Today is the 70th day of 2014 and the 81st day of winter.
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TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1861, delegates from seven states adopted the Constitution of the Confederate States of America.
In 1888, the "Great Blizzard of '88" struck the Northeastern United States, killing 400 Americans.
In 2004, 191 people were killed when terrorist bombs exploded on rush hour commuter trains in Madrid.
In 2011, a magnitude 9.03 undersea earthquake triggered a tsunami that struck Japan, killing nearly 16,000 people and causing meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Lawrence Welk (1903-1992), bandleader; Ralph Abernathy (1926-1990), civil rights leader; Rupert Murdoch (1931- ), business leader; Sam Donaldson (1934- ), TV journalist; Antonin Scalia (1936- ), U.S. Supreme Court justice; Douglas Adams (1952-2001), author; Peter Berg (1962- ), actor/director; Terrence Howard (1969- ), actor; Johnny Knoxville (1971- ), actor; Dan Uggla (1980- ), baseball player; Anton Yelchin (1989- ), actor.
TODAY'S FACT: According to the Forbes 400, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch's net worth was $13.4 billion in 2013.
TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1979, Randy Holt of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings was penalized a record nine times for a total of 67 minutes.
TODAY'S QUOTE: "A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools." -- Douglas Adams, "Mostly Harmless"
TODAY'S NUMBER: 44 -- countries that received the $50 billion in funds and military goods made available under the Lend-Lease Act, signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on this day in 1941.
TODAY'S MOON: Between first quarter moon (March 8) and full moon (March 16).