Today in History

Today is Tuesday, March 19, the 78th day of 2013. There are 287 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 19, 2003, President George W. Bush ordered the start of war against Iraq. (Because of the time difference, it was early March 20 in Iraq.)

On this date:

In 1687, French explorer Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle -- the first European to navigate the length of the Mississippi River -- was murdered by mutineers in present-day Texas.

In 1863, the Confederate cruiser Georgianna, on its maiden voyage, was scuttled off Charleston, S.C., to prevent it from falling into Union hands.

In 1918, Congress approved Daylight-Saving Time.

In 1920, the Senate rejected, for a second time, the Treaty of Versailles by a vote of 49 in favor, 35 against, falling short of the two-thirds majority needed for approval.

In 1931, Nevada Gov. Fred B. Balzar signed a measure legalizing casino gambling.

In 1943, gangster Frank Nitti, leader of Al Capone's Chicago Outfit, shot himself to death in a railroad yard.

In 1945, 724 people were killed when a Japanese dive bomber attacked the carrier USS Franklin off Japan; the ship, however, was saved. Adolf Hitler issued his so-called "Nero Decree," ordering the destruction of German facilities that could fall into Allied hands.

In 1953, the Academy Awards ceremony was televised for the first time; "The Greatest Show on Earth" was named best picture of 1952.

In 1962, Bob Dylan's first album, titled "Bob Dylan," was released by Columbia Records.

In 1965, the wreck of the Confederate cruiser Georgianna was discovered by E. Lee Spence, 102 years to the day after it had been scuttled.

In 1979, the U.S. House of Representatives began televising its day-to-day business.

In 1993, Supreme Court Justice Byron R. White announced plans to retire. (White's departure paved the way for Ruth Bader Ginsburg to become the court's second female justice.)

Ten years ago: Tobacco farmer Dwight Ware Watson, who claimed to be carrying bombs in a tractor and trailer that he'd driven into a pond on Washington's National Mall, surrendered after disrupting traffic for two days; there were no explosives. Six men hijacked a Cuban airliner to the Florida Keys to seek asylum in the United States. (The six were later convicted of federal hijacking charges.) Mahmoud Abbas accepted the position of Palestinian prime minister.

Five years ago: Five years after launching the invasion of Iraq, President George W. Bush strongly signaled he wouldn't order troop withdrawals beyond those already planned because he refused to "jeopardize the hard-fought gains" of the past year. In a new audio message, Osama bin Laden criticized the publication of drawings insulting to the Prophet Muhammad and warned Europeans of a strong reaction to come. Death claimed science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke at age 90 and actor Paul Scofield at age 86.

One year ago: A motorbike assailant opened fire with two handguns in front of a Jewish school in the southern French city of Toulouse, killing a rabbi, his two young sons and a girl. (The gunman, French-born Mohammed Merah, was killed in a gunfight with police after a 32-hour standoff at his apartment; he had also killed three French paratroopers.) The federal Justice Department announced it had begun an investigation into the fatal shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in Florida by a neighborhood watch captain, George Zimmerman.

Today's Birthdays: Former White House national security adviser Brent Scowcroft is 88. Theologian Hans Kung is 85. Jazz musician Ornette Coleman is 83. Author Philip Roth is 80. Actress Renee Taylor is 80. Actress-singer Phyllis Newman is 80. Actress Ursula Andress is 77. Singer Clarence "Frogman" Henry is 76. Singer Ruth Pointer (The Pointer Sisters) is 67. Actress Glenn Close is 66. Film producer Harvey Weinstein is 61. Actor Bruce Willis is 58. Playwright Neil LaBute is 50. Actor Connor Trinneer is 44. Rock musician Gert Bettens (K's Choice) is 43. Rapper Bun B is 40. Rock musician Zach Lind (Jimmy Eat World) is 37. Actress Abby Brammell is 34. Actor Craig Lamar Traylor is 24. Actor Philip Bolden is 18.

Thought for Today: "One friend in a lifetime is much; two are many; three are hardly possible." -- Henry Brooks Adams, American historian and author (1838-1918).

Copyright 2013, The Associated Press. All rights reserved.