Today is Saturday, March 20, the 79th day of 2021. There are 286 days left in the year. Spring arrives at 5:37 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.

Today in history

On March 20, 1995, in Tokyo, 12 people were killed, more than 5,500 others sickened when packages containing the deadly chemical sarin were leaked on five separate subway trains by Aum Shinrikyo cult members.

Also on this date:

In 1413, England’s King Henry IV died; he was succeeded by Henry V.

In 1727, physicist, mathematician and astronomer Sir Isaac Newton died in London.

In 1815, Napoleon Bonaparte returned to Paris after escaping his exile on Elba, beginning his “Hundred Days” rule.

In 1854, the Republican Party of the United States was founded by slavery opponents at a schoolhouse in Ripon, Wis.

In 1922, the decommissioned USS Jupiter, converted into the first U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, was re-commissioned as the USS Langley.

In 1933, the state of Florida electrocuted Giuseppe Zangara for shooting to death Chicago Mayor Anton J. Cermak at a Miami event attended by President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt, the presumed target, the previous February.

Fun fact

It takes 27 days, 7 hours, and 43 minutes for our Moon to complete one full orbit around Earth

They eat what?!

Herring is eaten raw as a treat in the Netherlands.

Trending words

“Prevaricate:” verb; (prih-VAIR-uh-kayt). Definition: To deviate from the truth: equivocate.

— Merriam-Webster

Today’s birthdays

Actor Hal Linden is 90. Country singer Don Edwards is 82. Basketball Hall of Fame coach Pat Riley is 76. Country singer-musician Ranger Doug (Riders in the Sky) is 75. Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Orr is 73. Blues singer-musician Marcia Ball is 72. Actor William Hurt is 71. Rock musician Carl Palmer (Emerson, Lake and Palmer) is 71. Rock musician Jimmie Vaughan is 70. Country musician Jim Seales (formerly w/Shenandoah) is 67. Actor Amy Aquino is 64. Movie director Spike Lee is 64. Actor Theresa Russell is 64. Actor Vanessa Bell Calloway is 64. Actor Holly Hunter is 63. Actor-model-designer Kathy Ireland is 58. Actor David Thewlis is 58. Actor Jessica Lundy is 55. Actor Liza Snyder is 53. Actor Michael Rapaport is 51. Actor Alexander Chaplin is 50. Actor Cedric Yarbrough is 48. Actor Paula Garcés is 47. Actor Michael Genadry is 43. Actor Bianca Lawson is 42. Comedian-actor Mikey Day is 41. Actor Nick Blood (“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) is 39. Rock musician Nick Wheeler (The All-American Rejects) is 39. Actor Michael Cassidy is 38. Actor-singer Christy Carlson Romano is 37. Actor Ruby Rose is 35. Actor Barrett Doss is 32.

The Edge is compiled by Dallas Marshall. She can be contacted at dmarshall@lmtribune.com.