Today in history

Today is Wednesday, March 20, the 79th day of 2019 and the first day of spring.

Today’s Highlights in History: In 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe’s anti-slavery novel, “Uncle Tom’s Cabin,” was published.

In 1952, the U.S. Senate ratified a peace treaty returning sovereignty to Japan.

In 1987, the FDA approved AZT, a drug shown to delay the development of AIDS.

In 1995, members of the Japanese cult Aum Shinrikyo released sarin gas into the Tokyo Metro subway system, killing 13 and injuring more than 1,000.

In 2003, the United States and a coalition of allied states began military operations in Iraq.

Today’s Fact: The constitution of Japan, adopted in 1947, forbids the country from participating in wars.

Today’s Sports: In 1934, Mildred “Babe” Didrikson pitched one inning of exhibition baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics in a game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. She allowed one walk and no hits.

Today’s Quote: “I hold that man is in the right who is most closely in league with the future.” — Henrik Ibsen

Today’s Number: 542 — length (in feet) of the USS Langley, commissioned on this day in 1922 as the first U.S. Navy aircraft carrier. The USS Gerald R. Ford, a supercarrier commissioned into the Navy’s fleet in 2017, is 1,106 feet long.

Today’s Moon: Full moon (March 20).