TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
On March 19, 2013, Pope Francis officially began his ministry as the 266th pope, receiving the ring symbolizing the papacy and a wool stole exemplifying his role as shepherd of his 1.2-billion strong flock during a Mass at the Vatican.
ON THIS DATE
In 1931, Nevada Gov. Fred B. Balzar signed a measure legalizing casino gambling.
In 1942, during World War
II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ordered men between the ages of 45 and 64, inclusive, to register for non-military duty.
In 1945, during World War II, 724 people were killed when a Japanese dive bomber attacked the carrier USS Franklin off Japan (the ship was saved). Adolf Hitler ordered the destruction of German facilities that could fall into Allied hands in his socalled “Nero Decree,” which was largely disregarded.
In 1962, Bob Dylan’s first album, titled “Bob Dylan,” was released by Columbia Records.
In 1966, the Texas Western Miners defeated the heavily favored Kentucky Wildcats, 72-65, to win the NCAA Championship played in College Park, Maryland; making the contest especially noteworthy was that Texas Western became the first basketball team to start five Black players in a national title game as it faced an all-white Kentucky squad. In 1977, the series finale of “Mary Tyler Moore” aired on CBS-TV, ending the situation comedy’s seven-season run. In 1979, the U.S. House of Representatives began televising its floor proceedings; the live feed was carried by C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network), which was making its debut.
In 1987, televangelist
Jim Bakker resigned as chairman of his PTL ministry organization amid a sex and money scandal involving Jessica Hahn, a former church secretary.
In 1991, Polish President Lech Walesa arrived in Washington for his first state visit to the United States.
In 1993, Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White announced plans to retire. (White’s departure paved the way for Ruth Bader Ginsburg to become the court’s second female justice.)
In 2003, President George W. Bush ordered the start of war against Iraq. (Because of the time difference, it was early March 20 in Iraq.)
One year ago: Italy’s coronavirus death toll surged past 3,400, surpassing
China’s; worldwide deaths topped 10,000. President Donald Trump focused attention on a malaria drug, chloroquine, as a possible virus treatment; the FDA issued a statement saying that there were “no FDA-approved therapeutics” to treat COVID-19. In a conference call, governors told Trump that their states were in immediate need of federal help to contain the virus. Trump called on states to do more to acquire masks, ventilators and testing supplies, saying that the federal government is not a“shipping clerk.”Trump called off the G-7 meeting that had been scheduled at Camp David in June. The State Department issued a new alert urging Americans not to travel abroad under any circumstances.