Today in HistoryToday is Tuesday, March 13, the 72nd day of 2007. There are 293 days left in the year.

ON THIS DATE<$>

In 1781, the planet Uranus was discovered by Sir William Herschel.

In 1884, the US Congress adopted Eastern Standard Time for the District of Columbia.

In 1969, the Apollo 9 astronauts splashed down, ending a mission that included the successful testing of the Lunar Module.

In 1990, the Soviet parliament voted to end the political monopoly of the Communist Party after 72 years.

In 2001, Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban completed the destruction of two ancient statues of the Buddha in Bamiyan.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

“The history of the world is the verdict of the world.” — Friedrich von Schiller, German author (1759-1805).