This day in history

[March 02, 2010]  (AP)  Today is Tuesday, March 2, the 61st day of 2010. There are 304 days left in the year.

Today's highlight in history:

On March 2, 1836, the Republic of Texas formally declared its independence from Mexico.

On this date:

In 1793, the first president of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston, was born near Lexington, Va.

In 1877, Republican Rutherford B. Hayes was declared the winner of the 1876 presidential election over Democrat Samuel J. Tilden, even though Tilden had won the popular vote.

In 1899, Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state was established.

In 1917, Puerto Ricans were granted U.S. citizenship as President Woodrow Wilson signed the Jones-Shafroth Act.

In 1930, English author and poet D.H. Lawrence died in Vence, France at age 44.

In 1939, Roman Catholic Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli (puh-CHEL'-ee) was elected pope on his 63rd birthday; he took the name Pius the 12th.

In 1943, the World War II Battle of the Bismarck Sea began; U.S. and Australian warplanes were able to inflict heavy damage on a Japanese convoy.

In 1977, the U.S. House of Representatives adopted a strict code of ethics.

In 1989, representatives from the 12 European Community nations agreed to ban all production of CFC's (chlorofluorocarbons) by the end of the 20th century.

In 1990, more than 6,000 drivers went on strike against Greyhound Lines Inc. (the company, later declaring an impasse in negotiations, fired the strikers).

Ten years ago: Former Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet (pee-noh-CHET') left Britain for his homeland, hours after he was ruled mentally unfit to stand trial on charges of human rights abuses. A federal jury in Washington convicted Maria Hsia (shah), a friend and political supporter of Vice President Al Gore, of arranging more than $100,000 in illegal donations during the 1996 presidential campaign. (Hsia was later sentenced to three months of home confinement.)

Five years ago: The number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq reached 1,500. The woman who'd accused NBA star Kobe Bryant of rape settled her lawsuit against him, ending the case.

One year ago: President Barack Obama appointed Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius to be secretary of health and human services. Soldiers assassinated the president of Guinea-Bissau, Joao Bernardo "Nino" Vieira.

Today's birthdays: Bluegrass singer-musician Doc Watson is 87. Actor John Cullum is 80. Author Tom Wolfe is 80. Former Soviet President Mikhail S. Gorbachev is 79. Actress Barbara Luna is 71. Actor Jon Finch is 69. Author John Irving is 68. Singer Lou Reed is 68. Actress Cassie Yates is 59. Actress Laraine Newman is 58. Sen. Russell Feingold, D-Wisc., is 57. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is 55. Singer Jay Osmond is 55. Pop musician John Cowsill (The Cowsills) is 54. Tennis player Kevin Curren is 52. Country singer Larry Stewart (Restless Heart) is 51. Rock singer Jon Bon Jovi is 48. Blues singer-musician Alvin Youngblood Hart is 47. Actor Daniel Craig is 42. Rock musician Casey (Jimmie's Chicken Shack) is 34. Rock singer Chris Martin (Coldplay) is 33. Actress Heather McComb is 33. Actress Bryce Dallas Howard is 29. NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is 28. Actor Robert Iler ("The Sopranos") is 25.

Thought for today: "The price one pays for pursuing any profession, or calling, is an intimate knowledge of its ugly side." -- James Baldwin, American author (1924-1987)

[Associated Press]

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