Today in history
By The Associated Press
Today is Monday, March 10, the 70th day of 2008. There are 296 days left in the year.
Today's Highlight in History:
On March 10, 1876, the first successful voice transmission over Alexander Graham Bell's telephone took place in Boston as his assistant heard Bell say, "Mr. Watson - come here - I want to see you." (The words were recounted by Bell in his lab notebook.)
On this date:
In 1785, Thomas Jefferson was appointed minister to France, succeeding Benjamin Franklin.
In 1848, the Senate ratified the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the war with Mexico.
In 1880, the Salvation Army arrived in the United States from England.
In 1949, Nazi wartime broadcaster Mildred E. Gillars, also known as "Axis Sally," was convicted in Washington, D.C., of treason. (She served 12 years in prison.)
In 1980, "Scarsdale Diet" author Dr. Herman Tarnower was shot to death in Purchase, N.Y. (Tarnower's former lover, Jean Harris, was convicted of murder; she served nearly 12 years in prison before being released in January 1993.)
In 1985, Konstantin U. Chernenko, who was the Soviet Union's leader for just 13 months, died at age 73.
In 1988, prior to the 50th anniversary of the Anschluss, Austrian President Kurt Waldheim apologized on his country's behalf for atrocities committed by Austrian Nazis.
In 1988, pop singer Andy Gibb died in Oxford, England, at age 30 of heart inflammation.
Ten years ago: U.S. Air Force and Navy personnel in the Persian Gulf received their first vaccinations against anthrax.
Five years ago: Facing almost certain defeat, the United States and Britain delayed a vote in the U.N. Security Council to give Saddam Hussein an ultimatum to disarm.
One year ago: In their first direct talks since the Iraq war began, U.S. and Iranian envoys traded harsh words and blamed each other for Iraq's crisis at a one-day international conference.
Today's Birthdays: Talk show host Ralph Emery is 75. Bluegrass/country singer-musician Norman Blake is 70. Actor Chuck Norris is 68. Playwright David Rabe is 68. Singer Dean Torrence is 68. Actress Katharine Houghton is 63. Rock musician Tom Scholz is 61. Producer-director-writer Paul Haggis is 55. Actress Shannon Tweed is 51. Actress Sharon Stone is 50. Rock musician Gail Greenwood is 48. Magician Lance Burton is 48. Actress Jasmine Guy is 46. Rock musician Jeff Ament is 45. Music producer Rick Rubin is 45. Britain's Prince Edward is 44. Singer Edie Brickell is 42. Actor Stephen Mailer is 42. Actress Paget Brewster is 39. Rapper-producer Timbaland is 36. Actor Cristian de la Fuente is 34. Singer Robin Thicke is 31. Actress Bree Turner is 31. Olympic gold-medal gymnast Shannon Miller is 31. Country singer Carrie Underwood is 25. Actress Emily Osment is 16.
Thought for Today: "We must not waste life in devising means. It is better to plan less and do more." - William Ellery Channing, American clergyman (1780-1842).