The Almanac

Today is Tuesday, March 29, the 88th day of 2005 with 277 to follow.

The moon is waning. The morning stars are Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. The evening star is Saturn.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Aries. They include John Tyler, 10th president of the United States, in 1790; baseball pitching legend Cy Young in 1867; Eugene McCarthy, the Minnesota Democrat whose 1968 presidential campaign focused U.S. opposition to the Vietnam War, in 1916 (age 89); actress/singer Pearl Bailey, and Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton, both in 1918; former British Prime Minister John Major and actor Eric Idle, both in 1943 (age 62); former pro basketball player Walt Frazier in 1945 (age 60); Karen Ann Quinlan, who became the focus of arguments over the "right to die" when she fell into an irreversible coma, in 1954; gymnast Kurt Thomas in 1956 (age 49); actors Christopher Lambert in 1957 (age 48) and Lucy Lawless in 1968 (age 37); and tennis player Jennifer Capriati in 1976 (age 29).

On this date in history:

In 1812, the first wedding was performed in the White House. Mrs. Lucy Payne Washington, sister-in-law of President James Madison, married Supreme Court Justice Thomas Dodd. In 1971, Lt. William Calley was found guilty in the murder of 22 civilians in Vietnam, during what was known as the "My Lai" massacre.

Also in 1971, cult leader Charles Manson and three followers were sentenced to death in the Tate-Labianca slayings in Los Angeles. The death sentence was later found to be unconstitutional and the four were re-sentenced to life in prison.

In 1973, the last U.S. troops left South Vietnam and the last American prisoners of war acknowledged by the North Vietnamese government were freed.

In 1979, the House Select Committee on Assassinations released its final report on the assassinations of President Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.

In 1991, six-time Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti quit, paving the way for the country's 50th government since World War II.

In 1992, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton admitted he tried marijuana once or twice in England, but didn't like it

In 1993, "Unforgiven," Clint Eastwood's gritty western, won the best picture and best director Oscars. Best acting awards went to Al Pacino ("Scent Of A Woman") and Emma Thompson ("Howard's End").

In 1994, the Bosnian Serbs stepped up their bombardment of Gorazde, 35 miles southeast of Sarajevo and one of the U.N.-designated " safe areas."

In 1995, the House rejected legislation that would have limited how long members of Congress could serve.

In 1996, the House Ethics Committee said Speaker Newt Gingrich violated House rules by having close dealings with a wealthy GOP donor who had business interests affected by congressional legislation. It was the third time in two months the panel had notified Gingrich that he had broken the rules.

In 1999, the Connecticut Huskies won their first NCAA men's basketball championship, beating the Duke Blue Devils, 77-74.

In 2000, Cuba's Fidel Castro announced that the father of 6-year-old refugee Elian Gonzalez was ready to fly to the United States to take custody of his son.

In 2003, Iraq introduced a new tactic in its war with the U.S.-led coalition when a suicide bomber blew up his taxi and killed four American soldiers near Najaf.

Also in 2003, a Newsweek poll, published 10 days after the start of the Iraq war, showed 74 percent of Americans thought the Bush administration had a well thought-out military plan. Polls in other countries revealed as lot of opposition, however, and there were anti-war demonstrations around the world.

In 2004, a partially declassified report released by the Pentagon says the United States is unprepared for a biological attack, such as the anthrax campaign in 2001.

Also in 2004, Peter Ustinov, the legendary entertainer and two-time Oscar winner, died of heart failure in Switzerland at the age of 82.

A thought for the day: Martin Luther King Jr. said, "We must lern to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."