ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1855, "Border Ruffians" from Missouri invaded Kansas during the territory's first election, forcing the election of a pro-slavery legislature.

Today is the 89th day of 2017 and the 11th day of spring.

In 1867, U.S. Secretary of State William H. Seward completed the purchase of Alaska for $7.2 million.

In 1870, the U.S. Congress readmitted Texas to the Union.

In 1964, the TV quiz show "Jeopardy!" premiered on NBC with host Art Fleming.

In 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest in an assassination attempt by John Hinckley Jr.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Francisco Goya (1746-1828), painter; Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), painter; John Astin (1930- ), actor; Warren Beatty (1937- ), actor/director; Eric Clapton (1945- ), singer-songwriter/musician; Paul Reiser (1957- ), actor/comedian; Piers Morgan (1965- ), TV personality; Celine Dion (1968- ), singer-songwriter; Secretariat (1970-1989), racehorse; Norah Jones (1979- ), singer-songwriter/musician; Richard Sherman (1988- ), football player.

TODAY'S FACT: The purchase of Alaska added 663,267 square miles to the United States for less than $11 per square mile.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1990, Jack Nicklaus made his debut in the Senior PGA Tour (since renamed the Champions Tour).

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Someone has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passersby see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney and then go on their way." -- Vincent van Gogh

TODAY'S NUMBER: $1,075,500 -- final sale price of a pristine copy of Detective Comics No. 27, featuring the first full appearance of Batman, at a 2010 auction. The comic book was released (with a cover price of 10 cents) on this day in 1939.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (March 27) and first quarter moon (April 3).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 88th day of 2017 and the 10th day of spring.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1867, the Dominion of Canada was established.

In 1951, Ethel and Julius Rosenberg were convicted of conspiracy to commit espionage.

In 1973, the last U.S. troops left South Vietnam, bringing an end to direct U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War.

In 1999, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 10,000 (10,006.78) for the first time.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: John Tyler (1790-1862), 10th U.S. president; Denton True "Cy" Young (1867-1955), baseball player; Sam Walton (1918-1992), Wal-Mart founder; Eric Idle (1943- ), actor/comedian; Walt Frazier (1945- ), basketball player; Earl Campbell (1955- ), football player; Brendan Gleeson (1955- ), actor; Amy Sedaris (1961- ), author/actress; Elle Macpherson (1964- ), supermodel/actress; Lucy Lawless (1968- ), actress; Robert Gibbs (1971- ), political adviser; Lara Logan (1971- ), journalist; Jennifer Capriati (1976- ), tennis player.

TODAY'S FACT: NASA's Mariner 10 space probe was the first spacecraft to complete a flyby of Mercury. The first of its three encounters with the planet took place on this day in 1974.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1999, Wayne Gretzky (then of the New York Rangers) scored his last professional goal, bringing his career total to an NHL-record 894.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Patronage is the sword and cannon by which war may be made on the liberty of the human race." -- John Tyler

TODAY'S NUMBER: 35.4 million -- estimated population of Canada in July 2016.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (March 27) and first quarter moon (April 3).

ANDREWS MCMEEL ALMANAC

Today is the 87th day of 2017 and the ninth day of spring.

TODAY'S HISTORY: In 1898, the Supreme Court ruled that a child born in the United States is a U.S. citizen.

In 1939, the Spanish Civil War ended with the surrender of Republican defenders of Madrid to Francisco Franco's rebel forces.

In 1979, a pressure valve in a reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear plant failed to close, causing a near-critical meltdown.

TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS: Maxim Gorky (1868-1936), author; Freddie Bartholomew (1924-1992), actor; Mario Vargas Llosa (1936- ), author; Jerry Sloan (1942- ), basketball player/coach; Rick Barry (1944- ), basketball player; Dianne Wiest (1948- ), actress; Reba McEntire (1955- ), singer-songwriter/actress; Chris Myers (1959- ), sportscaster; Cheryl James aka Salt (1966- ), rapper; Vince Vaughn (1970- ), actor; Nick Frost (1972- ), actor/screenwriter; Julia Stiles (1981- ), actress; Lady Gaga (1986- ), singer-songwriter and actress.

TODAY'S FACT: The cleanup of the damaged nuclear reactor at Three Mile Island after the 1979 meltdown took nearly 14 years and cost approximately $973 million.

TODAY'S SPORTS: In 1984, movers hired by Baltimore Colts owner Bob Irsay arrived at the team's offices in the middle of the night and moved the NFL franchise to Indianapolis, a move Irsay had not announced publicly.

TODAY'S QUOTE: "Good literature erects bridges between different peoples, and by having us enjoy, suffer or feel surprise, unites us beneath the languages, beliefs, habits, customs and prejudices that separate us." -- Mario Vargas Llosa

TODAY'S NUMBER: 21 -- percentage of U.S. native children ages 0-17 with at least one foreign-born parent in 2014.

TODAY'S MOON: Between new moon (March 27) and first quarter moon (April 3).