Saturday, March 11, 2023 Today is the 70th day of 2023 and the 81st day of winter.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1861, delegates from seven states adopted the Constitution of the Confederate States of America.

In 1888, the “Great Blizzard of ‘88” struck the Northeastern United States, killing more than 400 people.

In 2004, 191 people were killed when terrorist bombs exploded on rush-hour commuter trains in Madrid.

In 2011, a magnitude 9.03 undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami that struck Japan, killing nearly 16,000 people and causing meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

In 2020, the World Health Organization officially announced the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Lawrence Welk (1903-1992), bandleader; Ralph Abernathy (1926-1990), civil rights leader; Rupert Murdoch (1931- ), business leader; Sam Donaldson (1934- ), TV journalist; Antonin Scalia (19362016), U.S. Supreme Court justice; Douglas Adams (19522001), author; Peter Berg (1964- ), actor/filmmaker; Terrence Howard (1969- ), actor; Johnny Knoxville (1971- ), actor; Thora Birch (1982- ), actress; Anton Yelchin (19892016), actor; Anthony Davis (1993- ), basketball player.

TODAY’S FACT: According to Forbes, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch’s net worth was $18 billion as of late February 2023.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1979, Randy Holt of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings was penalized nine times for a record total of 67 minutes.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools.” -- Douglas Adams, “Mostly Harmless” TODAY’S NUMBER: 44 countries that received the $50 billion in funds and military goods made available under the Lend-Lease Act, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on this day in 1941.

TODAY’S MOON: Between full moon (March 7) and last quarter moon (March 14).

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Today is the 71st day of 2023 and the 82nd day of winter.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1912, the Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the USA) was founded in Savannah, Georgia.

In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi and more than 70 supporters began a 240-mile march protesting the British salt tax.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman introduced the “Truman Doctrine,” a policy that provided military and economic aid to Greece and Turkey to prevent the spread of communism.

In 2002, the U.N. Security Council approved Resolution 1397, endorsing the creation of a Palestinian state.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Elaine de Kooning (1918-1989), artist/critic; Jack Kerouac (1922-1969), author; Edward Albee (1928-2016), playwright; Andrew Young (1932- ) activist/ politician; Liza Minnelli (1946- ), actress/singer; Mitt Romney (1947- ), politician; James Taylor (1948- ), singer- songwriter; Courtney B. Vance (1960- ), actor; Darryl Strawberry (1962- ), baseball player; Aaron Eckhart (1968), actor; Jaimie Alexander (1984- ), actress; Christina Grimmie (1994-2016), singersongwriter.

TODAY’S FACT: Former President Harry S. Truman was the holder of Medicare card No. 1, which President Lyndon Johnson symbolically presented to Truman on the passing of Medicare legislation in 1965.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1966, Bobby Hull scored his 51st goal, becoming the first NHL player to tally more than 50 goals in a season and leading his Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “Sometimes it’s necessary to go a long distance out of the way in order to come back a short distance correctly.” -- Edward Albee, “The Zoo Story” TODAY’S NUMBER: $18 billion -- losses suffered by investors in the massive Ponzi scheme perpetuated by stockbroker Bernie Madoff, who pleaded guilty to 11 federal felonies on this day in 2009.

TODAY’S MOON: Between full moon (March 7) and last quarter moon (March 14).

Monday, March 13, 2023

Today is the 72nd day of 2023 and the 83rd day of winter.

T ODAY’S HISTORY: In 1781, German-born astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.

In 1865, the Confederacy approved the use of slave troops against Union armies.

In 1925, a law prohibiting the teaching of evolution went into effect in Tennessee.

In 1991, the U.S. Justice Dept. announced that Exxon had agreed to pay $1 billion to settle all claims resulting from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

In 2013, Pope Francis was elected the 266th pope of the Catholic Church.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Percival Lowell (1855-1916), astronomer; Giorgos Seferis (1900-1971), poet; Walter Annenberg (1908-2002), publisher/ philanthropist; Sammy Kaye (1910-1987), bandleader; L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986), author/Church of Scientology founder; Al Jaffee (1921- ), cartoonist; Neil Sedaka (1939), singer-songwriter; William H. Macy (1950- ), actor; Dana Delany (1956- ), actress; Common (1972- ), rapper/actor; Johan Santana (1979- ), baseball player; Emile Hirsch (1985- ), actor.

TODAY’S FACT: The 27 known moons of Uranus are named after characters from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1960, the NFL approved the relocation of the Chicago Cardinals franchise to St. Louis.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “You will not be satisfied unless you are contributing something to or for the benefit of others.” -- Walter Annenberg TODAY’S NUMBER: 14.5 length in miles of the undersea portion of the Seikan Tunnel in Japan, which opened this day in 1988.

TODAY’S MOON: Between full moon (March 7) and last quarter moon (March 14).