On this day, March 27

1513 Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sighted presentday Florida.

1879 The Pittsburgh and West End Railway Co. was chartered; it ran a line from Fifth Avenue near the Union Station to West End and the Washington Turnpike.

1940 David L. Lawrence and seven other state Democratic leaders went on trial in Harrisburg on charges of conspiring to “mace” state payrolls — forcing employees to make political contributions; the original charges were made by ex-Attorney General Charles J. Margiotti. (On April 12, Lawrence and his co-defendants were acquitted by a Dauphin County Court jury.)

1964 Alaska was hit by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake — the strongest on record in North America — and tsunamis that together claimed about 130 lives.

2019 Facebook said it was extending its ban on hate speech to prohibit the promotion and support of white nationalism and white separatism.

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

— Compiled by Alyssa Brown

Today’s birthdays: Actor Jerry Lacy, 85. Hall of Fame racer Cale Yarborough, 82. Actor Michael York, 79. Rock musician Tony Banks (Genesis), 71. Rock musician Andrew Farriss (INXS), 62. Jazz musician Dave Koz, 58. Movie director Quentin Tarantino, 58. Rock musician Derrick McKenzie (Jamiroquai), 57. Rock musician Johnny April (Staind), 56. Actor Talisa Soto, 54. Actor Ben Koldyke, 53. Actor Pauley Perrette, 52. Singer Mariah Carey, 51. Rock musician Brendan Hill (Blues Traveler), 51. Actor Elizabeth Mitchell, 51. Actor Nathan Fillion, 50. Hip-hop singer Fergie, 46. Jazz musician Tia Fuller, 45. MLB catcher Buster Posey, 34. Actor Brenda Song, 33. Pop singer-songwriter Kimbra, 31.

Thought for today: “Often the test of courage is not to die but to live.”

— Vittorio Alfieri, Italian dramatist (1749-1803)