TODAY IN THE WORLD

March 9 is the 68th day of this year,  and 297 days remain until the end of 2026. Going back through known history, what in the past happened on March 29?

• 1044:  The people of Constantinople rioted against emperor Constantine for preferring his mistress over the empress.
• 1766:  Scottish philosopher Adam Smith publishes The Wealth of Nations.
• 
  1796:  Napoleon Bonaparte married his first wife, Josephine.  
• Annulled in 1810 for no children.  
• So he then married Marie-Louise of Austria, who gave birth to Napoleon II in 1811.
• She was the first child of Maria Theresa (photo to the right), my selection as the Most Extraordinary Female in History.  

• 
  Never heard of her?  Read my posting.
• She had 16 children, and her youngest daughter, Marie Antoinette, became Queen of France and guillotined.
• While all that was happening, she became the first female empress over the Austria-Hungarian Empire at the age of 23.  She was most active at around the time of the American Revolution.
• 
  1842:  Gold first discovered at Rancho San Francisco, six years before the Gold Rush.
• 1933:  The Great Depression goes on and FDR sells his New Deal.
• 1945:  U.S. firebombs Tokyo, killing over 100,000 civilians.
• 1959:  Barbie doll makes her debut.
• Nothing much more has happened on this day since 1959.

I should add that today is:

Some details:

• At one time, 56 member nations made up the British Empire, or Commonwealth.  
• You know how many are still voluntary members?  56, representing 2.7 billion people.
• Bet you don't know for sure if the USA is still a member.  The answer is no because we gained independence in 1776, and the Commonwealth was only formed in 1931.
• How is this day celebrated?  Each country has events and ceremonies, with a central service at Westminster Abbey.
• 
  Fill Our Staplers Day is a tongue-in-cheek observance created by the Dull Men's Club to remind workers to refill their staplers before an empty one causes frustration at the worst possible moment.  This club also created Check Your Batteries Day, which occurred on March 7.
• 
  National American Paddlefish Day was established only in 2019 by the Shreveport Aquarium in Louisiana to raise awareness about this species, which has been around for over 300 million years.  Yesterday I remarked that we hominids, when we broke off from the apes, have only been here for 10 million years.  The American Paddlefish, though, is nearing extinction as the last of its species, now that a Chinese relative disappeared, the last one seen in the Yangtze River in 2013.
• If further interested in the rest of the days, click on this.

Also today, our global weather is fine, with no cyclonic storms.  Otherwise.

• The USA and Israel continue to crush Iran.
• President Donald Trump specifically warned Iran not to place the son of the assassinated Supreme Leader as head of the new government.  So, of course Mojtaba Khamenei was selected as the new leader.  Trump is 79, while Khamenei Jr is 56.  Odds on who will live longer?
• 
  The American death toll is now up to 7.  Iran?  More than 1200.  Top officials?  Anywhere  from 40 to 50.  See this Wikipedia list.
• Note that no American citizen or tourist has yet died in the Middle East in this current war.
• More so, Iran has been powerless to conduct any revenge campaign in the Continental USA.  That Austin, Texas shooting and the more recent Gracie Mansion attack might have been influenced by Islamic feelings, but no pre-planned terroristic activities yet.
• 
  As both Israel and Iran are bombing oil facilities, and the Strait of Hormuz continues to remain iffy, oil prices surged past $100/barrel today.  Went up to $116/barrel, but when I last checked, had dropped back down to $85/barrel.  So prices are erratic.
• This Iranian affair is gobbling up all the headlines, burying serious talk about the latest Epstein file disclosure.

Otherwise, there is March Madness, and while the cards for the Big Dance will not be announced until next Sunday, it appears that the top four seeds for the men's NCAA basketball championship will be Duke, Michigan, Arizona and Florida.  The women's bracket at this time shows Duke, UCLA, Texas and West Virginia at the top, but Connecticut will most likely be one of the four, even though they just lost to Marquette.  

I haven't been paying attention to the World Baseball Classic, but here are some facts and thoughts.

• This is the 6th edition, held every three years, now featuring 20 national teams from March 5-17.
• World rankings as of August 2026:  #1 Japan, #2 Chinese Taipei, #3 Venezuela, #4 Mexico and #5 USA.
• 
  Reigning champion is Japan, and they remain tough, currently with a 3-0 record.  Otherwise, the USA looks pretty good this year.  Watch the highlights of Japan beating the USA in 2023.  Again, a video of that final out:  Japan 3 - U.S. 2, Ohtani pitching against Trout in ninth inning.  Full count.... The Dominican Republic is dangerous, now at 3-0.
• There is a strict pitcher usage limits and mandatory rest days are enforced.  A pitch timer will be used.
• The tournament features pool play in Tokyo, San Juan (Puerto Rico), Houston and Miami.
• The top two teams from each of the four pools will advance to a single-elimination knockout stage, quarterfinals, semifinals and championship.
• The quarterfinals will occur in Miami and Houston, with the semifinals and final game in LoanDepot Park, home of the Miami Marlins.

• 
  It's a bit complicated, but pool play in this Classic could determine who will qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
• The USA is in Pool B with Mexico, Italy, Brazil and Great Britain.  So far, with 2-0 records, are Mexico, Italy and the USA.
• Today at 8PM EDT on your local NBC station, the USA plays Mexico in Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros.
• Tomorrow at 9PM EDT on FS1, the USA plays Italy.

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