Updated March 9, 2012, 1:28 pm
On March 10, 1985, Konstantin U. Chernenko, Soviet leader for just 13 months, died at age 73. His death was announced on March 11th. Politburo member Mikhail S. Gorbachev was chosen to succeed him.
On March 10, 1903, Clare Boothe Luce, the American playwright and politician, was born. Following her death on Oct. 9, 1987, her obituary appeared in The Times.
Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »
On This Date
By The Associated Press
1496 Christopher Columbus concluded his second visit to the Western Hemisphere as he left Hispaniola for Spain. 1629 England’s King Charles I dissolved Parliament. 1785 Thomas Jefferson was appointed minister to France, succeeding Benjamin Franklin. 1848 The Senate ratified the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, ending the war with Mexico. 1864 Ulysses S. Grant became commander of the Union armies during the Civil War. 1957 Terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden was born in Saudi Arabia. 1965 Neil Simon’s play “The Odd Couple” opened on Broadway. 1969 James Earl Ray pleaded guilty in Memphis, Tenn., to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. 1980 “Scarsdale Diet” author Dr. Herman Tarnower was shot to death in Purchase, N.Y. (His lover, Jean Harris, was convicted of murder and served nearly 12 years in prison.) 1985 Konstantin Chernenko, Soviet leader for just 13 months, died at age 73. 1993 Dr. David Gunn was shot to death outside a Pensacola, Fla., abortion clinic. 1997 “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” debuted on the WB network. 2002 Israeli helicopters destroyed Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat’s office in Gaza City, hours after 11 Israelis were killed in a suicide bombing in a cafe across the street from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s residence in Jerusalem. 2004 Teenage sniper Lee Boyd Malvo was sentenced in Chesapeake, Va., to life in prison. Current Birthdays
By The Associated Press
Country singer Carrie Underwood (“American Idol”) turns 29 years old today.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
Actor Jon Hamm (“Mad Men”) turns 41 years old today.
AP Photo/Chris Pizzello
1933 Ralph Emery, Talk show host, turns 79 1940 Chuck Norris, Actor (“Walker, Texas Ranger”), turns 72 1940 David Rabe, Writer, producer, turns 72 1940 Dean Torrence, Singer (Jan and Dean), turns 72 1947 Bob Greene, Newspaper columnist, turns 65 1947 Tom Scholz, Rock musician (Boston), turns 65 1953 Paul Haggis, Director, screenwriter (“Crash”), turns 59 1957 Shannon Tweed, Actress, turns 55 1958 Sharon Stone, Actress, turns 54 1962 Jasmine Guy, Actress, turns 50 1964 Prince Edward, Member of the British royal family, turns 48 1965 Rod Woodson, Football Hall of Famer, turns 47 1969 Paget Brewster, Actress (“Criminal Minds”), turns 43 1972 Timbaland, Rapper, producer, turns 40 1977 Shannon Miller, Olympic gold medal gymnast, turns 35 1977 Robin Thicke, Singer, turns 35 1984 Olivia Wilde, Actress (“House M.D.”), turns 28 1992 Emily Osment, Actress (“Hannah Montana”), turns 20
Historic Birthdays
Clare Boothe Luce 3/10/1903 – 10/9/1987 American playwright and politician.Go to obituary »
34 Thos. Howard Norfolk 3/10/1538 – 6/2/1572
English nobleman executed by Queen Elizabeth I56 Friedrich von Schlegel 3/10/1772 – 1/12/1829
German writer and critic49 Alexander III 3/10/1845 – 11/1/1894
Russian emperor (1881-84)75 Henry W. Fowler 3/10/1858 – 12/26/1933
English lexicographer and philologist75 Hector Guimard 3/10/1867 – 5/20/1942
French architect and furniture designer73 Lillian Wald 3/10/1867 – 9/1/1940
American nurse; founded Henry St. Settlement in New York28 Bix Beiderbecke 3/10/1903 – 8/6/1931
American jazz cornetist and composer63 Harry Bertoia 3/10/1915 – 11/6/1978
Italian-born American sculptor and designer70 James Earl Ray 3/10/1928 – 4/23/1998
American assassin of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
