By The Associated Press

Today in History

Today is Wednesday, March 8, the 67th day of 2017. There are 298 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlights in History:

On March 8, 1917, Russia’s “February Revolution” (referring to the Old Style calendar) began in Petrograd; the result was the abdication of the Russian monarchy in favor of a provisional government that was overthrown later the same year by the Bolsheviks. Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin, 78, creator of the rigid airships bearing his name, died in Berlin. The U.S. Senate voted to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule.

On this date:

In 1702, England’s Queen Anne acceded to the throne upon the death of King William III.

In 1817, the New York Stock & Exchange Board, which had its beginnings in 1792, was formally organized; it later became known as the New York Stock Exchange.

In 1854, U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry made his second landing in Japan; within a month, he concluded a treaty with the Japanese.

In 1874, the 13th president of the United States, Millard Fillmore, died in Buffalo, New York, at age 74.

In 1930, the 27th president of the United States, William Howard Taft, died in Washington at age 72.

In 1942, Imperial Japanese forces occupied Rangoon (Yangon) during World War II.

In 1965, the United States landed its first combat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines arrived to defend the U.S. air base at Da Nang.

In 1966, Nelson’s Pillar, a 120-foot-high column in Dublin honoring British naval hero Horatio Nelson, was bombed by the Irish Republican Army.

In 1979, technology firm Philips demonstrated a prototype compact disc player during a press conference in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

In 1983, in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals convention in Orlando, Florida, President Ronald Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an “evil empire.”

In 1999, baseball Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio died in Hollywood, Florida, at age 84.

In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 with 239 people on board, vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, setting off a massive search. (To date, the fate of the jetliner and its occupants has yet to be determined.)

Ten years ago: President George W. Bush arrived in Sao Paulo, Brazil, as he began a 6-day tour of Latin America. House Democrats unveiled legislation to require the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the fall of 2008; the White House said President Bush would veto it.

Thought for Today: “Contemplation seems to be about the only luxury that costs nothing.” — Dodie Smith, English playwright (1896-1990).