Moments in Time

+ On March 1, 1692, in Salem, Mass., three women are charged with the illegal practice of witchcraft. More than 150 people were later accused of Satanic practices and the resulting trials ended in the execution of 19 innocent women and men.

+ On March 3, 1863, during the Civil War, the U.S. Congress passes a conscription act that produces the first wartime draft of U.S. citizens in American history. Exemptions from the draft could be bought for $300 or by finding a substitute draftee.

+ On March 2, 1925, shield-shaped highway number markers are used for the first time. Later, interstate highway numbering was improved by the odd-even demarcation that distinguishes between north-south and east-west travel.

+ On March 4, 1944, Louis "Lepke" Buchalter, the head of Murder, Inc., is executed at Sing Sing Prison. He was the leader of the country's largest crime syndicate until members of his killing squad turned into witnesses for the government. Lepke was able to order final hits on his betrayers from jail before his execution.

+ On Feb. 26, 1957, the final radio episode of "Dragnet" airs. Producer and writer Jack Webb tried to make the show as realistic as possible, using real police files: "Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent."

+ On Feb. 27, 1964, the Italian government announces that it is accepting suggestions on how to save the renowned Leaning Tower of Pisa from collapse. In 1999, engineers finally began a slow process of soil extraction under the north side, removing no more than a gallon or two a day. Within six months, the 17-foot tilt had been reduced by an inch.

+ On Feb. 28, 1982, the J. Paul Getty Museum becomes the world's most richly endowed museum when it receives a $1.2 billion bequest left to it by the late J. Paul Getty. During the six years Getty's will was in dispute, the original $700 million bequest to the museum nearly doubled.

(c) 2007 King Features Synd., Inc.