NEA DATEBOOK

Today is the 61st day of 2023 and the 72nd day of winter.

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1836, Texas declared its independence from Mexico.

In 1877, the U.S. Congress declared Rutherford B. Hayes the winner of the 1876 presidential election, despite the fact that Samuel J. Tilden had won the popular vote.

In 1917, the Jones-Shafroth Act was enacted, granting U.S. citizenship to the people of Puerto Rico.

In 1969, the Concorde supersonic airliner flew (at subsonic speeds) for the first time.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Sam Houston (1793-1863), soldier/politician; Dr. Seuss (Theodor Geisel) (1904-1991), author; Mel Ott (1909-1958), baseball player; Desi Arnaz (1917-1986), actor/musician; Tom Wolfe (1930-2018), author/journalist; Mikhail Gorbachev (1931-2022), former Soviet leader; John Irving (1942- ), author; Jon Bon Jovi (1962- ), singer-songwriter; Daniel Craig (1968- ), actor; Method Man (1971- ), rapper/actor; Chris Martin (1977- ), singersongwriter; Rebel Wilson (1980- ), actress; Bryce Dallas Howard (1981- ), actress; Ben Roethlisberger (1982- ), football player.

TODAY’S FACT: “King Kong,” which opened at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on this day in 1933, was made for about $672,000 ($15 million in today’s dollars). The 2017 reboot, “Kong: Skull Island,” cost $185 million to produce.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1962, Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors set the NBA single-game scoring record with 100 points in a win over the New York Knicks.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “It is hard work and great art to make life not so serious.” — John Irving, “The Hotel New Hampshire”

TODAY’S NUMBER: 27 — publishing companies that rejected the manuscript of Dr. Seuss’ first book for children, “And To Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street.”

TODAY’S MOON: Between first quarter moon (Feb. 27) and full moon (March 7).