On this day, March 17
1901 All exposition buildings near the Point, excepting Machinery Hall, were destroyed by fire. They were soon replaced by new structures.
1936 Pittsburgh’s Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood began as the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers and their tributaries, swollen by rain and melted snow, started exceeding flood stage; the high water was blamed for more than 60 deaths.
1947 Ben Moreell, Chief of the United States Navy Bureau of Yards and Docks in World War II and organizer and commander of the construction battalions — the famed “Seabees” — was elected president and chairman of the board of Jones & Laughlin. 1970 The United States cast its first veto in the U.N. Security Council, killing a resolution that would have condemned Britain for failing to use force to overthrow the white-ruled government of Rhodesia.
2009 Steelers owner Dan Rooney was nominated by President Obama to be the ambassador to Ireland.
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: Former national chairwoman of the NAACP Myrlie Evers-Williams, 87. Former astronaut Ken Mattingly, 84. Singer-songwriter Jim Weatherly, 77. Singer-songwriter John Sebastian (The Lovin’ Spoonful), 76. Former NSA Director and former CIA Director Michael Hayden, 75. Rock musician Harold Brown (War; Lowrider Band), 74. Actor Patrick Duffy, 71. Actor Kurt Russell, 69. Country singer Susie Allanson, 68. Actress Lesley-Anne Down, 66. Actor Mark Boone Jr., 65. Country singer Paul Overstreet, 65. Actor Arye Gross, 60. Actress Vicki Lewis, 60. Actor Casey Siemaszko, 59. Writer-director Rob Sitch, 58. Actor Rob Lowe, 56. Rock singer Billy Corgan, 53. Rock musician Van Conner (Screaming Trees), 53. Actor Mathew St. Patrick, 52. Actor Yanic Truesdale, 51. Rock musician Melissa Auf der Maur, 48. Olympic gold medal soccer player Mia Hamm, 48. Rock musician Caroline Corr (The Corrs), 47. Actress Amelia Heinle, 47. Country singer Keifer Thompson (Thompson Square), 47. Actress Marisa Coughlan, 46. Rapper Swifty (D12), 45. Actress Natalie Zea (zee), 45. Sports reporter Tracy Wolfson, 45. TV personality Rob Kardashian (TV: “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”), 33. Pop/rock singer-songwriter Hozier, 30. Actress Eliza Hope Bennett, 28. Actor John Boyega, 28. Olympic gold medal swimmer Katie Ledecky, 23.
Thought for today: “May your neighbors respect you, trouble neglect you, the angels protect you, and heaven accept you.”