TODAY IN HISTORY - MARCH 14TH

1757 – Admiral Sir John Byng is executed by firing squad aboard HMS Monarch for breach of the Articles of War.

1794 – Eli Whitney is granted a patent for the cotton gin.

1874 – Anton Philips, Dutch businessman, co-founded Philips Electronics (d. 1951) is born.

1887 – Sylvia Beach, American-French publisher, founded Shakespeare and Company (d. 1962) is born.

1900 – The Gold Standard Act is ratified, placing United States currency on the gold standard.

1903 – The Hay–Herrán Treaty, granting the United States the right to build the Panama Canal, is ratified by the United States Senate. The Colombian Senate would later reject the treaty.

1903 – Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge is established by US President Theodore Roosevelt.

1910 – Lakeview Gusher, the largest U.S. oil well gusher near Bakersfield, California, vents to atmosphere.

1920 – Hank Ketcham, American author and cartoonist, created Dennis the Menace (d. 2001) is born.

1921 – S. Truett Cathy, American businessman, founded Chick-fil-A (d. 2014) is born.

1925 – William Clay Ford, Sr., American businessman (d. 2014) is born.

1933 – Quincy Jones, American singer-songwriter, trumpet player, and producer is born.

1936 – The first all-sound film version of Show Boat opens at Radio City Music Hall.

1942 – Orvan Hess and John Bumstead became the first in the United States successfully to treat a patient, Anne Miller, using penicillin.

1948 – Billy Crystal, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter is born.

1951 – Jerry Greenfield, American businessman and philanthropist, co-founded Ben & Jerry's is born.

1961 – Mike Lazaridis, Turkish–Canadian businessman and philanthropist, founded BlackBerry Limited is born.

1964 – A jury in Dallas finds Jack Ruby guilty of killing Lee Harvey Oswald, the assumed assassin of John F. Kennedy.

1967 – The body of U.S. President John F. Kennedy is moved to a permanent burial place at Arlington National Cemetery.

1995 – Space exploration: Astronaut Norman Thagard becomes the first American astronaut to ride to space on board a Russian launch vehicle.

1997 – Simone Biles, American gymnast is born.