Today in History....March 19

On this day in …

* 1917, the Supreme Court, in Wilson v. New, upheld the eight-hour work day for railroad workers

* 1918, Congress approved Daylight-Saving Time

* 1931, Nevada Gov. Fred B. Balzar signed a measure legalizing casino gambling

* 1945, Adolf Hitler, ym"sh, issued his so-called "Nero Decree,"
ordering the destruction of German facilities that could fall into Allied hands. ALSO: During World War II, 724 people were killed when a Japanese dive bomber attacked the U.S. carrier Franklin off Japan; the ship, however, was saved

* 1951, Herman Wouk's World War II novel "The Caine Mutiny" was first published

* 1979, the U.S. House of Representatives began televising its day-to-day business

* 2003, President Bush ordered the start of war against Iraq.
(Because of the time difference, it was early March 20 in Iraq.)

* 1997, following the withdrawal of Anthony Lake, President Clinton nominated acting CIA Director George Tenet to head the nation's spy agency. ALSO: President Clinton departed Washington for his summit in Helsinki, Finland, with Russian President Boris Yeltsin. AND:
Artist Willem de Kooning, considered one of the 20th century's greatest painters, died in East Hampton, N.Y., at age 92

* 2002, U.S. intelligence analyst Ana Belen Montes pleaded guilty in federal court to spying for Cuba; she was later sentenced to 25 years in prison