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Today is Saturday, March 9, the 68th day of 2002. There are 297 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On March 9, 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclads Monitor and Virginia (formerly Merrimac) clashed for five hours to a draw at Hampton Roads, Va. 

On this date: 

In 1661, Cardinal Jules Mazarin, the chief minister of France, died, leaving King Louis XIV in full control. 

In 1796, the future emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, married Josephine de Beauharnais. (The couple divorced in 1809.) 

In 1916, Mexican raiders led by Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, N.M., killing more than a dozen people. 

In 1933, Congress, called into special session by President Roosevelt, began its “hundred days” of enacting New Deal legislation. 

In 1945, during World War II, US B-29 bombers launched incendiary bomb attacks against Japan. 

In 1954, CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow critically reviewed Wisconsin Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy’s anti-Communism campaign on “See It Now.” 

In 1975, work began on the Alaskan oil pipeline. 

In 1977, about a dozen armed Hanafi Muslims invaded three buildings in Washington, D.C., killing one person and taking more than 130 hostages. The siege ended two days later. 

In 1981, Dan Rather made his debut as principal anchorman of “The CBS Evening News.” 

In 1990, Dr. Antonia Novello was sworn in as surgeon general, becoming the first woman and the first Hispanic to hold the job. 

Ten years ago: Former Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin died in Tel Aviv at age 78. Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. 

Five years ago: Gangsta rapper The Notorious B.I.G., whose real name was Christopher Wallace, was killed in a still-unsolved drive-by shooting in Los Angeles; he was 24. 

One year ago: A judge in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., sentenced 14-year-old Lionel Tate to life in prison for killing Tiffany Eunick, a 6-year old girl. Tate, who had been convicted of first-degree murder, said he was imitating pro-wrestling moves. Attorney James St. Clair, who represented President Nixon at the height of the Watergate scandal, died in Westwood, Mass., at age 80. 

Today’s Birthdays: Author Mickey Spillane is 84. Singer-actress Keely Smith is 70. Singer Lloyd Price is 69. Actress Joyce Van Patten is 68. Actor-comedian Marty Ingels is 66. Country singer Mickey Gilley is 66. Singer Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere and the Raiders) is 60. TV personality Charles Gibson is 59. Chess player Bobby Fischer is 59. Actress Trish Van Devere is 57. Rock musician Robin Trower is 57. Singer Jeffrey Osborne is 54. Country musician Jimmie Fadden (The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) is 54. Magazine editor Michael Kinsley is 51. Newscaster Faith Daniels is 45. Actress Linda Fiorentino is 42. Actress Juliette Binoche is 38. Rock musician Robert Sledge (Ben Folds Five) is 34. Actor Emmanuel Lewis is 31. Actress Jean Louisa Kelly is 30. Actor Kerr Smith is 30.  

Rapper Lil’ Bow Wow is 15. 

Thought for Today:  

For release Saturday, March 9