On March 24, 1989, one of the nation's worst oil spills occurred as the supertanker Exxon Valdez ran aground on a reef in Alaska's Prince William Sound and began leaking 11 million gallons of crude.
On March 24, 1874, Harry Houdini, the Hungarian-born magician and escape artist, was born. Following his death on Oct. 31, 1926, his obituary appeared in The Times.
Britain enacted the Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to provide temporary housing to British soldiers.
German scientist Robert Koch announced in Berlin that he had discovered the bacillus responsible for tuberculosis.
Long-distance telephone service was inaugurated between Chicago and New York City.
The home of vaudeville, the Palace Theatre, opened in New York City.
"Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" by Tennessee Williams opened on Broadway.
Elvis Presley was inducted into the Army in Memphis, Tenn.
The album "Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd was released.
Joseph Ratzinger, the future Pope Benedict XVI, was named archbishop of Munich and Freising in Germany.
A 13-year-old boy and his 11-year-old cousin opened fire outside their school in Jonesboro, Ark., killing four students and a teacher and injuring 10.
NATO launched airstrikes against Yugoslavia - the first time the alliance had attacked a sovereign country.
Apple Computer Inc.'s operating system Mac OS X went on sale.
Halle Berry became the first African-American performer to win a best actress Oscar, for "Monster's Ball."
The U.S. Supreme Court denied an appeal from the parents of Terri Schiavo to have a feeding tube reinserted into the severely brain-damaged woman.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney underwent a heart transplant at a Virginia hospital.
Harry Houdini 3/24/1874 - 10/31/1926 American magician and escape artist.Go to obituary »
Georgius Agricola 3/24/1494 - 11/21/1555
German scholar and scientist known as the "father of mineralogy"
Rufus King 3/24/1755 - 4/29/1827
American founding father; helped frame the Constitution
Thos.Spencer Baynes 3/24/1823 - 5/31/1887
English editor of 9th edition of Encyclopedia Britannica
William Morris 3/24/1834 - 10/3/1896
English designer, craftsman and poet
Andrew Mellon 3/24/1855 - 8/26/1937
American financier, philanthropist and secretary of the treasury
Emile Fabre 3/24/1869 - 9/25/1955
French playwright and administrator of the Comedie-Francaise
Edward Weston 3/24/1886 - 1/1/1958
American photographer
Fatty Arbuckle 3/24/1887 - 6/29/1933
American silent film actor
Wilhelm Reich 3/24/1897 - 11/3/1957
Austrian psychologist
Thomas E. Dewey 3/24/1902 - 3/16/1971
Governor of New York (1943-55); and unsuccessful presidential contender (1944,48)
Clyde Barrow 3/24/1909 - 5/23/1934
American small-time robber