This day in history

[March 03, 2009]  (AP)  Today is Tuesday, March 3, the 62nd day of 2009. There are 303 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a measure making "The Star-Spangled Banner" the national anthem of the United States.

On this date:

In 1845, Florida became the 27th state.

In 1849, the U.S. Department of the Interior was established.

In 1887, Anne Sullivan arrived at the Tuscumbia, Ala., home of Captain and Mrs. Arthur H. Keller to become the teacher for their blind and deaf 6-year-old daughter, Helen.

In 1894, British Prime Minister William Gladstone submitted his resignation to Queen Victoria, ending his fourth and final premiership.

In 1918, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, the Ottoman Empire and Russia signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, which ended Russian participation in World War I.

In 1945, the Allies fully secured the Philippine capital of Manila from Japanese forces during World War II.

In 1959, the United States launched the Pioneer 4 spacecraft, which flew by the moon. Comedian Lou Costello died of a heart attack in East Los Angeles, Calif., three days before his 53rd birthday.

In 1969, Apollo 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy, Fla., on a mission to test the lunar module.

In 1974, a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris, killing all 346 people on board.

In 1991, motorist Rodney King was severely beaten by Los Angeles police officers in a scene captured on amateur video. Twenty-five people were killed when a United Airlines Boeing 737-200 crashed while approaching the Colorado Springs, Colo., airport.

Ten years ago: The Supreme Court ruled that public schools had to finance one-on-one nursing care for some disabled students throughout the school day. Monica Lewinsky, in an ABC interview timed to coincide with the publication of her book, recounted for Barbara Walters some of the fondest, as well as most painful, aspects of her relationship with President Bill Clinton.

Five years ago: Multnomah County, Ore., began issuing same-sex marriage licenses. The Walt Disney Co.'s board voted to strip Michael Eisner of his chairman's post while retaining him as CEO.

One year ago: Democrat Barack Obama said his campaign had never given Canada back-channel assurances that his harsh words about the North American Free Trade Agreement were for political show, despite a Canadian memo indicating otherwise. A gunman opened fire inside a Wendy's restaurant in West Palm Beach, Fla., killing a paramedic who'd gone back to fetch a missing meal toy for his child; the gunman wounded five others before turning the gun on himself. Operatic tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano died in Santa Maria Hoe, Italy, at age 86.

Today's birthdays: Socialite Lee Radziwill is 76. Movie producer-director George Miller is 64. Actress Hattie Winston is 64. Singer Jennifer Warnes is 62. Actor-director Tim Kazurinsky is 59. Singer-musician Robyn Hitchcock is 56. Rock musician John Lilley is 55. Actress Miranda Richardson is 51. Radio personality Ira Glass is 50. Actress Mary Page Keller is 48. Olympic track and field gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee is 47. Football player Herschel Walker is 47. Rapper-actor Tone-Loc is 43. Rock musician John Bigham is 40. Actress Julie Bowen is 39. Country singer Brett Warren (The Warren Brothers) is 38. Actor David Faustino is 35. Singer Ronan Keating (Boyzone) is 32. Rapper Lil' Flip is 28. Actress Jessica Biel is 27.

Thought for today: "A good man can be stupid and still be good. But a bad man must have brains." -- Maxim Gorky, Russian writer (1868-1936)

[Associated Press]

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