Today is Wednesday, March 17, the 76th day of 2010. There are 289 days left in the year. This is St. Patrick’s Day.

Today’s Highlight in History

On March 17, A.D. 461 (or A.D. 493, depending on sources), St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, died in Saul.

One year ago

U.S. journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee were detained by North Korea while reporting on North Korean refugees living across the border in China. (Both were convicted of entering North Korea illegally and were sentenced to 12 years of hard labor; both were freed in Aug. 2009 after former President Bill Clinton met with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.) The Seattle Post-Intelligencer published its final print edition.

Today’s Birthdays

The former national chairwoman of the NAACP, Myrlie Evers-Williams, is 77. Actor Patrick Duffy is 61. Actor Kurt Russell is 59. Actress Lesley-Anne Down is 56. Actor Gary Sinise is 55. Actor Rob Lowe is 46. Rock singer Billy Corgan is 43. Actor Mathew St. Patrick is 42. Rock musician Caroline Corr (The Corrs) is 37. Actress Marisa Coughlan is 36. Rapper Swifty (D12) is 35. Actress Natalie Zea is 35. Actress Brittany Daniel is 34. Actress Eliza Hope Bennett is 18.

Thought for Today

“Television is a device that permits people who haven’t anything to do to watch people who can’t do anything.”

— Fred Allen, American comedian (1894-1956)