Today in History

  • Monday, March 8, 2010 10:27pm
  • Life

Today is Tuesday, March 9, the 68th day of 2010. There are 297 days left in the year.

TODAY’S HIGHLIGHT

On March 9, 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimac) clashed for five hours to a draw at Hampton Roads, Va.

ON THIS DATE

In 1796, the future emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte, married Josephine de Beauharnais. (The couple later divorced.)

In 1916, Mexican raiders led by Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, N.M., killing 18 Americans.

In 1945, during World War II, U.S. B-29 bombers launched incendiary bomb attacks against Japan, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths.

In 1954, CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow critically reviewed Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy’s anti-Communism campaign on “See It Now.”

In 1959, Mattel’s Barbie doll, created by Ruth Handler, made its public debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.

In 1964, the Supreme Court, in New York Times Co. vs. Sullivan, ruled that public officials who charged they’d been libeled by news reports could not recover damages unless they proved actual malice on the part of the news organization.

In 2000, John McCain suspended his presidential campaign, conceding the Republican nomination to George W. Bush. Bill Bradley ended his presidential bid, conceding the Democratic nomination to Vice President Al Gore.

In 2005, Michael Jackson’s young accuser took the witness stand, saying he once considered the pop star being tried for allegedly molesting him “the coolest guy in the world.” (Jackson was later acquitted.) Dan Rather signed off for the last time as principal anchorman of “The CBS Evening News.”

In 2009, President Barack Obama lifted George W. Bush-era limits on using federal dollars for embryonic stem cell research.

Associated Press

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