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Thursday, March 20, 2025
Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere
Important Events From This day in History March 20
1995 Japan Sarin Gas Terrorist Attack
1995 : Five two man terrorist teams from the Aum Shinrikyo religious (doomsday cult), riding on separate subway trains, converge at the Kasumigaseki station and secretly release lethal sarin gas into the air causing the death of Twelve people, and a further 5,500 treated in hospitals.
1920 U.S.A. Treaty of Versailles
1920 : A story was printed regarding the return of the Treaty of Versailles which was returned to President Wilson. It had failed Senate ratification four times the night before. This treaty was intended to mark the official end of World War I, even though a majority of the fighting had stopped in 1918. This was probably one of the most controversial documents created within the 20th Century, and was signed between Allied and Associated forces of World War I and Germany.
1922 US All Homes Must Have Mail Boxes
1922 : The US Postmaster General ( Hubert Work ) ordered all homes to get mailboxes or relinquish delivery of mail.
1933 Italy New Peace Plan
1933 : A new plan for peace was being discussed between various European countries. This plan was being facilitated by leaders such as Premiers Benito Mussolini of Italy and Premier Ramsey Mac Donald of Great Britain.
1933 US Roosevelt Resolves To Help America Out Of Great Depression
1933 : Within one month of taking office President Roosevelt set about pulling America out of the depths of the worst depression in history. He temporarily closed the nation's banks. He passed emergency legislation aimed at stabilizing financial institutions. Spoke on the nations radio airwaves giving people hope and a much needed pep talk. Signed the Economy Act into law which cut salaries of federal employees including war veterans.
1935 U.S.A. Your Hit Parade
1935 : The American radio show “Your Hit Parade” makes its debut on the airwaves. In the following years, it becomes the jumping point for many of the most successful singers and artists in the music industry.
1945 World War II Mandalay
1945 : The Japanese capture Mandalay in May 1942, and British troops liberate Mandalay, Burma from the Japanese.
1948 Australia Workers Wanted
1948 : An Australian firm had put an ad in a newspaper dated this date for the recruitment of workers. They were willing to pay up to $32.00 to each employee that referred workers to the company (upon hire). This was considered a “fair chunk of change” in this time-equivalent to approximately $276.58 in 2007.
1951 Korean War
1951 : Americans were fighting on the Central Korean front. While doing so, they came against a strong resistance. The Red Army (communists) attacked from hill positions. Furthermore, a news blackout was ordered by General MacArthur in Tokyo.
1954 Vietnam War
1954 : 60,000 Viet Minh with heavy artillery surround 16,000 French troops, but the french held out for a further 6 weeks before being overcome by the greater numbers and defeated.
1955 Americans Charged in Japan
1955 : In Japan, two Americans were charge of involuntary manslaughter after a girl was shot. These Americans were acquitted, and this situation was ruled to be an accident.
1963 U.S.A. “Chute Less” Parachutes
1963 : The U.S. Air Force made plans to start using “chute-less” parachutes. Assault troops would be exiting aircraft without them fairly soon, as of this period of time in history.
1965 U.S.A. Governor Wallace Alabama
1965 : President Lyndon B Johnson informs Governor Wallace the Alabama Governor that he will call up the Alabama National Guard to supervise and ensure the safety of a planned civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery after the last march which had been shown on Television with local police and state troopers using Billy clubs and tear gas on the marchers.
1966 England World Cup
1966 : The World Cup, was stolen while on display at Westminster Hall in London, the World Cup was on show prior to the start of the World Cup tournament in Britain later in the year. It was found 1 week later in a in South London garden wrapped in a newspapers. England did go on to win the World Cup later in the year beating West Germany in the final.
1969 John Lennon Marries Again
1969 : John Lennon of the Beatles marries Yoko Ono a Japanese avant-garde artist and musician.
1971 Ireland Major James Chichester-Clark
1971 : Major James Chichester-Clark made his resignation known. This action was said to have caused a severe political crisis in Ireland at this time. No one was immediately in line to replace Clark, whose decision to step down was largely influenced by right-wing Unionist Party members. This militant group was working to squelch Irish Republican terrorism.
1974 England Princess Anne
1974 : Princess Anne and husband Captain Mark Phillips escape a kidnapping attempt as they were returning to Buckingham Palace
1976 U.S.A. Patricia Hearst
1976 : Patricia Hearst, was convicted of taking part in a San Francisco bank robbery conducted by those who originally kidnapped her the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA).
1981 Germany Army Commissioners
1981 : Usually when the Army Commissioners had changed their prices each month all the store shelf prices would change as well. However, a new policy was established. The prices on the shelves would remain the same while the prices of new items would change.
1987 USA AZT Approved
1987 : The Food and Drug Administration approved the sale of ( azidothymidine ) AZT, a drug shown to prolong the lives of some AIDS patients. A little known fact is that it was originally intended to treat cancer in 1924 but did not do well in trials, and had an unacceptably high side effect profile. AZT does not destroy the HIV infection, but only delays the progression of the disease and the replication of virus. AZT is generally used in a cocktail of other drugs to treat AIDS Patients and also as a preventive treatment.
Today in Labor History March 20, 2025
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R.B. Grover shoe factory
Michigan authorized the formation of workers’ cooperatives. Thirteen were formed in the state over a 25-year period. Labor reform organizations advocated for “cooperation” over “competitive” capitalism following the Civil War and several thousand cooperatives opened for business across the country during this era. Participants envisioned a world free from conflict where workers would receive the full value of their labor and freely exercise democratic citizenship in the political and economic realms. – 1865
The R.B. Grover shoe factory in Brockton, Massachusetts, collapsed and burst into flames after its old boiler exploded and shot up through three floors and the roof. 58 people were killed and 150 were injured. The incident led to the passage of a national boiler safety code. – 1905
The American Federation of Labor issued a charter to a new Building Trades Department. Trades unions had formed a Structural Building Trades Alliance several years earlier to work out jurisdictional conflicts, but lacked the power to enforce Alliance rulings. – 1908
Detroit police evicted strikers from the Newton Packing Company. Three hours later, 150 police attacked sit-down strikers at a tobacco plant. By April 1, there were over 120,000 striking auto workers in Michigan. – 1937
Members of the International Union of Electrical Workers reached agreement with Westinghouse Electric Corp., ending a 156-day strike. – 1956
Three hundred family farmers at a National Pork Producers Council meeting in Iowa protested factory-style hog farms. – 1997
Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Wednesday Morning in the Blogosphere
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SF Chronicle & KCRA team up on video news - E&P Magazine
Chicago Sun-Times to lose 20% of staff after buyout offer - Chicago Sun-Times
Important Events From This day in History March 19
1987 U.S.A. Televangelist Jim Bakker
1987 : Televangelist Jim Bakker resigned as chairman of his PTL ministry organization and hands over control to Jerry Falwell. The PTL ministry had average viewers numbering over twelve million, amid the scandal involving a former church secretary, Jessica Hahn who was paid $279,000 from PTL funds to keep secret her allegation that he had raped her. During the earlier period the PTL ministry organization had raised millions to build Heritage USA a Christian theme park, water park and residential complex which between 1978, and 1986 was one of the top vacation destinations in the country . Following the scandal and large losses "Heritage USA" was forced to close.
In 1989, after a five week trial in Charlotte, the jury found Jim Bakker guilty on a number of accounting fraud and conspiracy charges, and Judge Robert Potter sentenced him to 45 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine. He was released on Parole in 1993 after serving 5 years and in 1992 Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker were divorced.1964 England New Towns Needed
1964 : A study, estimates the country's population will increase by three million by the early 1980s and highlights the need for expansion of existing cities and the creation of three new towns in the South East. The three "new towns" that were created were:
Milton Keynes formally designated as a new town on 23 January 1967 Current Population estimate 184,506.
Milton Keynes was one of the first towns / cities built in the UK that had a grid road system similar to cities in the US ( straight roads North / South and East / West )
Both Havant and Basingstoke did exist prior to 1964 but the number of houses and people living in the area significantly increased over the next two decades as green belt land was released for building.
2001 U.S.A. California Rolling Blackouts
2001 : California officials order the first of a further two days of rolling blackouts.
Rolling blackouts had began on
June 14th, 2000 due to a heatwave
January 17-18, 2001
March 19-20, 2001
May 7-8, 2001
The California electricity crisis which included extremely high prices and Rolling blackouts was a direct result from the manipulation of energy of a partially deregulated California energy system by companies like Enron and Reliant Energy.
1982 England Falkland Islands
1982 : 50 Argentines land at Leith Harbour, on South Georgia a British colony of the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic and planted their nation's flag. Argentina invades the Falkland Islands on April 2nd and British Marines are deployed to regain the Island on April 25th
1916 U.S.A. First Use Of Air Combat
1916 : The first use of air combat by the US when Eight Curtiss "Jenny" planes of the First Aero Squadron are used in support for the 7,000 U.S. troops who invaded Mexico to capture Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa.
1918 U.S.A. Daylight Saving Time
1918 : The US Congress approves daylight-saving time. Germany started the use of DST in 1916 and other countries followed suit. Daylight saving time or British summer time is the practice of adjusting clocks forward one hour near the start of spring so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less, and adjusting them backwards in the Autumn by 1 hour. It is not used universally world wide but is common in Europe and North America.
1920 U.S.A. Treaty of Versailles
1920 : The senate voted to refused to ratify the treaty of Versailles that would end the nations war status.
1921 Argentina Wheat Export Tax
1921 : It was revealed that Buenos Aires would not add on a new wheat export tax. It was said that uncertainty of this decision had cause the wheat industry to be unstable for a period of time.
1931 U.S.A. Gambling
1931 : The Nevada state legislature votes to legalize gambling hoping to bring much needed money to the state in the worst of the depression years.
1932 Australia Sydney Harbor Bridge Opens
1932 : The Sydney Harbour Bridge the fourth-longest spanning-arch bridge in the world across Sydney Harbour officially opened. The bridge was designed to carry road traffic, railway traffic and a footpath on each side.
1938 Spain Civil War
1938 : Cabinet members were divided on the issue of whether or not the civil war should end. Fierce fighting occurred while the cabinet convened at the capital building. A fourth of the population of Barcelona had fled into the mountains and set up camp to hide from bombings.
1941 U.S.A. Jimmy Dorsey
1941 : Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra record the hits "Green Eyes" and "Maria Elena." The album hit the Billboard charts two months later and spent 17 weeks on it, peaking at #1 in mid-June. Both songs eventually hit #1, making the album a major hit.
1945 Japan USS Carrier Franklin
1945 : Japanese aircraft attack the USS carrier Franklin off Japan, killing about 724 of the crew. The ship did not sink and managed to limp back to Pearl Harbor for repairs.
1948 Germany Communist Demonstrators
1948 : About 70,000 demonstrators crowded the streets of Berlin. About half of them were supporters of the Communist Party, while others were supporters of the Anti-Communist movement. This event was coordinated by the “Communist-Controlled Socialist Unity Party.” All other political groups of Berlin had boycotted this event.
1953 U.S.A. Academy Awards
1953 : The Academy Awards was televised for the first time with Bob Hope as the host.
1955 U.S.A. Billy Graham
1955 : President Eisenhower and his wife had met Reverend Billy Graham in person. They exchanged cordial greetings and chatted with him after services, which took place at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington.
1967 England Sexism By Judge
1967 : Twelve women were responsible for deciding the verdict of a theft trial. They had determined in 38 minutes that the defendant was guilty. A judge was astounded, and complimented them-saying they were women, but “equal to a jury of 12 gentlemen in arriving at the truth of the matter.”
1970 Germany Leaders Meet for First Time
1970 : The leaders of East Germany and West Germany meet for the first time since the country was divided in 1949 following the end of the second world war.
1971 Turkey Nihat Erim
1971 : Nihat Erim had his work cut out for him as Turkey’s new premier (prime minister). Erim was called upon by President Cevdet Sunay to form a new Turkish government, which was in total crisis. Before Erim became premier of Turkey, he was the head of a conservative group that belonged to the Republicans People Party. His current order of business as prime minister was to form a governmental structure which would satisfy the major political parties of the country. Erim also was responsible for making sure that the new governmental set-up would satisfy military commanders threatening a takeover.
1971 Peru Earthquake
1971 : An earthquake sets off a landslide, flood and avalanche that result in the destruction of the town of Chungar, Peru, and the death of most of the towns people.
Today in Labor History March 19, 2025
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Fifth Avenue Coach
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Adamson Act, a federal law that established an 8-hour workday, with overtime pay, for interstate railway workers. Congress passed the law in 1916 to avert a nationwide rail strike. – 1917
During the Great Depression, 1,100 men standing in a breadline in New York City seized two truckloads of bread and rolls as they were being delivered to a nearby hotel. – 1930
In an effort to block massive layoffs and end a strike, New York City moved to condemn and seize Fifth Avenue Coach, the largest privately owned bus company in the world. – 1962
Three workers are killed, five injured during a test of the Space Shuttle Columbia - 1981
Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Tuesday Morning in the Blogosphere
You’re already using OSINT — now learn how to master it - E&P Magazine
The most innovative companies in media and news for 2025 - Fast Company
Wired is dropping paywalls for FOIA-based reporting - Freedom of the Press
Important Events From This day in History March 18
2005 U.S.A. Terri Schiavo
2005 : Doctors in Florida, acting on orders of a state judge, removed Terri Schiavo's feeding tube. (She died 13 days later). Terri Schiavo had originally suffered severe brain injury on February 25th, 1990 after a long period without oxygen following a collapse in her apartment. The case for her be removed from life support with all the interested parties started in 1998 with it continuing till the time of her death , the parents of Terri wanted their daughter to continue with life support but the husband believed his wife would not have wanted to live in this way.
The legal history around the Schiavo case included Florida courts,Federal District Court, Supreme Court of Florida and the Supreme Court of the United States. And the interested parties who became involved included Pope John Paul II, politicians and advocacy groups including pro-life and disability rights, the case was featured on many news and discussion programs which helped to highlight the difficulties with any case like this because of political and each persons own religious beliefs.
1965 First Man to walk in space
1965 : A Soviet cosmonaut known as Lt. Col. Alexei Leonov exited the spacecraft Voskshod II for a short “spin”. He completed a somersault, and then proceeded to take pictures of space. This took place just days before the U.S. planned to launch its first two-man spaceship and becomes the first man to walk in space.
1967 England Torrey Canyon
1967 : The tanker "Torrey Canyon" runs aground on rocks between Land's End and the Scilly Isles and is leaking its cargo of 100,000 tons of crude oil into the sea. The oil did get to beaches in Cornwall and the Normandy coast of France causing major environmental damage with over 20,000 sea birds contaminated.
1974 Middle East Oil Embargo Ends
1974 : Nearly all members of OPEC except Syria agree to lift the Oil Embargo against United States, Europe, Japan, South Africa which had been in place since October 1973. The embargo was the result of the fourth Arab-Israeli War and was designed to punish countries who supported Israel during the war. The earlier increases of prices and the embargo quadrupled the price of oil between 1973 and 1974, but following the ending of the war and embargo the price of a gallon of gas ended at 55 cents which was the same price it was in 1972.
1920 U.S.A. Child Labor Laws
1920 : Child labor laws of Georgia were highly debated. It was proposed by one state representative that forbade children less than twelve years of age to work. Similarly, it was proposed that children under fourteen should not be able to work without parent or guardian’s signed permission.
1920 U.S.A. Strike Ends
1920 : An embargo placed on United Airway Express shipments out of Chicago was lifted. Therefore, outgoing shipments could again be made to places such as Texas, Oklahoma, and other Southwestern states. Furthermore, deliveries could be made to the East, as far as New York. This embargo was originally a result of a strike organized by Express workers in the area. Only 25 percent of the workers had returned to work as of this date, however.
1922 India Mohandas K. Gandhi
1922 : Mohandas K. Gandhi a British educated lawyer, was sentenced to prison in India for civil disobedience after calling for mass civil disobedience which included boycotting British educational institutions and law courts, not working for the British controlled government and the boycott of foreign-made goods, especially British goods. In his many speeches he always emphasized that the USE OF VIOLENCE on both sides was wrong . He was sentenced to 6 years but released after 2 years.
1925 U.S.A. Tornado
1925 : A giant tornado, struck Missouri, Illinois and Indiana during the mid-afternoon killing hundreds often referred to as the tri-state tornadoes.
1937 U.S.A. Gas Explosion
1937 : A gas explosion at a school in New London, Texas, killed more than 400 people, most of them children.
1938 Lithuania accepts Poland demands
1938 : Apparently war was prevented as Lithuania accepted all of the demands made by Poland. This act of submission was not to be regarded as giving in to an ultimatum, but rather as a gesture of good will.
1940 World War II Hitler and Mussolini
1940 : Hitler and Mussolini meet at the Brenner Pass and agree to fight together in war against France and Britain.
1948 Germany
1948 : General Telford Taylor was injured while he along with seven other Americans jumped from a C-47 while hovering over Berlin. Taylor was the chief U.S. prosecutor of war crimes in Germany.
1950 Belgium King Leopold III
1950 : Voters turned out in Belgium to vote on a referendum to bring the exiled King Leopold III back from Switzerland.
1957 U.S.A. Stage Fright
1957 : A practical bit in a news publication indicated that stage fright is not just for Amateurs. Even famous people such as Edward G. Robinson had experienced performance anxiety while auditioning for a part in a show.
1969 Cambodia B-52 Bombers
1969 : U.S. B-52 bombers attack suspected communist base camps and supply areas in Cambodia for the first time in the war.
1970 Viet Cong Capture Sam Thong
1970 : The press had indicated that a major supply base at Sam Thong was captured by North Vietnam. A hospital operated by Americans as well as a nearby village had been burned. Fortunately, all occupants of the above were warned, and numerous Americans, hospital patients, and Laotian civilians had evacuated. It was known ahead of time that North Vietnam was moving toward Sam Thong from the Plain of Jars before it happened.
1974 Israel Golan Heights
1974 : The Golan Heights has the worst day of violence when Syria begins shelling the northern sector of the Golan Heights, captured by Israel in 1967. Also on the same day most of the Arab oil-producing nations ended their embargo against the United States allowing oil to be exported.
1982 England Mary Whitehouse
1982 : The British Moral Decency in Public campaigner Mary Whitehouse has her private prosecution against director Michael Bogdanov over the play Romans in Britain, which features a male rape scene, with charges of gross indecency under the Sexual Offences Act 1956, ended today after intervention by the Attorney-General to end the case - with both sides claiming victory.
Mary Whitehouse considered herself to be safeguarding morality in a society that was losing it's decency and that much stronger and more severe censorship was needed to protect children and society from itself.
1990 U.S.A. Gas Price Increase
1990 : A 50 percent car registration hike, along with an increase of gas tax was proposed by the state of Maryland. This action was intended to bring in $5 million for one county, over a period of about five years.
1990 U.S.A. Art Thieves
1990 : Two thieves disguised as Policemen steal 12 works of art from the Isabella Gardner Museum in Boston including works by Rembrandt, Degas, Vermeer and others valued in excess of 300 million dollars which have still not been recovered.
Today in Labor History March 18, 2025
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Great Postal Strike
Mexican anarchist Ricardo Flores Magón was arrested under the Espionage Act, charged with hindering the American war effort and imprisoned at Leavenworth, where he died under highly suspicious circumstances. The authorities claimed he died of a “heart attack”, but Chicano inmates rioted after his death and killed the prison guard they believed killed Magon. – 1918
Police evicted retail clerks occupying New York Woolworths in a fight for the 40-hour week. – 1937
A natural gas explosion in New London, Texas killed over 300 students, teachers, and parents in the worst public school disaster in American history. The event led to worldwide sympathy. Even Hitler sent a telegram of condolences. – 1937
This date marked the beginning of the Great Postal Strike in New York City. Postal workers hadn’t seen a raise since 1967. They were banned from collective bargaining and from striking. Nevertheless, in spite of the law and their own union’s attempt to quell the unrest, the postal workers voted to strike, marking the first time in the nearly 200-year history of the Postal Service that postal workers went on strike. President Nixon tried to bust the strike, first by threatening to arrest striking workers and then by sending in federal troops to sort the mail. However, the soldiers were so incompetent at the work that they failed to get the mail moving, compelling Congress to give the striking workers an 8% raise and the right to collectively bargain. – 1970
The Los Angeles City Council passed the first living wage ordinance in California. The ordinance required almost all city contractors to pay a minimum wage of $8.50 an hour, or $7.25 if the employer was contributing at least $1.25 toward health benefits, with annual adjustments for inflation. – 1997
Wal-Mart agreed to pay a record $11 million to settle a civil immigration case for using illegal immigrants to do overnight cleaning at stores in 21 states. – 2005
As the Great Recession continued, President Obama signed a $17.6 billion job-creation measure a day after it was passed by Congress. – 2010
Monday, March 17, 2025
Monday Morning in the Blogosphere
Important Events From This day in History March 17th
2001 - England Eden Project
http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/march18th.html
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