Timothy McVeigh

U.S. President Barack Obama chose the centrist judge Merrick Garland for a pivotal vacancy on the Supreme Court March 16, warning Republican foes their "unprecedented" refusal to consider his nominee threatens the integrity of U.S. institutions.

Obama tapped the 63-year-old judge to replace conservative stalwart Justice Antonin Scalia, who died unexpectedly on March 13.

Boston will revisit the horror of the 2013 Marathon bombings on March 4 when the 21-year-old accused of carrying out the worst attack on US soil since the September 11 strikes goes on trial.