Today in History

Today is Thursday, March 3, the 62nd day of 2022. There are 303 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 3, 1974, a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris, killing all 346 people on board.

On this date:

In 1791, Congress passed a measure taxing distilled spirits; it was the first internal revenue act in U.S. history.

In 1845, Florida became the 27th state.

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

In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed a measure creating the National Academy of Sciences.

In 1931, "The Star-Spangled Banner" became the national anthem of the United States as President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution.

In 1943, in London's East End, 173 people died in a crush of bodies at the Bethnal Green tube station, which was being used as a wartime air raid shelter.

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

In 1960, Lucille Ball filed for divorce from her husband, Desi Arnaz, a day after they had finished filming the last episode of "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show."

In 1966, death claimed actors William Frawley at age 79 and Alice Pearce at age 48 in Hollywood.

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

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.

In 2020, in a surprise move, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a half-point, its largest cut in more than a decade, to support the economy in the face of the spreading coronavirus.

Ten years ago: Mitt Romney rolled to a double-digit victory in Washington state's Republican presidential caucuses, his fourth campaign triumph in a row.

Five years ago: President Donald Trump toured St. Andrew Catholic School, a private religious facility in Orlando, Florida, praising it as an ideal institution for "disadvantaged children" while re-emphasizing that his education agenda would focus on school choice. The Nintendo Switch, a hybrid game machine that works as both a console at home and a portable tablet on the go, made its debut.

One year ago: Officials testifying at a Senate hearing said Defense Department leaders had delayed sending help for hours on Jan. 6, despite an urgent plea for reinforcement from police protecting the U.S. Capitol building. Video showed a dramatic escalation of violence by security forces in Myanmar against opponents of a February military coup; a U.N. official said 38 people were killed. The manager of the Texas power grid was fired following February's deadly blackouts that left millions of people without electricity and heat for days. A man who admitted using a van to kill 10 pedestrians in Toronto in April 2018 was found guilty on charges including first-degree murder, bringing an automatic life sentence. Former NFL player Kellen Winslow II was sentenced in California to 14 years in prison for multiple rapes and other sexual offenses against five women.

Today's Birthdays: Singer-musician Mike Pender (The Searchers) is 81. Movie producer-director George Miller is 77. Actor Hattie Winston is 77. Singer Jennifer Warnes is 75. Actor-director Tim Kazurinsky is 72. Singer-musician Robyn Hitchcock is 69. Actor Robert Gossett is 68. Rock musician John Lilley is 68. Actor Miranda Richardson is 64. Radio personality Ira Glass is 63. Actor Mary Page Keller is 61. Olympic track and field gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee is 60. Former NFL player and College Football Hall of Famer Herschel Walker is 60. Actor Laura Harring is 58. Contemporary Christian musician Duncan Phillips (Newsboys) is 58. Rapper-actor Tone Loc (lohk) is 56. Actor Julie Bowen is 52. Country singer Brett Warren (The Warren Brothers) is 51. Actor David Faustino is 48. Gospel singer Jason Crabb is 45. Singer Ronan Keating (Boyzone) is 45. Rapper Lil' Flip is 41. Actor Jessica Biel is 40. Rock musician Blower (AKA Joe Garvey) (Hinder) is 38. Musician Brett Hite (Frenship) is 36. Pop singer Camila Cabello is 25. Actor Thomas Barbusca (TV: "The Mick") is 19. Actor Reylynn Caster is 19.