Today is Saturday, March 6, the 65th day of 2021. There are 300 days left in the year.
Today’s Highlight in History:
On March 6, 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:
In 1475, Italian artist and poet Michelangelo was born in Caprese in the Republic of Florence.
In 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.
In 1853, Verdi’s opera “La Traviata” premiered in Venice, Italy.
In 1944, U.S. heavy bombers staged the first full-scale American raid on Berlin during World War II.
In 1962, what became known as the Ash Wednesday Storm began pounding the mid-Atlantic coast; over a three-day period, the storm resulted in 40 deaths and caused more than $200 million in property damage.
In 1964, heavyweight boxing champion Cassius Clay officially changed his name to Muhammad Ali.
In 1970, a bomb being built inside a Greenwich Village townhouse by the radical Weathermen accidentally went off, destroying the house and killing three group members.
In 1973, Nobel Prize-winning author Pearl S. Buck, 80, died in Danby, Vermont.
In 1981, Walter Cronkite signed off for the last time as principal anchorman of “The CBS Evening News.”
In 1987, the first “Lethal Weapon” movie, starring Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, was released by Warner Bros.
In 2002, Independent Counsel Robert Ray issued his final report in which he wrote that former President Bill Clinton could have been indicted and probably would have been convicted in the scandal involving former White House intern Monica Lewinsky.
In 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.
Ten years ago: The space shuttle and space station crews hugged goodbye after more than a week together, but saved their most heartfelt farewell for Discovery, which was on its final voyage after nearly three decades.
Five years ago: Former first lady Nancy Reagan died in Los Angeles at age 94. Former President Jimmy Carter announced he no longer needed treatment for cancer, less than seven months after revealing he’d been diagnosed with melanoma that spread to his brain. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders tangled aggressively in a Democratic presidential debate in Flint, Michigan, over trade, Wall Street influence and more.
One year ago: The number of people infected by the coronavirus worldwide reached 100,000, with more than 3,400 dead. President Donald Trump signed a $8.3 billion measure to help tackle the coronavirus outbreak; it included money for vaccines, tests and potential treatments. Vice President Mike Pence said 21 people on a cruise ship being held off San Francisco had tested positive for the coronavirus. The president announced a major staff overhaul, replacing acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney with Republican Rep. Mark Meadows. The family of jazz pianist McCoy Tyner announced that Tyner, the last surviving member of the John Coltrane Quartet, had died at the age of 81. Former hockey star Henri Richard, who won a record 11 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, died at 84.
Today’s Birthdays: Former FBI and CIA director William Webster is 97. Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan is 95. Dancer-actor Carmen de Lavallade is 90. Former Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova is 84. 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. Composer-lyricist Stephen Schwartz is 73. Rock singer-musician Phil Alvin (The Blasters) is 68. Sports correspondent Armen Keteyian is 68. Actor Tom Arnold is 62. Actor D.L. Hughley is 58. Country songwriter Skip Ewing is 57. Actor Shuler Hensley is 54. Actor Connie Britton is 54. Actor Moira Kelly is 53. Actor Amy Pietz is 52. 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.
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