On this day, March 1

1781 The Continental Congress declared the Articles of Confederation to be in force, following ratification by Maryland.

1847 The Joseph Woodwell Co., situated at Second Avenue and Wood Street, opened its doors to the public.

1920 The U.S. Supreme Court declined to dissolve the United States Steel Corp. and its subsidiary companies as asked by the federal government in a suit alleging violation of antitrust laws.

1974 Seven people — including former Nixon White House aides H.R. Haldeman and John D. Ehrlichman, former Attorney General John Mitchell and former Assistant Attorney General Robert Mardian — were indicted on charges of conspiring to obstruct justice in connection with the Watergate break-in. (These four defendants were convicted in January 1975, although Mardian’s conviction was later reversed.)

2000 In Wilkinsburg, a racially motivated shooting spree by Ronald Taylor killed two.

2019 In an effort to defuse a dramatic escalation between the nuclear-armed neighbors over the disputed region of Kashmir, Pakistan handed over a captured Indian air force pilot to Indian officials at a border crossing.

Some items are from Stefan Lorant’s “Pittsburgh: The Story of an American City” (digital.library.pitt.edu/chronology). — Compiled by Rick Nowlin

Today’s birthdays: Actor Robert Clary, 94. Singer/actor Harry Belafonte, 93. Rock singer Mike D’Abo (Manfred Mann), 76. Former Sen. John Breaux, D-La., 76. Rock singer Roger Daltrey, 76. Actor Dirk Benedict, 75. Actor-director Ron Howard, 66. Actress Catherine Bach, 65. Actor Tim Daly, 64. Actor George Eads, 53. Pop singer Kesha, 33. Pop singer Justin Bieber, 26. Thought for today: “The only sense that is common in the long run, is the sense of change — and we all instinctively avoid it.” — E.B. White, American writer (1899-1985)