculptures on Mount Rushmore, born. 1881 - Bela Bartok, Hungarian composer and pianist, born. His knowledge of western musical techniques allied to the inspiration he derived from Hungarian peasant songs enabled him to become a unique musical force. 1900 - In the United States the first Socialist Party was formed when the Socialist Labor Party merged with the Social-Democratic Party. Their first convention was held in Indianapolis in 1904. 1911 - 146 mostly young Jewish and Italian immigrant women died when New York's worst industrial fire swept through a factory owned by the Triangle Shirtwaist Co. 1914 - Frederic Mistral, French poet and winner of the 1904 Nobel Prize for Literature, died. He helped in the 19th century revival of Provencal language and worked for some 20 years on a Provencal-French dictionary. 1918 - Claude Debussy, French composer, died. His music, described as ``musical Impressionism,'' explored original avenues of expression. 1942 - Singer Aretha Franklin, the ``Queen of Soul,'' born. 1947 - Elton John, English singer, songwriter and pianist, born. 1949 - Laurence Olivier's ``Hamlet'' won five Oscars and was the first British film to win an Academy award. 1995 - Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson was freed from an Indiana prison three years after his conviction for rape. 1996 - Abel Goodman, the world's first patient to receive a permanent electric heart, died in Britain. He received the implant at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford in the first operation of its kind. 1999 - Forty people were killed in a fire which trapped at least 30 vehicles in the tunnel under Mont Blanc, western Europe's highest mountain.

Today in History for March 26 LONDON (Reuters) - Here are some notable events from this date in history: 1726 - Sir John Vanbrugh, English playwright and architect of Blenheim Palace, died. 1780 - The British Gazette and Sunday Monitor, the first Sunday newspaper in Britain, was published. 1827 - Ludwig van Beethoven, German composer, died in Vienna. One of the great composers in the history of Western music, he composed many of his finest works after he had become totally deaf. 1828 - Austrian composer Franz Schubert gave his only public concert, in Vienna. 1871 - The Paris Commune, an insurrection of Paris against the French government, was formally set up. 1892 - Walt Whitman, U.S. poet and essayist, died. He became a revolutionary figure in American literature after the publication of his ``Leaves of Grass.'' 1898 - The world's first game reserve, the Sabi Game reserve, was designated in South Africa. 1911 - Tennessee Williams, American playwright and novelist, born. He won two Pulitzer prizes for ``A Streetcar Named Desire'' and ``Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.'' 1923 - Sarah Bernhardt, French actress, died. The greatest ``tragedienne'' of her day, she had her leg amputated in 1915 but continued her acting career. 1925 - Pierre Boulez, French conductor and composer, born. His later work, notably ``Le Marteau sans maitre,'' gained him a worldwide reputation. 1944 - Motown star Diana Ross born. 1945 - The Japanese attempted to reinforce a garrison at Kiska in the Aleutians but were intercepted by a U.S. naval force at the battle of Komandorski Islands. 1959 - Raymond Chandler, U.S. crime writer, died. Creator of the private detective character Philip Marlowe in his novels including, ``The Big Sleep'' and ``Farewell My Lovely.'' 1973 - English playwright Noel Coward died; he produced several films based on his own scripts, including ``In Which We Serve'' and ``Brief Encounter.'' 1983 - Anthony Blunt, former surveyor of Queen Elisabeth's art collection, died. He achieved notoriety as a Russian agent and the ``fourth man'' who engineered the escape of the spies Burgess and Maclean. 1999 - Assisted-suicide advocate Dr. Jack Kevorkian was convicted in the United States of second-degree murder for fatally injecting a terminally ill man.

Time Capsule for March 27, 2000 In 1958, Nikita Khrushchev replaced Nikolai Bulganin as premier of the Soviet Union. In 1964, a powerful earthquake in Alaska killed 117 people. In 1990, Soviet soldiers dragged Lithuanian army deserters from a hospital in Vilnius and took over the headquarters of Lithuania's independent Communist Party in an effort to reassert Moscow's control over the dissident Baltic republic. In 1992, an appeals court in West Palm Beach, Fla., refused to declare dead a baby girl born without a brain, despite her parents' anguished plea to allow her vital organs to be donated to help save other infants. In 1995, "Forrest Gump" won six Academy Awards, including best picture and best actor for Tom Hanks. In 1996, an Israeli court convicted Yigal Amir of assassinating Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and sentenced him to life in prison. In 1998, Russia got a new premier when President Boris Yeltsin nominated Sergei Kiriyenko, 35, to replace fired Premier Viktor Chernomyrdin. +------------------ Birthday's ------------------+ Printmaker Nathaniel Currier, of Currier and Ives, in 1813 German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen, discoverer of X-rays, in 1845 Photographer Edward Steichen in 1879 Architect Mies van der Rohe in 1886 Actress Gloria Swanson in 1899 Jazz singer Sarah Vaughan in 1924 Actor Michael York in 1942 (age 58) Filmmaker Quentin Tarantino in 1963 (age 37) Singer Mariah Carey in 1970 (age 30)

Time Capsules - March 28, 2000 Go kiss your Maytag. It was on this date in 1797 that Nathaniel Briggs was awarded a patent for the first washing machine. Otherwise, we'd be down at the local stream, beating our undies clean on rocks. In 1939, Madrid surrendered to the nationalist forces of Generalissimo Francisco Franco in the Spanish Civil War. Mention the phrase "Three Mile Island" and nearly everyone knows what you're talking about. It was early in the morning on this date in 1979 that a series of failures in the cooling system at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant south of Harrisburg, Penn., caused a near-meltdown. It was the worst accident ever at an American civilian nuclear facility, and led to the extensive re-evaluation of the safety of existing nuclear power generating operations. And it was on this date in 1982 that rocker David Crosby was arrested in Texas on various drug and weapons possession charges. When asked why he was carrying a concealed .45, Crosby replied: "John Lennon." In 1991, just days before the 10th anniversary of the attempt on his life, former President Reagan endorsed a seven-day waiting period for handgun purchases, reversing his earlier opposition. In 1993, Russian President Boris Yeltsin survived an impeachment vote by the Congress of People's Deputies. Also in 1993, French voters rejected the ruling Socialists and gave the conservative alliance a crushing majority in legislative elections. In 1994, pre-election clashes between Zulu nationalists, the ANC and police claimed 53 lives in Johannesburg, South Africa. In 1996, Congress approved the presidential line-item veto. In 1997, an Italian warship collided with an Albanian ship crowded with refugees, causing an undetermined number of deaths. In 1999, Purdue University won its first women's basketball championship, defeating Duke University, 62-45. Its coach was the first black woman to coach the women's championship team. +------------------ Birthday's ------------------+ Russian author Maxim Gorky in 1868 Brewers Frederick Pabst in 1836 and August Anheuser Busch Jr.in 1899 Edmund Muskie, the 1968 Democratic vice-presidential candidate,in 1914 Child star Freddie Bartholomew in 1924 Zbigniew Brzezinski, Carter administration national security adviser, in 1928 (age 72) Actors Dirk Bogarde in 1921, Conchata Ferrell in 1943 (age 57), Ken Howard in 1944 (age 56) and Dianne Wiest in 1948 (age 52) Country singer Reba McEntire in 1954 (age 46)

The Day in Music History - March 28, 2000 In 1958, W.C. Handy died at the age of 84. In 1964, Britain's first "pirate" rock radio station, Radio Caroline, began broadcasting from a barge anchored off shore to circumvent British broadcast laws. In 1969, Ringo Starr announced in London that there'd be no further public appearances by the Beatles. John Lennon disputed that, but it turned out Starr was right. In 1974, Arthur "Big Boy" Cruddup -- who wrote "That's All Right Mama" -- died at the age of 69. In 1979, Eric Clapton married Patti Boyd, George Harrison's ex-wife and the inspiration for Clapton's song "Layla." In 1982, David Crosby was arrested on various drug and weapons possession charges. When asked why he was carrying a concealed .45, Crosby replied -- "John Lennon." In 1984, drummer Mick Fleetwood filed for bankruptcy. Also in 1984, Culture Club arrived in Montreal, Canada, for the group's North American tour. The band was greeted at the airport by about 2,500 screaming fans. In 1985, a wax effigy of Michael Jackson was unveiled at Madame Tussaud's in London. In 1987, the Doobie Brothers moved a benefit concert from Phoenix to Las Vegas to protest Arizona Gov. Evan Mecham's decision to rescind the state holiday honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In 1991, rock 'n' roll broadcast pioneer Dick Clark was honored on the Hollywood Rock Walk. In 1993, Willie Nelson performed a benefit concert in Hillsboro, Texas, to raise money to restore the Hill County Courthouse that'd been destroyed by fire. Nelson spent his childhood in the area. In 1994, more New York dates were added to Barbra Streisand's upcoming tour. All of the shows sold out within minutes. Also in 1994, police announced a total of 91 arrests at a weekend series of Grateful Dead concerts on Long Island, N.Y. Again in 1994, 25 unruly fans were arrested outside a Pearl Jam concert in Miami. In 1999, Freaky Tah -- a.k.a. Raymond Rogers -- of the gangsta rap group The Lost Boyz was shot to death by masked gunmen outside a New York City hotel. He was 28. Two men later were arrested in connection with the murder.

The Day in Music History - MArch 29, 2000 In 1960, Tootsie's Orchid Lounge opened in Nashville. In 1973, following its single "The Cover of the Rolling Stone," Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show actually made the cover of that particular magazine. In 1975, all six Led Zeppelin albums released up to this time were on the U.S. album charts during the same week. In 1980, the BeeGees were sued in Chicago by an amateur songwriter who claimed they plagiarized one of his tunes for their 1978 hit "How Deep Is Your Love?" The BeeGees won on appeal. In 1985, Thompson Twin Tom Bailey was found collapsed on the floor of his hotel room, suffering from exhaustion. In 1987, Prince won eight "Razzies" for worst achievement in movie making at the annual spoof of the Academy Awards. In 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear 2 Live Crew's appeal of a ruling that said the rap group broke federal copyright laws when it did a parody of Roy Orbison's "Oh Pretty Woman." The high court would reverse the decision. Also in 1993, a judge in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., overturned the October 1990 conviction of a record store owner charged with obscenity for selling 2 Live Crew's "As Nasty As They Wanna Be" album. In 1996, Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee and his wife, "Baywatch" star Pamela Anderson Lee, sued Penthouse for $10 million in a failed bid to force the magazine not to market a stolen home video showing the couple "doing it."

March 29, 2000 Know Your History for March 29: ** Today is Doctor, Doctor Day! From this day on, surgery would no longer painful -- at least, while it was being performed. Dr. Crawford W. Long performed the first operation while his patient was anesthetized by ether on this day in 1842. Crawford had been observing several party-goers under the influence of nitrous oxide and sulfuric ether. Those folks were feeling no pain. And Crawford's patient literally felt no pain as the good doctor removed a tumor from the man's neck using the party concoction. This event has been celebrated as Doctors' Day since this day in 1933. Doctors throughout the United States celebrate in Dr. Crawford W. Long's honor and, in honor of ether as an anesthetic. ** Events 1858 - Hyman L. Lipman of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania patented the writing device we call the pencil. Yes, it did have an attached eraser as well. Why, then, we wondered, wasn't it called the Lipman? "Teacher, I'm sorry, but I seem to have forgotten my Lipman this morning." Or -- "May I please go and sharpen my Lipman?" See? It works. 1867 - Alaska was purchased from Russia for two-cents an acre! Now that's called getting your two-cents worth... 1948 - Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin ordered all road and rail access to Berlin, Germany blocked. This was just the beginning of what would become a complete blockade of the German city three months later ... on June 24. 1981 - U.S. President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest by a would-be assassin as the President walked to his limousine in Washington DC. Press Secretary James Brady and two police officers were also wounded in the attack. John W. Hinkley, Jr. was convicted of the crime. ** Birthdays 1746 - Francisco Jose de Goya y Lucientes (artist: The Caprices, The Family of Charles IV, Majas, The 2nd of May, The 3rd of May) 1853 - Vincent van Gogh (post-impressionist artist: The Potato Eaters, Sunflowers, The Night Cafe) 1945 - Eric Clapton (rock guitarist: group: Yardbirds: For Your Love; song writer: Layla, score for The Hit; Grammy Award-winning singer: Bad Love [1990], LPs: Tears from Heaven and Unplugged [1993], I Shot the Sheriff, Lay Down Sally, Promises, I Can't Stand It, Wonderful Tonight) 1950 - LaRue Martin (basketball: Loyola Univ., Portland Trail Blazers) 1957 - Paul Reiser (actor: Diner, Mad About You, Aliens, Beverly Hills Cop) 1964 - Tracy Chapman (folk singer-songwriter: Fast Car) ** Chart Toppers - 1945 One More Night - Phil Collins Lovergirl - Teena Marie We are the World - USA for Africa Seven Spanish Angels - Ray Charles with Willie Nelson

Time Capsule for March 29, 2000 In 1812, the first wedding was performed in the White House. Mrs. Lucy Payne Washington, sister-in-law of President James Madison, married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dodd. William Calley was convicted on this date in 1971 for his part in the murders of 22 Vietnamese civilians in what became known as the "My Lai" massacre, the killings of unarmed villagers by U.S soldiers in Vietnam. It was the most publicized atrocity of the Vietnam War. Calley was sentenced to life in prison, although he has since been released. Also in 1971, cult leader Charles Manson and three followers were sentenced to death in the Tate-Labianca slayings in Los Angeles. In 1991, six-time Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti quit, paving the way for the country's 50th government since World War II. In 1992, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton admitted he tried marijuana once or twice in England, but didn't like it. In 1993, "Unforgiven," Clint Eastwood's gritty western, won the best picture and best director Oscars, but no single film scored a sweep of the 65th annual Academy Awards. In 1994, the Bosnian Serbs stepped up their bombardment of Gorazde, 35 miles southeast of Sarajevo and one of the U.N-designated "safe areas." Also in 1994, Jimmy Johnson, coach of the Super Bowl champion Dallas Cowboys, resigned, in part because of a disagreement over who deserved credit for the Cowboys' success: Johnson or team owner Jerry Jones. In 1995, the House rejected legislation that would've limited how long members of Congress could serve. In 1996, the House Ethics Committee said Speaker Newt Gingrich violated House rules by having close dealings with a wealthy GOP giver who had business interests affected by congressional legislation. It was the third time in two months the panel had notified Gingrich that he'd broken the rules. In 1997, Israeli troops killed a Palestinian in a confrontation triggered by preparations to build another Jewish settlement in Arab East Jerusalem. In 1999, the Connecticut Huskies won their first NCAA men's basketball championship, beating the Duke Blue Devils, 77-74.

March 30, 2000 In 1923, the Cunard liner "Laconia" arrived in New York City, becoming the first passenger ship to circumnavigate the world, a cruise of 130 days. An attempt on the life of President Reagan took place on this date in 1981. The president was shot and seriously wounded by John Hinckley Jr. outside a Washington hotel. White House news secretary James Brady, a Secret Service agent and a Washington policeman also were wounded - Brady was left paralyzed and in a wheelchair by the incident. Hinckley, who was arrested at the scene, was later found NOT guilty by reason of insanity and remains institutionalized in a Washington, D.C., hospital. In 1990, Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus vetoed a restrictive abortion bill, ending the anti-abortion forces' goal of giving Supreme Court a chance to overturn Roe vs. Wade. In 1992, "The Silence of the Lambs" swept the 64th annual Academy Awards, including best picture, best director, best actor for Anthony Hopkins and best actress for Jodie Foster. In 1993, a two-state custody battle over a 2-year-old girl took a dramatic turn when the Michigan Court of Appeals ordered the child who'd been living with her custodial parents in Michigan since shortly after birth returned to her biological parents in Iowa. Also in 1993, after 43 years, the unthinkable happened on the comic pages -- Charlie Brown was a hero when he hit a homerun and his baseball team won for the first time. In 1995, the compromise "don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue" policy allowing homosexuals to serve in the military under certain conditions was struck down by a federal judge in New York as unconstitutional. In 1997, House Speaker Newt Gingrich said he warned Chinese leaders that the United States would intervene militarily if China attacked Taiwan. In 1998, Armenian Premier Robert Kocharian was elected president in a run-off election in the former Soviet republic. Also in 1998, the University of Kentucky Wildcats won the NCAA basketball title for the second time in three years and the seventh time overall. In 1999, a jury in Multnomah Co., Ore., awarded $81 million dollars in damages to the family of a smoker who had died from lung cancer. The plaintiff in the case, tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris, promised to appeal. A state judge later reduced the punitive portion of the judgment to $32 million. +------------------ Birthday's ------------------+ Spanish painter Francisco Jose de Goya in 1746 English author Anna Sewell ("Black Beauty") in 1820 English social reformer Charles Booth in 1840 Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh in 1853 Irish dramatist Sean O'Casey in 1880 Former CIA Director Richard Helms and singer Frankie Laine, both in 1913 (age 87) TV host Peter Marshall in 1927 (age 73) Actors Richard Dysart in 1929 (age 71), John Astin in 1930 (age 70) and Warren Beatty in 1937 (age 63) British blues/rock guitarist Eric Clapton in 1945 (age 55) Actor Paul Reiser in 1957 (age 43) Canadian pop singer Celine Dion in 1968 (age 32)

Music History March 30, 2000 In 1963, the Chiffons topped the Billboard Hot-100 singles chart with "He's So Fine." In 1966, 85 unruly fans were arrested after a Rolling Stones concert in Paris. In 1967, the Beatles photographed what became the unusual front cover of the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album. In 1976, punk music was launched in London when the Sex Pistols performed at the 100 Club. In 1978, Paul Simenon and Nicky Headon of The Clash were arrested for shooting pigeons. In 1984, Greg Lake left Asia -- to be replaced by John Wetton, whom Lake had earlier replaced. In 1987, Herbie Hancock won the best original score Oscar for "Round Midnight." "Take My Breath Away" from "Top Gun" won for best original song. Also in 1987, Duane Allen of the Oak Ridge Boys said William Lee Golden had been kicked out of the group because he "hated" the other members. Golden would later return to the fold. In 1987, Blue Note musicians -- including Dexter Gordon, Bobby McFerrin, McCoy Tyner and Freddie Hubbard -- wrote an open letter against home taping. The letter was included in the label's new releases. In 1994, Madonna made a foulmouthed appearance on David Letterman's "Late Show" --causing CBS censors to bleep her numerous times.