TODAY IN HISTORY - MARCH 19TH

1863 – The SS Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, medicines and merchandise then valued at over $1,000,000.

1918 – The U.S. Congress establishes time zones and approves daylight saving time.

1920 – The United States Senate rejects the Treaty of Versailles for the second time (the first time was on November 19, 1919).

1943 – Frank Nitti, the Chicago Outfit Boss after Al Capone, commits suicide at the Chicago Central Railyard.

1944 – Sirhan Sirhan, Palestinian-Jordanian assassin of Robert F. Kennedy is born.

1945 – World War II: Off the coast of Japan, a dive bomber hits the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, killing 724 of her crew. Badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the U.S. under her own power.

1952 – Harvey Weinstein, American director and producer, co-founded Miramax Films and The Weinstein Company is born.

1954 – Joey Giardello knocks out Willie Tory in round seven at Madison Square Garden in the first televised prize boxing fight shown in colour.

1954 – Willie Mosconi sets a world record by running 526 consecutive balls without a miss during a straight pool exhibition at East High Billiard Club in Springfield, Ohio. The record still stands today.

1955 – Bruce Willis, American actor and producer is born.

1962 – Highly influential artist, Bob Dylan releases his first album, Bob Dylan, on Columbia Records label.

1965 – The wreck of the SS Georgiana, valued at over $50,000,000 and said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is discovered by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence, exactly 102 years after its destruction.

1966 – Texas Western becomes the first college basketball team to win the Final four with an all-black starting lineup.

1977 – Fayez Banihammad, Emirati terrorist, hijacker of United Airlines Flight 175 (d. 2001) is born.

1979 – The United States House of Representatives begins broadcasting its day-to-day business via the cable television network C-SPAN.

1987 – Televangelist Jim Bakker resigns as head of the PTL Club due to a brewing sex scandal; he hands over control to Jerry Falwell.

1988 – Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers star baseball pitcher is born.

2005 – John DeLorean, American engineer and businessman, founded the DeLorean Motor Company (b. 1925) dies.

2014 – Ken Forsse, American toy creator and author, created Teddy Ruxpin (b. 1936) dies.