Spotlight
Forty-five years ago today, more than 200,000 supporters of civil rights gathered on the Mall in Washington, DC. This was the culmination of their March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and they waited to hear what would go down in American history as one of the greatest speeches ever given. Martin Luther King, Jr., speaking from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, said, "I have a dream"; he spoke of a time when people of all colors would live together in peace and harmony. Forty years later, almost to the day, an inscription in the granite leading up to the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated, commemorating Dr. King's speech.

Quote
"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." — Martin Luther King, Jr.

Question of the Day
Why did Martin Luther King Jr. write the Letter from Birmingham Jail?
Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote an open letter which became dubbed the Letter from Birmingham Jail on April 16, 1963. He had been arrested during a peaceful protest against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama.

Red

Word of the day
red herring
Something that draws attention away from the central issue, as in Talking about the new plant is a red herring to keep us from learning about downsizing plans. The herring in this expression is red and strong-smelling from being preserved by smoking. The idiom alludes to dragging a smoked herring across a trail to cover up the scent and throw off tracking dogs. [Late 1800s] (© Houghton Mifflin Company)

Today's History

The Peace Palace

• Scientific American: pop-science magazine began publication (1845)
• Peace Palace: the home of the International Court of Justice and other institutions was inaugurated in the Hague (1913)
• filibuster: the longest solo one — 24 hours, 18 minutes — began on this day by Sen. Strom Thurmond in opposition to the Civil Rights Act of 1957 (1957)

Today's Birthdays

Lou Piniella

• Elizabeth Ann Seton (1774-1821): America's first native-born saint
• Lou Piniella (65): Chicago Cubs manager
• Rita Dove (56): first African-American US poet laureate
• Scott Hamilton (50): Olympic gold-medalist in figure skating
• Shania Twain (43): country music singer; LeAnn Rimes (26) is another singer of country music born on this date
• Jack Black (39): actor/musician, School of Rock, Tropic Thunder; also, actors Charles Boyer (1899-1978), Ben Gazzara (78), Ken Jenkins (68), David Soul (65), Daniel Stern (51), Emma Samms (48), Billy Boyd (40), Jason Priestley (39) and Carly Pope (28)