Today’s highlight in history
On March 27, 1952, the MGM movie musical “Singin’ in the Rain,” starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds, had its world premiere at New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
On this date
In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon sighted present-day Florida.
In 1884, the first telephone line between Boston and New York was inaugurated.
In 1912, first lady Helen Herron Taft and the wife of Japan’s ambassador to the United States, Viscountess Chinda, planted the first two of 3,000 cherry trees given to the U.S. as a gift by the mayor of Tokyo.
In 1942, during World War II, Congress granted American servicemen free first-class mailing privileges.
In 1957, “Around the World in 80 Days” won the Academy Award for best picture of 1956; Yul Brynner won best actor for “The King and I,” Ingrid Bergman was awarded best actress for “Anastasia” and George Stevens was recognized as best director for “Giant.”
In 1964, Alaska was hit by a magnitude 9.2 earthquake — the strongest on record in North America — and tsunamis that together claimed about 130 lives.
In 1977, in aviation’s worst disaster, 583 people were killed when a KLM Boeing 747, attempting to take off in heavy fog, crashed into a Pan Am 747 on an airport runway on the Canary Island of Tenerife.
