March 9
1796 - Napoleon Bonaparte married Josephine de Beauharnais, widow of a former French officer executed during the revolution.
1841 - The U.S. Supreme Court, in United States v. The Amistad, ruled 7-1 in favor of a group of illegally enslaved Africans who were captured off the U.S. coast after seizing control of a Spanish schooner, La Amistad; the justices ruled that the Africans should be set free.
1862 - The first battle between two ironclad ships, the Monitor (Union) and Merrimack (Confederate) occurred during the Civil War, revolutionizing naval warfare.
1916 - More than 400 Mexican raiders led by Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico, killing 18 Americans.
1916 - During World War I, Germany declared war on Portugal.
1933 - The special session of Congress known as the "100 Days" opened, launching President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" programs.
1945 - During Word War II, U.S. B-29 bombers began launching incendiary bomb attacks against Tokyo, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths.
1964 - The U.S. Supreme Court, in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, raised the standard for public officials to prove they had been libeled in their official capacity by news organizations.
1987 - Chrysler Corp. announced it had agreed to buy the financially ailing American Motors Corp.
1989 - The U.S. Senate rejected President George H.W. Bush's nomination of John Tower to be defense secretary by a 53-47 vote. (The next day, Bush tapped Wyoming Rep. Dick Cheney, who went on to win unanimous Senate approval.)
1990 - Dr. Antonia Novello was sworn in as both the first Hispanic and woman to be U.S. surgeon general.
1997 - Gangsta rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) was killed in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; he was 24 years old.
2020 - Global stock markets and oil prices plunged, reflecting mounting alarm over the impact of the coronavirus. An alarmingly sharp slide at the opening bell on Wall Street triggered the first automatic halt in trading in more than two decades; the Dow industrials finished nearly 8% lower.
2021 - Buckingham Palace said allegations of racism made earlier in the week by Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, were “concerning” and would be addressed privately by the royal family.
Birthdays
19 - Suni Lee (gymnast)
23 - Charly Jordan (model)
27 - Sanne Vloet (model)
27 - Cierra Ramirez (actress)
35 - Bow Wow (rapper)
35 - Stacey Dooley (journalist)
36 - Brittany Snow (actress)
39 - Maite Perroni (actress)
42 - Matthew Gray Gubler (actor)
43 - Jordan Klepper (comedian)
43 - Oscar Isaac (actor)
50 - Kerr Smith (actor)
50 - Jean Louisa Kelly (actress)
51 - Emmanuel Lewis (actor)
58 - Juliette Binoche (actress)
58 - Steve Wilkos (TV host)
63 - Tom Amandes (actor)
64 - Linda Fiorentino (actress)
65 - Faith Daniels (newscaster)
73 - Jaime Lyn Bauer (actress)
79 - Charles Gibson (news anchor)
80 - Mark Lindsay (singer)
81 - Trish Van Devere (actress)
88 - Joyce Van Patten (actress)
==============================
Today in Sports History - March 9
1929 - Eric Krenz became the first athlete to toss the discus over 160 feet.
1936 - Babe Ruth turns down an offer from the Cincinnati Reds to return to baseball as a player.
1946 - Ted Williams turns down a $500,000 offer to play in the Mexican Baseball League.
1958 - George Yardley (Detroit Pistons) became the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season. He did it in 72 games.
1961 - Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 67 points in a win over the New York Knicks.
1979 - MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn orders all baseball clubs to give equal access to female reporters.
1980 - Gordie Howe and his two sons skated on a line together for the Hartford Whalers. National Hockey League history was made when the event occurred about midway through a game against the Boston Bruins.
1984 - Tim Witherspoon won a 12-round decision over Greg Pane to claim the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship.
1995 - MLB awards an expansion franchise to Tampa, Florida (Devil Rays).
1796 - Napoleon Bonaparte married Josephine de Beauharnais, widow of a former French officer executed during the revolution.
1841 - The U.S. Supreme Court, in United States v. The Amistad, ruled 7-1 in favor of a group of illegally enslaved Africans who were captured off the U.S. coast after seizing control of a Spanish schooner, La Amistad; the justices ruled that the Africans should be set free.
1862 - The first battle between two ironclad ships, the Monitor (Union) and Merrimack (Confederate) occurred during the Civil War, revolutionizing naval warfare.
1916 - More than 400 Mexican raiders led by Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico, killing 18 Americans.
1916 - During World War I, Germany declared war on Portugal.
1933 - The special session of Congress known as the "100 Days" opened, launching President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" programs.
1945 - During Word War II, U.S. B-29 bombers began launching incendiary bomb attacks against Tokyo, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths.
1964 - The U.S. Supreme Court, in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, raised the standard for public officials to prove they had been libeled in their official capacity by news organizations.
1987 - Chrysler Corp. announced it had agreed to buy the financially ailing American Motors Corp.
1989 - The U.S. Senate rejected President George H.W. Bush's nomination of John Tower to be defense secretary by a 53-47 vote. (The next day, Bush tapped Wyoming Rep. Dick Cheney, who went on to win unanimous Senate approval.)
1990 - Dr. Antonia Novello was sworn in as both the first Hispanic and woman to be U.S. surgeon general.
1997 - Gangsta rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace) was killed in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; he was 24 years old.
2020 - Global stock markets and oil prices plunged, reflecting mounting alarm over the impact of the coronavirus. An alarmingly sharp slide at the opening bell on Wall Street triggered the first automatic halt in trading in more than two decades; the Dow industrials finished nearly 8% lower.
2021 - Buckingham Palace said allegations of racism made earlier in the week by Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, were “concerning” and would be addressed privately by the royal family.
Birthdays
19 - Suni Lee (gymnast)
23 - Charly Jordan (model)
27 - Sanne Vloet (model)
27 - Cierra Ramirez (actress)
35 - Bow Wow (rapper)
35 - Stacey Dooley (journalist)
36 - Brittany Snow (actress)
39 - Maite Perroni (actress)
42 - Matthew Gray Gubler (actor)
43 - Jordan Klepper (comedian)
43 - Oscar Isaac (actor)
50 - Kerr Smith (actor)
50 - Jean Louisa Kelly (actress)
51 - Emmanuel Lewis (actor)
58 - Juliette Binoche (actress)
58 - Steve Wilkos (TV host)
63 - Tom Amandes (actor)
64 - Linda Fiorentino (actress)
65 - Faith Daniels (newscaster)
73 - Jaime Lyn Bauer (actress)
79 - Charles Gibson (news anchor)
80 - Mark Lindsay (singer)
81 - Trish Van Devere (actress)
88 - Joyce Van Patten (actress)
==============================
Today in Sports History - March 9
1929 - Eric Krenz became the first athlete to toss the discus over 160 feet.
1936 - Babe Ruth turns down an offer from the Cincinnati Reds to return to baseball as a player.
1946 - Ted Williams turns down a $500,000 offer to play in the Mexican Baseball League.
1958 - George Yardley (Detroit Pistons) became the first NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season. He did it in 72 games.
1961 - Wilt Chamberlain of the Philadelphia Warriors scores 67 points in a win over the New York Knicks.
1979 - MLB Commissioner Bowie Kuhn orders all baseball clubs to give equal access to female reporters.
1980 - Gordie Howe and his two sons skated on a line together for the Hartford Whalers. National Hockey League history was made when the event occurred about midway through a game against the Boston Bruins.
1984 - Tim Witherspoon won a 12-round decision over Greg Pane to claim the World Boxing Council heavyweight championship.
1995 - MLB awards an expansion franchise to Tampa, Florida (Devil Rays).
