Today is Thursday, March 3, the 62nd day of 2011. There are 303 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History

On March 3, 1931, President Herbert Hoover signed a congressional resolution making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the national anthem of the United States.

On this date

In 1845, Florida became the 27th state.

In 1849, the U.S. Department of the Interior was established.

In 1969, Apollo 9 blasted off from Cape Kennedy on a mission to test the lunar module.

In 1974, a Turkish Airlines DC-10 crashed shortly after takeoff from Orly Airport in Paris, killing all 346 people on board.

In 1991, motorist Rodney King was beaten by Los Angeles police officers in a scene captured on amateur video.

Today’s Birthdays

Radio personality Ira Glass is 52. Olympic track and field gold medalist Jackie Joyner-Kersee is 49. Country singer Brett Warren (The Warren Brothers) is 40. Actress Jessica Biel is 29. Rock musician Blower (aka Joe Garvey) (Hinder) is 27.

Thought for Today

“America is a tune. It must be sung together.”

— Gerald Stanley Lee,

American clergyman and author (1862-1944)