Ten years ago: A magnitude-9.0 earthquake and resulting tsunami struck Japan’s northeastern coast, killing nearly 20,000 people and severely damaging the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power station. Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker signed a measure to eliminate most union rights for public employees, a proposal that had provoked three weeks of loud, relentless protests. NFL owners and players broke off labor negotiations hours before their contract expired; the league imposed a lockout that lasted 4[1/2] months. Songwriter Hugh Martin, whose works included “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “The Trolley Song,” died in Encinitas, California, at age 96.
Five years ago: Nancy Reagan’s life was celebrated by 1,000 invited guests gathered at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, to pay final tribute to the former first lady who had died five days earlier at the age of 94. Keith Emerson, 71, founder and keyboardist of the progressive-rock band Emerson, Lake and Palmer, took his own life in Santa Monica, California; he was 71.
One year ago: With infection clusters expanding in the United States and Europe, the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic. In an Oval Office address to the nation, President Donald Trump said he was sharply restricting travel from Europe to the U.S. The NBA suspended its season “until further notice” after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the coronavirus. Actor Tom Hanks said that he and his wife, Rita Wilson, had tested positive in Australia; they were isolated in stable condition in a hospital. Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison for rape and sexual abuse after delivering a rambling plea for mercy in a New York courtroom. Russian lawmakers approved constitutional reforms that would let President Vladimir Putin stay in power until 2036. Three service members, including two Americans, were killed when a barrage of rockets was fired at a military base in Iraq.
