Ten years ago: Keeping a promise he’d made to anti-abortion Democratic lawmakers to assure passage of his historic health care legislation, President Barack Obama signed an executive order against using federal funds to pay for elective abortions covered by private insurance. Actor Robert Culp died in Los Angeles at age 79. Singer Johnny Maestro died in Florida at age 70.
Five years ago: Germanwings Flight 9525, an Airbus A320, crashed into the French Alps, killing all 150 people on board; investigators said the jetliner was deliberately downed by the 27-year-old co-pilot, Andreas Lubitz. President Barack Obama received Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the White House, where Obama agreed to slow the U.S military pullout from Afghanistan at the request of its new government but insisted the delay would not jeopardize his commitment to end America’s longest war before leaving office.
One year ago: Attorney General William Barr reported that special counsel Robert Mueller did not find evidence that President Donald Trump’s campaign “conspired or coordinated” with Russia to influence the 2016 presidential election, but reached no conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice; Democrats pointed out that Mueller had found evidence for and against obstruction, and they demanded to see his full report. (The report would be released in April.) New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced that he was retiring from the NFL after nine seasons, which had included three Super Bowl victories.