Today in history

Today is Tuesday, March 13, the 72nd day of 2018 and the 83rd day of winter.

Today’s Highlights in History: In 1781, German-born astronomer William Herschel

discovered the planet Uranus. In 1865, the Confederacy approved the use of slave troops

against the Union armies. In 1925, a law prohibiting the teaching of evolution went

into effect in Tennessee. In 1991, the U.S. Justice Dept. announced that Exxon had agreed to pay $1 billion to settle all claims resulting from the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska. In 2013, Pope Francis was elected 266th pope of the Catholic Church.

Today’s fact: The 27 known moons of Uranus are named after characters from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.

Today’s sports: In 1960, the NFL approved the relocation of the Chicago Cardinals franchise to St. Louis.

Today’s number: 14.5 – length in miles of the undersea portion of the Seikan Tunnel in Japan, the longest and deepest operational rail tunnel in the world, which opened this day in 1988.

Today’s moon: Between last quarter moon (March 9) and new moon (March 17).