Today is Wednesday, March 9, the 68th day of 2022. There are 297 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On March 9, 1933, Congress, called into special session by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, began its “hundred days” of enacting New Deal legislation.

On this date:

In 1841, the U.S. Supreme Court, in United States v. The Amistad, ruled 7-1 in favor of a group of illegally enslaved Africans who were captured off the U.S. coast after seizing control of a Spanish schooner, La Amistad; the justices ruled that the Africans should be set free.

In 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimac) clashed for five hours to a draw at Hampton Roads, Virginia.

In 1916, more than 400 Mexican raiders led by Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico, killing 18 Americans. During the First World War, Germany declared war on Portugal.

In 1945, during World War II, U.S. B-29 bombers began launching incendiary bomb attacks against Tokyo, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths.

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, raised the standard for public officials to prove they’d been libeled in their official capacity by news organizations.

In 1987, Chrysler Corp. announced it had agreed to buy the financially ailing American Motors Corp.

In 2000, John McCain suspended his presidential campaign, conceding the Republican nomination to George W. Bush. Bill Bradley ended his presidential bid, conceding the Democratic nomination to Vice President Al Gore.

Today’s Birthdays: Former Sen. James L. Buckley, Conservative-N.Y., is 99. Actor Joyce Van Patten is 88. Country singer Mickey Gilley is 86. Actor Trish Van Devere is 81. Singer Mark Lindsay (Paul Revere and the Raiders) is 80. Former ABC anchorman Charles Gibson is 79. Rock musician Robin Trower is 77. Singer Jeffrey Osborne is 74. Actor Juliette Binoche is 58.