UPI Almanac for Tuesday, March 27, 2018

Today is Tuesday, March 27, the 86th day of 201 with 279 to follow.

The moon is waxing. Morning stars are Jupiter, Mars, Neptune and Saturn. Evening stars are Jupiter, Mercury, Neptune, Uranus and Venus.

Those born on this date are under the sign of Aries. They include printmaker Nathaniel Currier of Currier and Ives in 1813; schoolteacher Patty Smith Hill, who wrote the words for "Happy Birthday to You," in 1868; architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in 1886; actor Gloria Swanson in 1899; Nobel Peace Prize laureate Eisaku Sato in 1901; jazz singer Sarah Vaughan in 1924; race car driver Cale Yarborough in 1939 (age 79); actor Michael York in 1942 (age 76); actor Maria Schneider in 1952; Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy in 1955 (age 63); filmmaker Quentin Tarantino in 1963 (age 55); actor Pauley Perrette in 1969 (age 49); singer Mariah Carey in 1970 (age 48); actor Nathan Fillion in 1971 (age 47); singer Fergie -- Stacy Ann Ferguson -- in 1975 (age 43); singer Jessie J, born Jessica Ellen Cornish, in 1988 (age 30); singer/actor Halle Bailey in 2000 (age 18).

On this date in history:

In 1886, Apache leader Geronimo surrendered to U.S. federal authorities.

In 1933, the U.S. Embassy in Berlin reported that physical mistreatment of Jews in Germany has been "virtually terminated."

In 1958, Nikita Khrushchev replaced Nikolai Bulganin as premier of the Soviet Union.

In 1964, the strongest earthquake to hit North America -- magnitude-9.2 -- struck Alaska, killing 139 people.

In 1976, the first section of Washington, D.C.'s Metro subway system opened with more than 4.6 miles of track on the Red Line running from Farragut North to Rhode Island Avenue in the District of Columbia.

In 1977, two Boeing 747 jumbo jets collided and exploded in flames on a foggy runway at Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, killing 583 people in the worst aviation accident in history.

In 1980, a Norwegian oil platform capsized during a storm in the North Sea, killing 123 people.

In 1993, Jiang Zemin was appointed president of the People's Republic of China.

In 1996, an Israeli court convicted Yigal Amir and sentenced him to life in prison for assassinating Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin on Nov. 4, 1995.

In 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Viagra for use as a treatment for male impotence.

In 2004, NASA's unmanned experimental hypersonic plane reached about 5,000 mph in a test flight -- more than seven times the speed of sound.

In 2005, ailing Pope John Paul II appeared at his apartment window before an Easter crowd in St. Peter's Square but was unable to speak. He silently blessed thousands of cheering people, many who wept. The pope died six days later, on April 2. He was 84.

In 2007, leaders of Myanmar staged a military parade to show off the new capital city, Naypyidaw.

In 2013, Julia Pierson became the first woman to head the U.S. Secret Service. Pierson resigned in October 2014.

In 2014, U.S. President Obama Barack Obama visited Pope Francis at the Vatican. It was their first meeting.

In 2016, the Pakistani Taliban killed at least 70 people in a suicide attack at a public park in the eastern city of Lahore.

A thought for the day: "Fame was thrilling only until it became grueling. Money was fun only until you ran out of things to buy." -- Gloria Swanson