On this day, March 14

1789 The first Court of Common Pleas in Allegheny County convened in Andrew Watson’s tavern.

1933 Thirty-three banking institutions in Pittsburgh reopened for normal business activity and were crowded all day with thousands of depositors.

1964 A jury in Dallas found Jack Ruby guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, and sentenced him to death. (Both the conviction and death sentence were overturned, but Ruby died before he could be retried.) 1978 Jennifer Lee Wesner, a former topless model, drew the top spot in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania governor.

2001 Inspectors tightened U.S. defenses against foot-and-mouth disease a day after a case was confirmed in France.

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 astronaut Frank Borman, 93. Actor Michael Caine, 88. Composer-conductor Quincy Jones, 88. Actor Raymond J. Barry, 82. Movie director Wolfgang Petersen, 80. Comedian Billy Crystal, 73. Actor-writer-comedian-radio personality Rick Dees, 70. Prince Albert II, the ruler of Monaco, 63. Actor Laila Robins, 62. Pittsburgh native and actor Tamara Tunie, 62. Actor Penny Johnson Jerald, 61. Producer-director-writer Kevin Williamson, 56. Actor Elise Neal, 55. Actor Gary Anthony Williams, 55. Actor Megan Follows, 53. Rock musician Michael Bland, 52. Actor Grace Park, 47. Actor Daniel Gillies, 45. Actor Corey Stoll, 45. Actor Chris Klein, 42. Singer-musician Taylor Hanson (Hanson), 38. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, 37. Actor Jamie Bell, 35. Rock musician Este Haim (Haim), 35. NBA star Stephen Curry, 33. Actor Ansel Elgort, 27. Olympic gold medal gymnast Simone Biles, 24.

Thought for today: “The man who does his work, any work, conscientiously, must always be in one sense a great man.”

— Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, English novelist (1826-1887)