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Today is Palm Sunday, April 13, the 103rd day of 2003. There are 262 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On April 13 1970, Apollo 13, four-fifths of the way to the moon, was crippled when a tank containing liquid oxygen burst. (The astronauts managed to return safely.)
On this date:
In 1598, King Henry IV of France endorsed the Edict of Nantes, which granted rights to the Protestant Huguenots. (The edict was abrogated in 1685 by King Louis XIV, who declared France entirely Catholic again.)
In 1742, Handel's ``Messiah'' was first performed publicly, in Dublin, Ireland.
In 1743, the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, was born.
In 1870, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in New York.
In 1943, President Roosevelt dedicated the Jefferson Memorial.
In 1958, Van Cliburn became the first American to win the Tchaikovsky International Piano Contest in Moscow.
In 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first black performer in a leading role to win an Academy Award, for ``Lilies of the Field.''
In 1965, 16-year-old Lawrence Wallace Bradford Jr. was appointed by New York Republican Jacob Javits to be the first black page of the U.S. Senate.
In 1986, Pope John Paul II visited a Rome synagogue in the first recorded papal visit of its kind.
In 1992, the Great Chicago Flood took place as the city's century-old tunnel system and adjacent basements filled with water from the Chicago River.
Ten years ago: Pulitzer Prizes were awarded to David McCullough for his biography ``Truman,'' to Robert Olen Butler for his collection of short stories ``A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain'' and Tony Kushner for his drama ``Angels in America: Millennium Approaches.'' The gold medal for public service went to The Miami Herald for its Hurricane Andrew coverage.
Five years ago: NationsBank and BankAmerica announced a $62.5 billion merger creating the country's first coast-to-coast bank while Banc One and First Chicago NBD said they would unite in a $28.9 billion deal. A 500-pound steel joint fell from the upper level of New York's Yankee Stadium, crashing onto seats below (fortunately, no fans were inside the park at the time).
One year ago: Venezuela's interim president, Pedro Carmona, resigned a day after taking office in the face of protests by thousands of supporters of the ousted president, Hugo Chavez.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Howard Keel is 84. Movie director Stanley Donen is 79. Actor Don Adams is 77. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., is 70. Actor Lyle Waggoner is 68. Actor Edward Fox is 66. Playwright Lanford Wilson is 66. Actor Paul Sorvino is 64. Movie and TV composer Bill Conti is 61. Rock musician Jack Casady is 59. Actor Tony Dow is 58. Singer Al Green is 57. Actor Ron Perlman is 53. Actor William Sadler is 53. Singer Peabo Bryson is 52. Rock musician Max Weinberg is 52. Bluegrass singer-musician Sam Bush is 51. Rock musician Jimmy Destri (Blondie) is 49. Comedian Gary Kroeger is 46. Actress Saundra Santiago is 46. Rock musician Joey Mazzola (Sponge) is 42. Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov is 40. Actress Page Hannah is 39. Rock musician Lisa Umbarger is 38. Actor Rick Schroder is 33. Actor Jonathan Brandis is 27. Actress Courtney Peldon (``Boston Public'') is 22.
Thought for Today: ``In most things success depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed.'' - Charles Louis de Montesquieu, French philosopher (1689-1755).
Today's Highlight in History:
On April 13 1970, Apollo 13, four-fifths of the way to the moon, was crippled when a tank containing liquid oxygen burst. (The astronauts managed to return safely.)
On this date:
In 1598, King Henry IV of France endorsed the Edict of Nantes, which granted rights to the Protestant Huguenots. (The edict was abrogated in 1685 by King Louis XIV, who declared France entirely Catholic again.)
In 1742, Handel's ``Messiah'' was first performed publicly, in Dublin, Ireland.
In 1743, the third president of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, was born.
In 1870, the Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in New York.
In 1943, President Roosevelt dedicated the Jefferson Memorial.
In 1958, Van Cliburn became the first American to win the Tchaikovsky International Piano Contest in Moscow.
In 1964, Sidney Poitier became the first black performer in a leading role to win an Academy Award, for ``Lilies of the Field.''
In 1965, 16-year-old Lawrence Wallace Bradford Jr. was appointed by New York Republican Jacob Javits to be the first black page of the U.S. Senate.
In 1986, Pope John Paul II visited a Rome synagogue in the first recorded papal visit of its kind.
In 1992, the Great Chicago Flood took place as the city's century-old tunnel system and adjacent basements filled with water from the Chicago River.
Ten years ago: Pulitzer Prizes were awarded to David McCullough for his biography ``Truman,'' to Robert Olen Butler for his collection of short stories ``A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain'' and Tony Kushner for his drama ``Angels in America: Millennium Approaches.'' The gold medal for public service went to The Miami Herald for its Hurricane Andrew coverage.
Five years ago: NationsBank and BankAmerica announced a $62.5 billion merger creating the country's first coast-to-coast bank while Banc One and First Chicago NBD said they would unite in a $28.9 billion deal. A 500-pound steel joint fell from the upper level of New York's Yankee Stadium, crashing onto seats below (fortunately, no fans were inside the park at the time).
One year ago: Venezuela's interim president, Pedro Carmona, resigned a day after taking office in the face of protests by thousands of supporters of the ousted president, Hugo Chavez.
Today's Birthdays: Actor Howard Keel is 84. Movie director Stanley Donen is 79. Actor Don Adams is 77. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell, R-Colo., is 70. Actor Lyle Waggoner is 68. Actor Edward Fox is 66. Playwright Lanford Wilson is 66. Actor Paul Sorvino is 64. Movie and TV composer Bill Conti is 61. Rock musician Jack Casady is 59. Actor Tony Dow is 58. Singer Al Green is 57. Actor Ron Perlman is 53. Actor William Sadler is 53. Singer Peabo Bryson is 52. Rock musician Max Weinberg is 52. Bluegrass singer-musician Sam Bush is 51. Rock musician Jimmy Destri (Blondie) is 49. Comedian Gary Kroeger is 46. Actress Saundra Santiago is 46. Rock musician Joey Mazzola (Sponge) is 42. Chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov is 40. Actress Page Hannah is 39. Rock musician Lisa Umbarger is 38. Actor Rick Schroder is 33. Actor Jonathan Brandis is 27. Actress Courtney Peldon (``Boston Public'') is 22.
Thought for Today: ``In most things success depends on knowing how long it takes to succeed.'' - Charles Louis de Montesquieu, French philosopher (1689-1755).
