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March 19 (UPI) -- On this date in history: In 1909, financier J.P. Morgan, during a meeting with King Victor Emmanuel II of Italy in Rome, pledged to help wipe out the black hand and similar criminal societies in the United States through education.
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In 1916, eight Curtiss JN-3 "Jenny" airplanes with the First Aero Squadron took off from Columbus, N.M., to aid troops that had invaded Mexico in pursuit of the bandit Pancho Villa. It was the first U.S. air combat mission in history.
In 1918, the U.S. Congress passed the Standard Time Act, which authorized the Interstate Commerce Commission to establish standard time zones and daylight saving time.
In 1931, the Nevada Legislature voted to legalize gambling.
In 1953, legendary filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille won the only Academy Award of his career when The Greatest Show on Earth, a big-budget extravaganza about circus life, was acclaimed the Best Picture.
In 1962, singer-songwriter Bob Dylan releases his debut album, Bob Dylan, on Columbia Records.
In 1987, South Carolina televangelist Jim Bakker resigned as head of the PTL Club, saying he was blackmailed after a sexual encounter with a former church secretary.
In 1991, the NFL voted to revoke the plan for Phoenix to host the 1993 Super Bowl because the city did not observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
In 2005, Pakistan successfully tested a nuclear-capable missile with a range of 1,250 miles.
In 2011, former U.S. Secretary of State Warren Christopher died of cancer at the age of 85.
In 2018, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed into law the nation's most restrictive abortion law, which outlaws the medical procedure after the 15th week of pregnancy, with no exceptions for rape or incest.
