Today In History
Today is Saturday, March 6, the 65th day of 2021. There are 300 days left in the year.
TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT
› 1857: The U.S. Supreme Court, in Dred Scott v. Sandford, ruled 7-2 that Scott, a slave, was not an American citizen and therefore could not sue for his freedom in federal court.
ON THIS DATE
› 1836: The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, fell as Mexican forces led by General Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna stormed the fortress after a 13-day siege; the battle claimed the lives of all the Texan defenders, nearly 200 strong, including William Travis, James Bowie and Davy Crockett.
› 1964: Heavyweight boxing champion Cassius Clay officially changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
› 1981: Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time as principal anchorman of “The CBS Evening News.”
› 1987: The first “Lethal Weapon” movie, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, was released by Warner Bros.
› 2015: During a town hall at South Carolina’s Benedict College, President Barack Obama said racial discrimination by police in Ferguson, Missouri, was “oppressive and abusive” as he called for criminal justice reform as part of the modern struggle for civil rights.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS
Former FBI and CIA director William Webster is 97. Former Sen. Christopher “Kit” Bond, R-Mo., is 82. Actor-writer Joanna Miles is 81. Actor Ben Murphy is 79. Opera singer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa is 77. Rock musician Hugh Grundy (The Zombies) is 76. Rock singer-musician David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) is 75. Actor Anna Maria Horsford is
74. Actor-director Rob Reiner is 74. Singer Kiki Dee is 74. TV consumer reporter John Stossel is
74. Rock musician Chris Broderick (Megadeth) is 51. Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal is 49. Country singer Trent Willmon is 48. Rapper Beanie Sigel is 47. Rapper Bubba Sparxxx is 44. Actor Shaun Evans is 41. Rock musician Chris Tomson (Vampire Weekend) is 37. MLB pitcher Jake Arrieta is 35. Actor Eli Marienthal is
35. Actor Jimmy Galeota is 35. Rapper/producer Tyler, the Creator is 30. Actor Dillon Freasier is
25. Actor Savannah Stehlin is 25. Actor Millicent Simmonds (Film: “Wonderstruck”) is 18.