DAILY ALMANAC
Today is Friday, March 19, the 78th day of 2021. There are 287 days left in the year.
On this date in:
1931: Nevada Gov. Fred B. Balzar signed a measure legalizing casino gambling.
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.
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 so-called “Nero Decree,” which was largely disregarded.
1962: Bob Dylan’s first album, titled “Bob Dylan,” was released by Columbia Records.
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.
1977: The series finale of “Mary Tyler Moore” aired on CBS-TV, ending the situation comedy’s seven-season run.
1979: The U.S. House of Representatives began televising its floor proceedings; the live feed was carried by CSPAN (Cable-satellite Public Affairs Network), which was making its debut.
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.
1991: Polish President Lech Walesa arrived in Washington for his first state visit to the United States.
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.)
2003: President George W. Bush ordered the start of war against Iraq. (Because of the time difference, it was early March 20 in Iraq.)
2014: Toyota agreed to pay $1.2 billion to settle an investigation by the U.S. government, admitting that it had hidden information about defects that caused Toyota and Lexus vehicles to accelerate unexpectedly, resulting in injuries and deaths.
2013: Pope Francis officially began his ministry as the 266th pope.
Actor Renee Taylor (“The Nanny”) is 88. Actor Ursula Andress (“Dr. No,” “Casino Royale”) is 85. Singer Clarence “Frogman” Henry is 84. Singer Ruth Pointer of the Pointer Sisters is 75. Actor Glenn Close is 74. Film producer Harvey Weinstein is 69. Actor
Bruce Willis is 66. Actor
Mary Scheer (“icarly,” “MADTV”) is 58. Actor
Connor Trinneer (“Star Trek: Enterprise”) is 52. Guitarist-keyboardist
Gert Bettens of K’s Choice is 51. Rapper Bun B of UGK is 48. Drummer Zach Lind of Jimmy Eat World is 45. Actor
Virginia Williams (“Fuller House”) is 43. Actor Abby Brammell (“The Unit”) is 42. Actor Craig Lamar Traylor (“Malcolm in the Middle”) is 32. Actor Philip Bolden (“Are We There Yet?”) is 26.