Today in History - March 4

updated 12:12 a.m. ET March 4, 2007

Today is Sunday, March 4, the 63rd day of 2007. There are 302 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On March 4, 1789, the Constitution of the United States went into effect as the first Federal Congress met in New York. (The lawmakers then adjourned for lack of a quorum.)

On this date:

In 1681, England’s King Charles II granted a charter to William Penn for an area of land that later became Pennsylvania.

In 1791, Vermont became the 14th state.

In 1837, a city charter for Chicago went into effect.

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated president.

In 1902, the American Automobile Association was founded in Chicago.

In 1925, President Calvin Coolidge’s inauguration was broadcast live on 21 radio stations coast to coast.

In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated president, pledging to lead the country out of the Great Depression.

In 1952, actors Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis were married in San Fernando Valley, Calif.

In 1981, a jury in Salt Lake City convicted Joseph Paul Franklin, an avowed racist, of violating the civil rights of two black men who’d been shot to death.

In 1987, President Reagan addressed the nation on the Iran-Contra affair, acknowledging his overtures to Iran had “deteriorated” into an arms-for-hostages deal.

Ten years ago: President Clinton visited the scene of tornado destruction in his home state of Arkansas, where he also declared Ohio and Kentucky disaster areas because of floods. President Clinton barred spending federal money on human cloning.

Five years ago: Seven American soldiers were killed and 11 wounded in Afghanistan at the outset of Operation Anaconda against remnant Taliban and al-Qaida forces. European Union’s 15 members ratified the Kyoto Protocol on global warming, but failed to set pollutant-emission levels to meet the accord’s targets.

One year ago: President Bush, visiting Islamabad, praised Pakistan’s fight against terrorism as unfaltering, but turned down an appeal for the same civilian nuclear help the United States intended to give India. The Army announced it would start a criminal investigation into the 2004 friendly fire death of former professional football player Patrick Tillman in Afghanistan.

Today’s Birthdays: Folk singer Miriam Makeba is 75. Movie director Adrian Lyne is 66. Singer Bobby Womack is 63. Rock musician Chris Squire (Yes) is 59. Singer Shakin’ Stevens is 59. Singer Chris Rea is 56. Actor Ronn Moss is 55. Actress Kay Lenz is 54. Musician Emilio Estefan is 54. Movie director Scott Hicks is 54. Actress Catherine O’Hara is 53. Actress Patricia Heaton is 49. Actor Mykelti Williamson is 47. Actor Steven Weber is 46. Rock musician Jason Newsted is 44. Actress Stacy Edwards is 42. Rapper Grand Puba is 41. Rock musician Patrick Hannan (The Sundays) is 41. Rock singer Evan Dando (Lemonheads) is 40. Actress Patsy Kensit is 39. Chastity Bono is 38. Actor Nick Stabile is 37. Rock musician Fergal Lawler (The Cranberries) is 36. Country singer Jason Sellers is 36. Jazz musician Jason Marsalis is 30. Actress Andrea Bowen (“Desperate Housewives”) is 17. Actress Jenna Boyd is 14.

Thought for Today: “I do not understand the world, but I watch its progress.” — Katherine Anne Porter, American author (1894-1980).

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