Today in History

Today is Thursday, March 10, the 70th day of 2016. There are 296 days left in the year.

Today's Highlight in History:

On March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell's assistant, Thomas Watson, heard Bell say over his experimental telephone: "Mr. Watson -- come here -- I want to see you" from the next room of Bell's Boston laboratory.

On this date:

In 1785, Thomas Jefferson was appointed America's minister to France, succeeding Benjamin Franklin.

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln assigned Ulysses S. Grant, who had just received his commission as lieutenant-general, to the command of the Armies of the United States. The song "Beautiful Dreamer" by the late Stephen Foster was copyrighted by Wm. A. Pond & Co. of New York.

In 1880, the Salvation Army arrived in the United States from England.

In 1914, the Rokeby Venus, a 17th century painting by Diego Velazquez on display at the National Gallery in London, was slashed multiple times by Mary Richardson, who was protesting the arrest of fellow suffragist Emmeline Pankhurst. (The painting was repaired.)

In 1933, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake centered off Long Beach, California, resulted in 120 deaths.

In 1949, Nazi wartime broadcaster Mildred E. Gillars, also known as "Axis Sally," was convicted in Washington D.C., of treason. (She served 12 years in prison.)

In 1952, Fulgencio Batista once again became leader of Cuba in a bloodless coup that deposed President Carlos Piro Socarras.

In 1969, James Earl Ray pleaded guilty in Memphis, Tennessee, to assassinating civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (Ray later repudiated that plea, maintaining his innocence until his death.)

In 1973, the Pink Floyd album "The Dark Side of the Moon" was first released in the U.S. by Capitol Records (the British release came nearly two weeks later).

In 1980, "Scarsdale Diet" author Dr. Herman Tarnower was shot to death at his home in Purchase, New York. (Tarnower's former lover, Jean Harris, was convicted of his murder; she served nearly 12 years in prison before being released in Jan. 1993.)

In 1985, Konstantin U. Chernenko, who was the Soviet Union's leader for 13 months, died at age 73; he was succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev.

In 1993, Dr. David Gunn was shot to death outside a Pensacola, Florida, abortion clinic. (Shooter Michael Griffin is serving a life sentence.)

Ten years ago: Officials confirmed that Tom Fox, an American who was among four Christian activists kidnapped in Iraq, had been found slain. A NASA spacecraft, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, slipped into orbit around the Red Planet. Ohio State, acknowledging eight of nine violations alleged by the NCAA, was placed on three years' probation. Opera singer Anna Moffo died in New York at age 73.

Five years ago: The House Homeland Security Committee examined Muslim extremism in America during a hearing punctuated by tearful testimony and angry recriminations. (Chairman Peter King, R-N.Y., accused U.S. Muslims of doing too little to help fight terror in America; Democrats warned of inflaming anti-Muslim sentiment.)

One year ago: Breaking her silence in the face of a growing controversy over her use of a private email address and server, Hillary Rodham Clinton conceded that she should have used government email as secretary of state but insisted she had not violated any federal laws or Obama administration rules. A U.S. Army helicopter crashed in dense fog during a training exercise at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, killing seven elite Marines and four experienced soldiers. A jury in Los Angeles awarded Marvin Gaye's children nearly $7.4 million after determining singers Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams had plagiarized their father's song "Got to Give It Up" to create "Blurred Lines," the biggest hit song of 2013 (Thicke and Williams said they would appeal the judgment).

Today's Birthdays: Talk show host Ralph Emery is 83. Bluegrass/country singer-musician Norman Blake is 78. Actor Chuck Norris is 76. Playwright David Rabe is 76. Singer Dean Torrence (Jan and Dean) is 76. Actress Katharine Houghton is 74. Actor Richard Gant is 72. Rock musician Tom Scholz (Boston) is 69. Former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell is 69. TV personality/businesswoman Barbara Corcoran (TV: "Shark Tank") is 67. Actress Aloma Wright is 66. Blues musician Ronnie Earl (Ronnie Earl and the Broadcasters) is 63. Producer-director-writer Paul Haggis is 63. Alt-country/rock musician Gary Louris is 61. Actress Shannon Tweed is 59. Pop/jazz singer Jeanie Bryson is 58. Actress Sharon Stone is 58. Rock musician Gail Greenwood is 56. Magician Lance Burton is 56. Movie producer Scott Gardenhour is 55. Actress Jasmine Guy is 54. Rock musician Jeff Ament (Pearl Jam) is 53. Music producer Rick Rubin is 53. Britain's Prince Edward is 52. Rock singer Edie Brickell is 50. Actor Stephen Mailer is 50. Actor Philip Anthony-Rodriguez is 48. Actress Paget Brewster is 47. Actor Jon Hamm is 45. Country singer Daryle Singletary is 45. Rapper-producer Timbaland is 44. Actor Cristian de la Fuente is 42. Rock musician Jerry Horton (Papa Roach) is 41. Actor Jeff Branson is 39. Singer Robin Thicke is 39. Actress Bree Turner is 39. Olympic gold medal gymnast Shannon Miller is 39. Contemporary Christian singer Michael Barnes (Red) is 37. Actor Edi Gathegi is 37. Rock musician Matt Asti (MGMT) is 36. Country singer Carrie Underwood is 33. Actress Olivia Wilde is 32. Rhythm-and-blues singer Emeli Sande is 29. Country singer Rachel Reinert is 27. Actress Emily Osment is 24.

Thought for Today: "He who knows, does not speak. He who speaks, does not know." -- Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher.