Today in History

Today is Saturday, March 3, the 63rd day of 2012. There are 303 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution 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 1923, Time magazine, founded by Briton Hadden and Henry R. Luce, made its debut.

In 1940, Artie Shaw and his orchestra recorded "Frenesi" for RCA Victor.

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

In 1961, King Hassan II acceded to the throne of Morocco, following the death of his father, King Mohammed V.

In 1969, Apollo 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy 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 1987, comedian Danny Kaye died in Los Angeles at age 74.

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 airport.

Ten years ago: Voters in Switzerland approved joining the United Nations, abandoning almost 200 years of formal neutrality. Country songwriter Harlan Howard, whose hits included "I Fall to Pieces" and "Busted," died in Nashville at age 74.

Five years ago: President George W. Bush handed out hugs to residents who survived killer tornadoes that ripped through Alabama and Georgia and offered encouraging words at Enterprise High School, where students were grieving the loss of eight classmates.

One year ago: Seeking to repair damaged relations, President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon agreed during a White House meeting to deepen their cooperation in combating drug violence and declared a breakthrough in efforts to end a long-standing dispute over cross-border trucking. Soldiers backing Ivory Coast's defiant leader, Laurent Gbagbo, mowed down women protesting his refusal to leave power in a hail of gunfire, killing seven.

Today's Birthdays: Bluegrass singer-musician Doc Watson is 89. Socialite Lee Radziwill is 79. Movie producer-director George Miller is 67. Actress Hattie Winston is 67. Singer Jennifer Warnes is 65. Actor-director Tim Kazurinsky is 62. Singer-musician Robyn Hitchcock is 59. Actor Robert Gossett is 58. Rock musician John Lilley is 58. Actress Miranda Richardson is 54. Radio personality Ira Glass is 53. Actress Mary Page Keller is 51. Olympic track and field gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee is 50. College Football Hall of Famer Herschel Walker is 50. Rapper-actor Tone Loc is 46. Rock musician John Bigham is 43. Actress Julie Bowen is 42. Country singer Brett Warren (The Warren Brothers) is 41. Actor David Faustino is 38. Singer Ronan Keating (Boyzone) is 35. Rapper Lil' Flip is 31. Actress Jessica Biel is 30. Rock musician Blower (aka Joe Garvey) (Hinder) is 28.

Thought for Today: "Nothing is really real unless it happens on television." -- Daniel J. Boorstin, educator and onetime Librarian of Congress (1914-2004).

Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.