Today is Tuesday, March 17, the 77th day of 2020. There are 289 days left in the year. This is St. Patrick’s Day.

Today in history

On March 17, 1988, Avianca Flight 410, a Boeing 727, crashed after takeoff into a mountain in Colombia, killing all 143 people on board.

Also on this date:

In 1762, New York held its first St. Patrick’s Day parade.

In 1936, Pittsburgh’s Great St. Patrick’s Day Flood began as the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers and their tributaries, swollen by rain and melted snow, started exceeding flood stage; the high water was blamed for more than 60 deaths.

Fun fact

If you never cut your hair, it would likely stop growing at about two feet long.

Riddle me this

It runs and runs but can never flee. It is often watched, yet never sees. When long it brings boredom, When short it brings fear. What is it?

Spoiler alert — answer below the birthdays.

Trending words

“Lockdown:” noun; (läk-daun). Definition: The confinement of prisoners to their cells for all or most of the day as a temporary security measure, or an emergency measure or condition in which people are temporarily prevented from entering or leaving a restricted area or building during a threat of danger.

— Merriam-Webster

Today’s birthdays

Former astronaut Ken Mattingly is 84. Singer-songwriter Jim Weatherly is 77. Singer-songwriter John Sebastian (The Lovin’ Spoonful) is 76. Former NSA Director and former CIA Director Michael Hayden is 75. Rock musician Harold Brown (War; Lowrider Band) is 74. Actor Patrick Duffy is 71. Actor Kurt Russell is 69. Country singer Susie Allanson is 68. Actress Lesley-Anne Down is 66. Actor Mark Boone Jr. is 65. Country singer Paul Overstreet is 65. Actor Gary Sinise is 65. Actor Christian Clemenson is 62. Former basketball and baseball player Danny Ainge is 61. Actor Arye Gross is 60. Actress Vicki Lewis is 60. Actor Casey Siemaszko is 59. Actor Rob Lowe is 56. Rock singer Billy Corgan is 53. Rock musician Van Conner (Screaming Trees) is 53. Actor Mathew St. Patrick is 52. Actor Yanic Truesdale is 51. Rock musician Melissa Auf der Maur is 48. Olympic gold medal soccer player Mia Hamm is 48. Rock musician Caroline Corr (The Corrs) is 47. Actress Amelia Heinle is 47. Country singer Keifer Thompson (Thompson Square) is 47. Actress Marisa Coughlan is 46. Actress Brittany Daniel is 44. Singer and TV personality Tamar Braxton is 43. Country musician Geoff Sprung (Old Dominion) is 42. Pop/rock singer-songwriter Hozier is 30. Actress Eliza Hope Bennett is 28. Actor John Boyega is 28. Olympic gold medal swimmer Katie Ledecky is 23. Actor Flynn Morrison is 15.

Riddle answer: Time.

The Edge is compiled by Dallas Marshall. She can be contacted at dmarshall@lmtribune.com.