THIS DATE IN HISTORY: March 24

A belated selective cut and pasted from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_24:

Events

1868 - Metropolitan Life Insurance Company is formed.

1900 - New York City Mayor Robert Anderson Van Wyck breaks ground for a new underground "Rapid Transit Railroad" that would link Manhattan and Brooklyn.

1934 - U.S. Congress passes the Tydings-McDuffie Act allowing the Philippines to become a self-governing commonwealth.

1936 - The longest game in NHL history was played between Detroit and Montreal. Detroit scored at 16:30 of the sixth overtime and won the game 1-0.

1944 - World War II: In an event later dramatized in the movie The Great Escape, 76 prisoners begin breaking out of Stalag Luft III.

1958 - Elvis Presley is officially inducted into the U.S.Army.

1989 - Exxon Valdez oil spill: In Prince William Sound in Alaska, the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (42,000 m³) of petroleum after running aground.

1999 - Kosovo War: NATO commences air bombardment against Yugoslavia, marking the first time NATO has attacked a sovereign country.

Births

1855 - Andrew Mellon, American financier (d. 1937)

1874 - Harry Houdini, (Weisz Erik), Hungarian-born magician (d. 1926)

1930 - Steve McQueen, American actor (d. 1980)

Coincidentally, Steve McQueen starred in THE GREAT ESCAPE as mentioned above in the Events section on this date. Of course, in a previous post about movie car chases, he starred in BULLITT.

1951 - Tommy Hilfiger, American fashion designer

1960 - Kelly LeBrock, American actress

Probably best known for THE WOMAN IN RED and WEIRD SCIENCE. Wonder if she is still married to Steven Seagal?

1960 - Barry Horowitz, American professional wrestler

Barry Horowitz aka Mr. Technical's official site.

1960 - Nena, German pop singer

99 RED BALLOONS is a staple of 1980's music!

1965 - The Undertaker, American professional wrestler

1970 - Lara Flynn Boyle, American actress

TWIN PEAKS and RED ROCK WEST are 2 of my fave Lara Flynn Boyle's work.

Deaths

1905 - Jules Verne, French author (b. 1828)

A giant in the Science Fiction genre. Required reading.

1946 - Alexander Alekhine, Russian chess player (b. 1892)

A giant in the history of Chess.