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Today is Tuesday, April 2, the 92nd day of 2002. There are 273 days left in the year. 

Today’s Highlight in History: 

On April 2, 1917, President Wilson asked Congress to declare war against Germany, saying, “The world must be made safe for democracy.” 

On this date: 

In 1513, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon landed in Florida. 

In 1792, Congress passed the Coinage Act, which authorized establishment of the U.S. Mint. 

In 1805, storyteller Hans Christian Andersen was born in Odense, Denmark. 

In 1860, the first Italian Parliament met at Turin. 

In 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and most of his Cabinet fled the Confederate capital of Richmond, Va. 

In 1872, Samuel F.B. Morse, developer of the electric telegraph, died in New York. 

In 1932, aviator Charles A. Lindbergh and Dr. John F. Condon turned over $50,000 in ransom to an unidentified man in a Bronx, N.Y., cemetery in exchange for Lindbergh’s kidnapped son. (The child, however, was not returned, and was found dead the following month.) 

In 1942, Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded “American Patrol” at the RCA Victor studios in Hollywood. 

In 1974, French President Georges Pompidou died in Paris. 

In 1982, several thousand troops from Argentina seized the disputed Falkland Islands, located in the south Atlantic, from Britain. (Britain seized the islands back the following June.) 

Ten years ago: Mob boss John Gotti was convicted in New York of murder and racketeering; he was later sentenced to life in prison. French Premier Edith Cresson, who had served 10 turbulent months as France’s first woman prime minister, resigned after election setbacks for the ruling Socialists. The space shuttle Atlantis returned from a nine-day mission. 

Five years ago: The White House released documents showing how eager it had been to exploit the money-drawing powers of President Clinton and Vice President Gore during the 1996 campaign while coordinating with the Democratic Party’s fund-raising machine. 

One year ago: President Bush demanded that China promptly return a U.S. spy plane and its crew members. (The plane had made an emergency landing in China after colliding with a Chinese fighter.) Duke won its third national men’s basketball championship with an 82-to-72 victory over Arizona. 

Today’s Birthdays: Actor Buddy Ebsen is 94. Actor Dabbs Greer is 85. Actress Sharon Acker is 67. Singer Leon Russell is 61. Jazz musician Larry Coryell is 59. Actress Linda Hunt is 57. Singer Emmylou Harris is 55. Actress Pamela Reed is 53. Actress Debralee Scott is 49. Actor Ron Palillo is 48. Actor Chris Meloni is 41. Singer Keren Woodward (Bananarama) is 41. Country singer Billy Dean is 40. Actor Isaiah Washington is 39. Rock musician Greg Camp (Smash Mouth) is 35. Rock musician Tony Fredianelli (Third Eye Blind) is 33. Actor Jeremy Garrett is 26.