The Almanac

Today is Monday, March 18, the 77th day of 2002 with 288 to follow.

The moon is waxing, moving toward its first quarter.

The morning star is Mercury.

The evening stars are Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Pisces. They include John C. Calhoun, the first U.S. vice president to resign that office, in 1782; Grover Cleveland, 24th president of the United States, in 1837; Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1844; German engineer Rudolf Diesel, inventor of the engine that bears his name, in 1858; British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain in 1869; clairvoyant and therapist Edgar Cayce in 1877; actor Edward Everett Horton in 1886; racecar driver Andy Granatelli in 1923 (age 79); actor Peter Graves in 1926 (age 76); authors George Plimpton in 1927 (age 75) and John Updike in 1932 (age 70); former South African President F.W. de Klerk in 1936 (age 66); country singer Charley Pride in 1938 (age 64) and singer/songwriter Wilson Pickett in 1941 (age 61); singer Irene Cara in 1959 (age 43); actress/singer Vanessa Williams in 1963 (age 39); Olympic skater Bonnie Blair in 1964 (age 38); and rapper/actress Queen Latifah in 1970 (age 32).

On this date in history:

In 1922, Mahatma Gandhi was sentenced to six years in prison for civil disobedience against the British rulers of India.

In 1931, the first electric razor was marketed by Schick, Inc.

In 1937, a natural gas explosion at a public school in New London, Texas, killed 410 people, most of them children.

In 1962, France and Algeria signed a cease-fire agreement ending a seven-year civil war and bringing independence to the North African country.

In 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexi Leonov became the first person to "walk in space."

In 1989, the shuttle Discovery completed a five-day mission, landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California.

In 1992, hotel queen and convicted tax cheat Leona Helmsley was sentenced to four years in prison.

In 1993, Contra rebels freed five hostages they held at the Nicaraguan Embassy in Costa Rica after the two sides agreed to begin talks to end the 10-day siege.

Also in 1993, an investigation by psychiatrists and child abuse experts on Woody Allen's relationship with his 7-year-old adopted daughter ended with Allen claiming exoneration.

In 1995, Michael Jordan announced he was returning to professional basketball and the Chicago Bulls after a 17-month break, during which he had tried a baseball career.

In 1996, John Salvi was convicted of murder in the killing of two abortion clinic receptionists. He later committed suicide.

In 1997, Zaire's parliament fired Premier Leon Kengo wa Dondo and opened negotiations with rebel leader Laurent Kabila.

In 2000, opposition candidate Chen Shui-bain was elected president of Taiwan, ending more than 50 years of Nationalist Party rule.

A thought for the day: "Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better." John Updike said that.