Today in Labor History February 28th, 2023

 

Sue Cowan Williams

The U.S. Supreme Court found that a Utah state law limiting mine and smelter workers to an eight-hour workday was constitutional. – 1898

Faced with 84-hour workweeks, 24-hour shifts and pay of 29 cents an hour, firefighters formed the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF). Some individual locals had affiliated with the AFL beginning in 1903. – 1918

Members of the Chinese Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union in San Francisco’s Chinatown began what is to be a successful four-month strike for better wages and conditions at the National Dollar Stores factory and three retail outlets. – 1938

Sue Cowan Williams represented African- American teachers in the Little Rock School District as the plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit challenging the disparity between black and white teachers’ salaries in the segregated South. The case was lost but won in a 1943 appeal. – 1942

The entire workforce of the 3M factory in Elandsfontein, South Africa, went on strike in support of the 450 members of the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers union being laid off at a 3M plant in New Jersey. The South African worker, all of whom were black, were among the hundreds of thousands of union members whose militancy helped bring down the apartheid system. – 1986.

Earning as little as 6 dollars and forty cents an hour, janitors working for contractor UNICCO at the University of Miami go on strike over wages and benefits, working conditions, and union recognition. Students and faculty at the university joined in demonstrations, sit-ins, and hunger strikes, and by the fall, the janitors ratified a contract that increased wages and included health care benefits and paid vacation time. – 2006

Important Events From This day in History February 28th

 

1975 England Moorgate Underground Crash

1975 : A London underground train crashed into a brick wall at Moorgate during rush-hour killing the driver and at least 29 passengers in London's Financial district. Find More What happened in 1975

1983 M*A*S*H Final Episode

1983 : The final episode of M*A*S*H, a series about the staff of an Army hospital during the Korean War entitled ( Goodbye, Farewell and Amen ) became the most-watched television episode in U.S. history, with viewer estimates at 106 million Americans.

1932 U.S.A. Ford Model A

1932 : The Model a Ford was one of the Ford Motor Company’s first signature automobiles. This particular vehicle was produced for the last time on this day.

28 Feb, 1993 U.S.A. Waco, Texas

1993 : A raid by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ATF agents who were trying to serve warrants for illegal guns on the heavily armed compound of a religious cult 10 miles outside of Waco, Texas turns into a bloody gun battle, leaving at least four Federal agents and two cult members dead and at least 15 agents injured.

1918 U.S.A. War Materials

1918 : A new bill was introduced by Warren Gard, representative of District 3 in Ohio, which was intended to protect war materials. It was proposed that a $10,000 fine and up to 30 years imprisonment was the suggested sentence for the destruction of war materials. War materials that would be covered by this bill if/when passed include arms, ammunition, clothing, food supplies, and other items used by the military. “War premises” such as buildings, grounds, stations, and manufactures related to any military use would also be covered. This initiative was introduced during the last year of World War I. This was the approximate time of American involvement in this war.

1922 Egypt Gains Independence From Britain

1922 : After 40 years of British rule following Great Britain seizing control of Egypt's government in 1882 over concerns for British interests including the Suez Canal. Due to the calls by the powerful local nationalist movement for independence for Egypt Great Britain announces a unilateral declaration of Egypt's independence.

1926 U.S.A. New Homes

1926 : A report on this day had revealed that about 2,000 new homes had been built in Abilene, Texas since the year 1920 Figures used to determine the number of new homes built were taken from records of building permits purchased within five and a half years prior to this date.

1937 U.S.A. Dry Prohibition Laws

1937 : On this day, it was reported that Dr. James R. Garber advocated repeal of current dry laws. Being a doctor, he had pushed for the re-legalization of the sale of alcohol because of the medicinal value that it had (still has in some cases). He also stressed concepts such as that of freedom of choice, and that of recognizing “the value of supervision and regulation” which perhaps can be taken a few different ways. One argument in today’s time would be that alcohol can be acceptable in moderation, when people drink responsibly.

1954 U.S.A. DNA Double Helix Discovered

1954 : American molecular biologists James D. Watson and Francis H.C. Crick discover the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule that contains the human genes, in a Cambridge University laboratory. ( different dates are given for the publication between April 25, 1953 and February 28th 1954 )

28 Feb, 1958 U.S.A. School Bus Crash

1958 : A school bus plunges into the Big Sandy River in Kentucky drowning 24 children and the driver.

1962 U.S.A. Judy La Marsh

1962 : The government was criticized by Judy La Marsh for not taking enough of a stand against the lack of economic growth during this time period. A two-day debate took place during this week, starting with the motion that issues concerning the growth of the economy be addressed in the next election.

1963 U.S.A. John F. Kennedy

1963 : President John F. Kennedy asks congress for civil rights law giving voting rights safeguards against racial discrimination.

1968 U.S.A. More Troops Vietnam

1968 : On this day, General Earl Wheeler had written President Lyndon B. Johnson requesting more troops in Saigon. This message was delivered to the President shortly after Wheeler had returned from his trip to Saigon.

1972 U.S.A. School

1972 : Dr. J.R. Myers, the district superintendent of Aiken County schools in South Carolina, had quite a bit to say on this day. He addressed issues concerning property tax as related to school financing. Myers used to be the superintendent of Lancaster schools.

1986 Swedish Prime Minister Killed

1986 : Olof Palme, the Swedish Prime Minister is shot dead and his wife Lisbeth wounded in a street ambush in central Stockholm.

28 Feb, 1987 U.S.A. Nuclear Weapons Treaty

1987 : This was the day that a nuclear weapon treaty was proposed by Gorbachev. The purpose of signing this agreement was to eliminate both U.S. and Soviet nuclear weapons from Europe. This treaty signed is referred to as the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty 1987

1991 Gulf War Ends

1991 : The gulf war is over following Iraq accepting all 12 resolutions made by the United Nations. The official death toll for the Gulf War is 50,000, Iraq soldiers, 148 American Soldiers and 16 British soldiers.

1994 Serbian Planes Shot Down

1994 : Four Serbian planes were shot down by U.S. fighter planes acting as part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to enforce U.N. resolutions enacted to bring about an end to the bloody conflict in the former Yugoslavia. The planes that went down were used in a bombing mission in an area where no flying was allowed.

2001 U.S.A. Earthquake

2001 : An earthquake in the Nisqually Valley near Olympia, Washington State reaches for many miles around. The 6.8 quake was one of the largest in the state’s history.

2001 England Selby Rail Crash

2001 : A car veered off the M62 Motorway onto the railway line near Selby causing the Newcastle to London passenger train into a head on crash into a goods engine on the East Coast Main Line in North Yorkshire, with 10 dead and 60 injured in the crash.

2005 Lebanon Mass Anti Syria Demonstrations

2005 : A series of mass demonstrations in Beirut against Syrian involvement in Lebanon causes the Lebanon pro Syria prime minister, Omar Karami to resign.

2007 John McCain Announces Candidacy for President on the David Letterman’s show

2007 : Republican Senator John McCain announces his presidential nomination on the David Letterman show. McCain, who had been attending a presidential exploratory committee, made the declaration on the Late Show with David Letterman. 'We are going to formally announce it in early April,' an adviser to McCain said.

2008 Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra

2008 : The former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra returns to Thailand after a long period of exile and is arrested on corruption charges. He had been overthrown on 19 September 2006 by a military junta known as the Council for National Security (CNS) in a bloodless coup while he was attending a UN meeting in New York City.

2008 Germany is the first country to recognize Kosovo

2008 : Germany has became the first country to recognize Kosovo, by making its diplomatic office in Prishtina into an embassy. The inscription of it being the 'Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany' has appeared on the facade of the German diplomatic mission in the Kosovan capital, and the Kosovan flag was raised together with the Germany's flag. The first German ambassador to Kosovo is soon to be named.

2008 President Bush says United States is not going into Recession

2008 : President Bush has told people that the U.S. economy is not going into a recession, but following a 'slowdown.' He said that the tax measures, which are due to start in May, were designed to get consumers shopping again.

2010

2010 : A new study of U.S. prisons has found that there is a all-time-high in the numbers of people in jail. The Pew Center report has called the U.S. the global leader in the rate at which it imprisons its citizens, and over 2.3 million people were being held in 2008. This number is larger than other countries with large prison populations like China, Russia and Iran. The report has called for fewer low-risk offenders being sent to jail.

2010 Severe Storm "Xynthia" lashes Europe

2010 : The Severe storm "Xynthia" lashes may parts of Europe including parts of Spain, Portugal and France, the death toll is still rising but 45 have been reported in France due to drownings.

2011 Protesters March Against Violence

2011 : Protesters in San Pedro Sula, Honduras marched against increased criminal violence in the country. The protesters, all dressed in white, numbered in the thousands. The demonstrators called for an increase in public security as the number of murders increased throughout the country to an average of fifteen killings a day.

2012 Third Student Dies From Ohio Shooting

2012 : A third student dies a day after a high school shooting takes place at Chardon High School in Ohio. Two other surviving victims remained in the hospital in various states of stability. TJ Lane admitted to shooting at the students and was being held in a detention center until charges were brought against him.

2013 Iraq River Restaurant Sinks

2013 : A restaurant boat used for private parties on the Tigris river sank in Baghdad, Iraq. Five people died and three others were missing.

2014 Ukraine Accuses Russia of Invasion

2014 : Ukrainian authorities have accused Russia of deploying troops and occupying government buildings in the region of Crimea. Russia was accused of sending armed troops to the Sevastopol airport and attempting to provoke Ukraine into armed conflict. This was just the first of many controversial moves made by Russia during the Ukraine government crisis.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/march1st.html

Important Events From This day in History February 24th

 

1942 U.S.A. Unidentified Flying Objects

1942 : Los Angeles sightings on this day called by the contemporary press "Battle of Los Angeles", a Plane / Blimp / Weather Balloon / UFO is fired on with a massive anti-aircraft artillery barrage but is not hit, Air raid sirens were sounded throughout Los Angeles County at 2:25 a.m. and a total blackout was ordered. Why was the ?? never hit or if it was hit why not damaged , this is a radio news report of the incident and makes very interesting listening.

1924 France Johnny Weissmuller

1924 : Johnny Weissmuller wins his first gold medal in 100-meters freestyle in the 1924 Paris Olympics. He went on to win Gold in the 400-meters freestyle and as part of the 800-meters freestyle relay team. In Amsterdam in 1928 he wins two more gold medals. Following his olympics success in 1932 he played the role of Tarzan in Tarzan the Ape Man.

24 Feb, 1942 Voice of America

1942 : The Voice of America goes on the air for the first time under the Office of War Information with news programs aimed at Japan, the south Pacific, and to areas of Europe and North Africa under the occupation of Nazi Germany.

More about Voice of America

1903 Cuba Guantanamo Bay

1903 : The United States signed a leasing agreement between the US and Cuba , acquiring Guantanamo Bay a naval station at the southeastern end in Cuba.

1920 U.S.A. Atlantic Flight Race

1920 : It was announced on this day that fliers from 18 different nations are planning to participate in an Atlantic Flight race. The first place winner of this race was to receive $100,000. The plan was to start the fliers off from either New York or Atlantic City. From one of these points, the fliers would head south towards Cuba Haiti, Puerto Rico, and the across the Caribbean Sea to Caracas, and then to Permambuco. After that, they would then fly across the Atlantic to Dakar, then along the western coast of Africa. After that they would head northward and will pass Magador and Casa Blanca. From there, the flight will head across either Spain or Portugal to Biarritz, and then to the French Coast and the London Channel. The return trip planned would be straight across the Atlantic Ocean.

1920 U.S.A. Teacher Pay

1920 : A report was printed on this day regarding the issue of teacher salary problems and supply in demand in rural areas. This issue was addressed by A. Floyd, the Superintendent of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma. The biggest issue regarding teacher supply and demand is the fact that teachers may not always be adequately prepared to teach in certain areas, particular rural ones. These are the areas where they would also get paid less as well.

1922 Powder Magazine Explosion

1922 : An explosion of the powder magazine in a stone quarry in McCook in southern Illinois shook the city of Chicago shattering many windows in the south of the city and the blast was so strong that a train passing near by was blown completely off the tracks.

1932 Japan / China Conflict

1932 : According to one report given on this day, Japan was planning a protest against the U.S. government. This particular protest against the U.S. was planned as a result of an incident that occurred while Robert Short, an American who was fighting while in combat with Japanese airplanes. Part of the reason for the conflict between the U.S. and the Japanese was the fact that the Chinese government had asked that Robert Short be buried in China in order to give him proper burial. The Japanese were opposed to this action. Also, no official report was made regarding the death of this airplane fighter at this time.

1940 When You Wish Upon a Star

1940 : The song "When You Wish Upon a Star" is recorded by Frances Langford. It becomes a major hit and it is still one of the most recognizable songs today.

24 Feb, 1945 World War II Liberate Manila

1945 : American soldiers liberate the capital Manila from Japanese control during World War II.

1945 Egypt Dr. Ahmed Maher Pasha

1945 : The prime minister of Egypt Dr. Ahmed Maher Pasha was assassinated after reading a declaration of war against the Axis powers.

1946 Argentina Juan Domingo Peron Elected

1946 : Juan Domingo Peron, is elected president in Argentina, at the time when he was elected he had a mistress named Eva Duarte who proved to be his greatest asset, or "Evita," as she became affectionately known who later became his wife.

1950 Great Britain Clement Attlee

1950 : Clement Attlee and the British Labour party has won the 1950 general election with a much decreased majority and will continue its programme of nationalisation of major industries including iron and steel. The commitment to the Welfare State with the National Insurance Act which provides help and support for the more vulnerable in British society will be continued.

1955 Great Britain Big Freeze

1955 : With over 70 roads now not passable the big freeze continues in the UK with many essential supplies including food and medical supplies now in jeopardy. The RAF is dropping food and medical supplies in the worst affected areas and are also dropping tons of hay over the Scottish Highlands as sheep are now starving due to the massive snowdrifts that have built up.

1968 Vietnam Recapture Hue

1968 : American Marines and South Vietnamese soldiers have recaptured the city of Hue from North Vietnamese forces.

1971 United Kingdom New Immigration Bill

1971 : A new Immigration Bill announced today will restrict Commonwealth citizens automatic rights to remain in the UK, they will now be treated with the same restrictions as any other person applying to live and work in Britain. This bill is in response to the public concern about a large number of immigrants entering Britain in the last few years.

1972 Nixon Visits Great Wall Of China

1972 : This was the day when President Nixon had visited the Great Wall of China. Nixon had called for the breaking down of the walls there and “walls of any kind between peoples”. Before Nixon had arrived in China, there was some talk of releasing American prisoners of war held there. No answer has been given yet as to whether or not that was going to happen as of this day, but it was reported that negotiations were being made.

1978 U.S.A. Fleetwood Mac

1978 : The musical group Fleetwood Mac had won a Grammy Award on this day. This award was given to this group for best album of 1977, as a result of this groups hard work on the album Rumours.

1981 United Kingdom Charles and Diana

1981 : The Prince of Wales announced his engagement to Lady Diana Spencer ending months of speculation by the tabloid press.

1981 Greece Earthquake

1981 : An earthquake registering 6.7 on the Richter scale strikes the city of Athens, Greece killing 16 and destroying many buildings in towns west of the city.

1989 Iran Salman Rushdie

1989 : Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issues a fatwa (religious edict) and offers a USD $3 million bounty for the death of author Salman Rushdie who had written The Satanic Verses. The Satanic Verses caused major controversy around the world In Muslim communities due to what many Muslims believed were blasphemous references to their religion.

24 Feb, 1991 US Ground Invasion Kuwait

1991 : A ground troop invasion of Kuwait and Iraq was initiated by the U.S. on this date. This decision was made after six weeks of bombing against Iraq and its army.

1997 U.S.A. Morning After Pill

1997 : The FDA name six brands of birth control as safe and effective "morning-after" pills for preventing pregnancy.

1999 Austria Avalanche

1999 : An avalanche in the Austrian Alps buries homes and kills 13 people in Valzur.

2006 Austria Avalanche

2006 : South Dakota lawmakers approved a ban on nearly all abortions.

2006 Egypt Asks for Return of Ancient Mask

2006 : Egypt asks the St. Louis Art Museum to return a three thousand year old funerary mask that depicts a young lady. It was said to have mysteriously disappeared from the Egyptian Museum decades ago. The Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities has formally requested the return of the piece, known as the mask of Ka-Nefer-Nefer, which dates to the 19th Dynasty (1307- 196 B.C.). The Department of Homeland Security is looking into the provenance of the mask, which was acquired by the museum in the late 1990s

2006 Art Stolen in Rio de Janeiro

2006 : Gunmen have taken advantage of Brazil's carnivals to steal paintings by Picasso, Dali, Matisse and Monet from a Rio de Janeiro museum. The thieves are said to have threatened the Chacara do Ceu museum's security guards with a hand grenade. They then shut down the internal security cameras and slipped into the carnival. Pablo Picasso's The Dance, Salvador Dali's The Two Balconies, Henri Matisse's Luxembourg Gardens and Claude Monet's Marine were stolen.

2008 Cuba Fidel Castro

2008 : Fidel Castro the Cuban revolutionary who had ruled Cuba for nearly 50 years retires as the President of Cuba after nearly fifty years, his retirement was forced due to illness and the Cuban National Assembly elects Raul Castro to succeed him as the President of Cuba.

2008 Holland Biofuel Flight Successful

2008 : The world's first biofuel-powered commercial aircraft has touched down in Amsterdam. It flew to Holland from London's Heathrow Airport, and has been hailed as a first step towards cleaner flying. The Virgin Atlantic jumbo used a fuel derived from a mixture of Brazilian babassu nuts and coconuts. Environmentalists have branded the flight a publicity stunt, and claim biofuel cultivation is not sustainable.

2008 Pakistan blocks access to YouTube

2008 : Pakistan has blocked access to the YouTube website because of the content it offers that is deemed offensive to Islam. Its telecommunications authority has ordered Internet service providers to block the site until further notice. Reports have said that the content included the Danish cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed that have outraged many.

2011 One-Dog Policy Announced in Shanghai

2011 : The city of Shanghai in China announced a one-dog policy to start in May. The city had an abundance of unlicensed dogs and in 2010, over 140,000 people reported bites from unlicensed dogs. The new rule would force owners of unlicensed dogs to relinquish their pets to authorities.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/february25th.html

Today in Labor History February 24th, 2023

 

Lawrence Massachusetts Strike

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Muller v. Oregon to uphold the state’s restrictions on the working hours of women, setting a precedent to use sex differences, and in particular women’s childbearing capacity,  as a basis for separate legislation.  A laundry owner was fined $10 for making a female employee work more than 10 hours in a single day. – 1908

Women and children textile strikers were beaten by Lawrence, Massachusetts police during a 63-day walkout protesting low wages and work speedups. – 1912

A new national child labor law passed in Congress and was declared unconstitutional in 1924. A similar law passed two years earlier was declared unconstitutional in 1918. – 1919

Congress passed a Federal Child Labor Tax Law that imposed a 10 percent tax on companies that employed children, defined as anyone under the age of 16, working in a mine/quarry or under the age of 14 in a “mill, cannery, workshop, factory, or manufacturing establishment”. The Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional in 1922 in Bailey v. Drexel Furniture Co. – 1919

District 1199 Health Care Workers became the first U.S. labor union to oppose the war in Vietnam. – 1965

The Early Printing Press & History of London Newspapers

Adam Hart Davis make his own paper and operates an early printing press as he looks at the history of the written word in London. Subscribe to Our History: https://bit.ly/3v5mKBG

This film was first broadcast: 20 Dec 2007

Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere

 Another type of business we no longer see

Google tests blocking news content for some Canadians - Reuters

How to keep your Twitter account secure — without paying - The Associated Press

How Americans view emerging uses of artificial intelligence - Pew Research Center

Opening Our Minds About Whether Biden Will Really Run Again - Second Rough Draft

Knight announces investment in Signal Akron, a new nonprofit news source - America's Newspapers

Important Events From This day in History February 23rd

 

1954 U.S.A. Polio Vaccines Started

1954 : The first injections of the new polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk to a group of children from Arsenal Elementary School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

1945 World War II Iwo Jima US Flag raised

1945 : The US has taken over Iwo Jima four days after landing on the Japanese-held volcanic island.

23 Feb, 1920 France To Hand Over Colonies For War Debts

1920 : On this day, a proposal was made by France to hand over colonies to the U.S. They were in the process of considering this because they needed to pay off some war debts. A map was printed in a local Oklahoma newspaper, indicating which territories the U.S. may acquire. If the French were to follow through with their offer to the U.S. at this time, the United States would own the following: The Miquelon Islands (on Newfoundland coast), West Indian Islands (Guadeloupe and Martinique), and French Guiana. Great Britain was also to receive some land for similar reasons. They would for sure receive French Somaliland (at the entrance of Red Sea) and possibly Madagascar. It was undecided which country would receive French Indo-China.

1924 U.S.A. Abilene Christian College

1924 : Abilene Christian College in Texas was able to pay off a bonded debt, which totaled approximately 230,000 including additional debt feeds. This achievement was largely made possible by Mr. and Mrs. John D. Hardin, who had donated about $160,000. The Hardin are an elderly couple who have spend a quite a bit of their fortune aiding various non-profit and religious pursuits. A substantial percentage of their donations went to various colleges, such as the one mentioned in this entry. Many churches in dept also had received help by way of the Hardin's Family fortune. The wealth accumulated by this family used for philanthropist (non-profit, charity) pursuits at this time was earned during the time of the Electra and Burkburnett oil discoveries.

1932 U.S.A. World Records Broken

1932 : Three world records were broken during National A.A.U. Championship games (Track and Field events). For instance, Joe Mc Cluskey broke a record when he ran a two-mile steeplechase (running obstacle course) event in only 9 minutes, 46 2/5 seconds. One of the other records was set by Mike Pecorn. He had completed the mile walk in 6 minutes, 27.25 seconds. The third record was broken by the NYU (New York University) relay team, which completed a course in 7 minutes, 29.75 seconds.

1934 U.S.A. Kidnapping

1934 : A 14-year-old kidnapped girl (Caroline Musante) had been found on this day. She was tied to a tree, in a fashion that was very similar to when she had disappeared a year ago. Apparently she had actually been kidnapped twice, because the report said that the tree that she was found tied to on this day was similar to the one to which she was tied to last year. Last year she had been fastened to a different tree which was located a few hundred yards from the tree to which she was tied to the second time, where she was found on this day.

1937 U.S.A. Bing Crosby

1937 : Bing Crosby does a duet with Lani McIntyre to record "Sweet Leilani" with his band. The song becomes a major hit and is featured in the movie "Waikiki Wedding." It even won an Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1937

23 Feb, 1959 Great Britain Peace Talks Soviet Union

1959 : Harold Macmillan visits Russia for peace talks with Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev.

1964 U.S.A. Drug Bust

1964 : In one of the largest drug busts ever the boss is identified a Mexican Ambassador to Bolivia as the mobs boss, Mexico reacted quickly by firing the Ambassador which takes away his immunity to prosecution, he is currently held on illegal trafficking of drugs and faces a lengthy jail sentence. He had been tracked by French Police working with the US enforcement agencies and it was decided the US had stiffer penalties for drug trafficking.

1966 Syria Military Coup

1966 : A Military coup by leftist army officers overthrew the Socialist government of Syria, and closed the country's borders.

1972 Yemen Hijackers

1972 : Palestinian hijackers who hijacked a Lufthansa jet two days ago have released the crew and surrendered at an airstrip in the Yemen.

1972 U.S.A. Harold Breazeale

1972 : On this day, amendments of a bill supported very heavily by Representative Harold Breazeale of Pickens, South Carolina, had been rejected. The amendments proposed by Breazeale were a part of a bill voted upon by the House in Columbia, on this day. This was a bill that was intended to initiate changes in South Carolina's educational system.

1987 Space Supernova 1987A

1987 : The light from supernova 1987A ( a gigantic exploding star ) began reaching Earth today, it is estimated that the explosion occurred some 170,000 years ago and nearly 1 million trillion miles from Earth.

23 Feb, 1991 Iraq Allied Ground Offensive

1991 : President George H.W. Bush announced that the allied ground offensive against Iraqi forces had begun.

1997 U.S.A. Schindler's List

1997 : For the first time ever, a movie had been shown on television without commercial interruptions. The movie the Schindler's List, a movie about the saving of the lives of Jewish factory workers in Germany, was aired on NBC on this date.

1999 U.S.A. James Byrd Jr

1999 : A jury in Jasper, Texas, convicted the first of those accused ( John William King ) of murder in the dragging death of a black man, James Byrd Jr. John William King, found guilty of kidnapping and murder on 23rd and was sentenced to death on 25th. Shawn Allen Berry, found guilty of kidnapping and murder on 23rd sentenced to life. Lawrence Russell Brewer, was sentenced to death.

1999 Austria Avalanche

1999 : An avalanche in the Austrian Alps buries homes and kills 25 killed in Galtur.

2004 U.S.A. Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche

2004 : The Army canceled its The Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche helicopter program after sinking US$8 billion into it over 21 years. One of the main reasons quoted was the increased use of the growing popularity in the military of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for reconnaissance purposes.

2006 4 Indicted in Stolen Human Tissue Case

2006 : The owner of a biomedical supply house has been charged, along with three other men, with having carved up corpses, and sold them on for use in transplants across the country. A Brooklyn District Attorney has said that the case was 'like something out of a cheap horror movie.' Prosecutors have said that the defendants had obtained the bodies from funeral parlors and forged death certificates, as well as organ donor consent forms. The defendants are said to have made millions of dollars from this.

2007 Canadian Supreme Court Negates Immigration Security Certificate

2007 : The Supreme Court of Canada struck down the Canadian immigration security certificate system for failing to meet the standards of fundamental justice under the Canadian Charter of Rights. The Court found that the secretive process, which denies full access to evidence for individuals who are subject to the certificates and their lawyers, did not adequately ensure individuals an opportunity to know and meet the case against them. The Court has given the government one year to create a new law.

2007 U.S. Gives Up Control South Korean Army

2007 : The U.S. and South Korea have reached a deal to hand full control of South Korea's military back to Seoul by 2012. The agreement ends a fifty-year pact that gave America the wartime command of South Korea's army. Under pressure in Iraq, the U.S. wanted to hand it back in 2009, but South Korea has pushed for a slower transition. The U.S. currently has 29,500 troops on the Korean peninsula and Seoul has 680,000. North Korea has more than one million troops.

2009 U.S. Shares are Lowest for 12 Years

2009 : U.S. shares have fallen sharply with concerns about the government's latest attempts to repair bank faults. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed down 250.9 points, or 3.41%, at 7,114.8, which is its lowest since October 1997. But shares in the banks themselves have risen sharply, with Citigroup up nearly 10% and Bank of America rising over 3%. The government has reiterated its determination to keep banks operating, but added it wanted the banks themselves need to stay in private hands.

2010 2/3 Population Use Mobile Phones

2010 : A new United Nations report says around 4.6 billion in total or two-thirds of the world population now own and use mobile phones.

2011 Larry King Announces Next Move

2011 : Seventy-seven year old broadcaster, Larry King, announced plans to conduct a one-man comedy tour after retiring from his talk show on CNN. King's comedy show was set to begin in April in Connecticut and end in June in Las Vegas.

2012 Train Crashes in Buenos Aires

2012 : Argentina experiences one of the worst train crashes it has seen in forty years. At least 50 people died as a result of the crash and over 600 others were injured after a train hit the end of a platform in Buenos Aires.

2013 UK Loses AAA Credit Rating

2013 : Credit rating agency Moody's downgraded the United Kingdom's credit rating from AAA to Aa1. This is the first time the country's rating was downgraded since 1978

2014 Ukraine Names Interim President

2014 : Ukraine's parliament has named Oleksandr Turchynov as the interim president of the country after former president Viktor Yanukovych was forced out of office. The country had been experiencing non-stop anti-government protests over Yanukovych's anti-European Union decisions.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/february24th.html

Today in Labor History February 23rd, 2023

 

Woody Guthrie

19-year-old Irish immigrant Kate Mullany led members of the Collar Laundry Union, the first all-female union in the United States, in a successful strike in Troy, New York. The union asked for increased wages and improved working conditions. Women working in commercial laundries spent 12 to 14 hours a day ironing and washing detachable collars with harsh chemicals and boiling water and were paid about three to four dollars per week. – 1864

W.E.B. DuBois, educator and civil rights activist, was born on this day. – 1868

The country’s oldest maritime union, the Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, was founded when five steamship unions out of Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Baltimore convened and decided to join together. Poor steamship design and construction, inadequate training, and the drive for profits and markets led to dangerous working conditions in the late nineteenth century. – 1875

The Journeyman Bakers National Union was chartered by the American Federation of Labor on this date. Its founder, George Block, was also nominated to head the newly-formed AFL. When he declined, Samuel Gompers was unanimously chosen. Today, the bakers union has become the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union. – 1887

William Randolph Hearst’s San Francisco Examiner began publishing articles on the menace of Japanese laborers, leading to a resolution in the California legislature that action be taken against their immigration. – 1904

Woody Guthrie wrote “This Land Is Your Land” following a frigid trip, partially by hitchhiking, partially by rail,  from California to Manhattan. The Great Depression was still raging. Guthrie had heard Kate Smith’s recording of “God Bless America” and resolved to himself: “We can’t just bless America, we’ve got to change it”. – 1940

This land is your land This land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the redwood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and Me.

As I was walking that ribbon of highway,
I saw above me that endless skyway:
I saw below me that golden valley:
This land was made for you and me.

I’ve roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
And all around me a voice was sounding:
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
This land was made for you and me.

As I went walking I saw a sign there
And on the sign it said “No Trespassing.”
But on the other side it didn’t say nothing,
That side was made for you and me.

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,
By the relief office I seen my people;
As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking
Is this land made for you and me?

Nobody living can ever stop me,
As I go walking that freedom highway;
Nobody living can ever make me turn back
This land was made for you and me.

The Association of Flight Attendants were granted a charter by the AFL-CIO. – 1984

San Francisco’s minimum wage increase went into effect, bringing the hourly rate to $8.50 from $6.75. In 2003, voters approved a local ordinance tying the minimum wage to the regional rate of inflation. – 2004

Important Events From This day in History February 22nd

 

1997 Great Britain Dolly The Sheep

1997 : Scottish scientists from the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh announce they have successfully cloned an adult sheep named Dolly, The sheep was born in July of 1996, and Dolly was the world's first cloned mammal.

1967 Vietnam Tet Offensive

1967 : The Tet offensive by communist forces of North Vietnam against South Vietnam ends.

1879 1st Woolworth 5 Cents Store Opened

1879 : Frank Winfield Woolworth opens the Great 5 Cents Store in Utica, New York. Pledging to sell "nothing" that cost more than a nickel expanding over the next 50 years to 1000 stores, but due to changes in the retail market the last Woolworths shop in the United States was closed down on July 17th, 1997.

22 Feb, 1972 UK Aldershot Bombing

1972 : The IRA plant a bomb at the 16th Parachute Brigade headquarters at Aldershot, Hampshire killing 5 women and an army priest.

1974 U.S.A. Patti Hearst Kidnappers

1974 : The ransom demanded by the kidnappers ( Symbionese Liberation Army ). of newspaper heiress, Patty Hearst of $2 million food handout to the hungry in slum areas throughout Los Angeles and San Francisco begins with many of the homeless refusing the handouts.

1991 U.S.A. Full Scale War With Iraq

1991 : The US President, George Bush, has given Iraq until 1700 GMT tomorrow to pull out of Kuwait or face a full-scale war.

1924 U.S.A. Calvin Coolidge

1924 : Calvin Coolidge delivered the first presidential radio broadcast from the White House.

1938 Germany Austrian Protection

1938 : In a speech to the Reichstag and the world on Sunday Adolf Hitler proclaimed oppressed and persecuted Germans in Austria, Czechoslovakia and the rest of the world are under the protection of Germany and force will be used if necessary for their protection. Germany does not want war but will protect it's people with war if needed. Together with the alliance of Italy and Japan and Germany's large build up of military power France and Great Britain believe a second world war may well be inevitable.

22 Feb, 1938 U.S.A. Secretary of the Interior

1938 : The United States Secretary of the Interior Ickes was prepared to give an anti-communist and anti-fascist speech, and notes from this scheduled broadcast were revealed on this day. Ickes urged all democracies to fight against ("repulse against") internal fascism and communism. Ickes' speech was scheduled to be heard in places such as Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, India, and South Africa. Ickes had commented, saying that he was speaking as an individual and not as a representative of the president, or the United States.

1966 U.S.A. Lee Harvey Oswald

1966 : The U.S. government was awarded custody of Lee Harvey Oswald's weapons. He was convicted as of this time of being the assassin of John F. Kennedy. The custody of Oswald's weapons was granted by U.S. District Judge Joe Estes. The weapons in question were a 6.5mm foreign rifle (for shot at the president) and a pistol (for shot at Dallas Policeman J.D. Tippit). The government wanted to place the weapons reported to have been used by Oswald in the National Archives in Washington.

1966 U.S.A. Vietnam War Veteran

1966 : John A. Podoske, a resident of Logan, Ohio, was denied a Postmaster position on this day. He attempted to appeal to have this case re-opened several months ago, based on the fact that he was a disabled Vietnam War Veteran.

1967 Indonesia President Sukarno

1967 : Indonesian President Sukarno surrenders all executive authority to military dictator General Haji Mohammad Suharto.

1971 U.S.A. 3 Red Lights Seen

1971 : A report on this day has indicated that a plane search was planned. This scheduled search was decided necessary as a result of witnesses seeing "three balls of fire" or "three red lights" headed towards earth in the blowing snow. This possible crash was believed to have taken place in or near Elmore City, Oklahoma. Numerous reports came in from Oklahoma City and surrounding areas, confirming that this was most likely a crash. Further reports would be made in future-dated issues of local Oklahoma newspapers.

1972 U.S.A. Welfare Appointment

1972 : The real name of the person who was appointed head of the Aiken County Department of Public Welfare is Richard T. Poore . No pun was intended in this case, as Poore was actually a highly educated person who received a degree from Florida State University in 1966. However, some people most likely could not help but "make fun" of his last name at least a little bit, as he was chairman of the board for this county's welfare agency (news headline read "Poore to Head Welfare Agency"). Poore had already worked at the county level in Anderson County for quite a few years when he assumed this position as head of Aiken County's agency. Despite the play on words, Poore was thought of as a qualified individual.

1974 U.S.A. Attempt To Kill Nixon

1974 : An attempt was made to hijack a plane from the Baltimore-Washington International airport by Samuel Byck . If successful, he was planning on crashing the plane into the White House and killing President Richard Nixon.

1980 United States Hockey Team

1980 : The United States hockey team, composed in great part of college players, defeat the defending champions and favorites to win the gold medal Soviet Union squad by 4-3.

22 Feb, 1989 U.S.A. Tina Turner

1989 : Tina Turner had won a Grammy for Best Female Rock Vocalist at age 49 during this year, on this date. She originally had recorded with her husband Ike Turner, however, she had left Ike in 1976. From that time until 1981 she had remained behind the scenes. After 1981, she became one of the oldest female artists in history to stage such a strong comeback, and she changed her tune from a style to Rock and Roll. Her first solo album Private Dancer had sold five million copies. She was introduced in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991.

1994 U.S.A. Aldrich Ames Soviet Spy

1994 : Former Central Intelligence Agency veteran Aldrich Ames and his wife, Rosario, are charged with selling national security secrets to the Soviet Union. He later received a sentence of life imprisonment, and his wife received a 5-year prison sentence for conspiracy to commit espionage and tax evasion.

1998 U.S.A. Tornadoes Florida

1998 : Central Florida was hit by fatal tornadoes that had taken 42 people. Seven twisters in all had swept through this area, and quite a bit of damage had occurred in Kissimmee, Orlando, and surrounding areas.

2001 Netherlands War Crimes Tribunal

2001 : A U.N. war crimes tribunal in The Hague convicts three Bosnian Serbs on charges of rape and torture.

2006 Great Britain Securitas Bank Robbery

2006 : A armed gang steal £53 million from the Securitas bank depot in Kent. It was the largest such theft in British history.

2006 South Dakota Approves a Ban on Abortion

2006 : The South Dakota Senate has approved a bill that will outlaw nearly all abortions in the state. If the bill is signed by Governor Rounds, advocates of abortion rights have pledged to challenge it in court immediately. The bill passes by a vote of 23 to 12 after opponents had tried to attach amendments that would have created exceptions for cases of rape and incest.

2007 Tolkien Estate Gets Court Order to Block Online File Sharing Works

2007 : It has been revealed that the Tolkien Estate has won a court order against a file-sharing Web site whose members posted scanned copies of J.R.R. Tolkien's work. The order, which had been issued earlier in February by the federal court in the Southern District of New York, will compell ESnips Ltd. to identify the subscribers who posted the material. High-quality copies of The Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings, the History of Middle Earth and the Silmarillion had been posted on the site, according to The Estate's law firm Manches. While ESnips has agreed to remove the material, it refused to identify the names of the posters without a court order. Such infringements are 'damaging not only to the estate's interest, but also to the integrity of the published works. It is not something we allow.' Tolkien's estate routinely takes action against internet infringers.

2008 Moscow Opposes Kosovo Independence

2008 : Following the Kosovo Unilateral Declaration Of Independence from Serbia, Serb officials have welcomed the support of Russia in opposition to Kosovo's independence. The Belgrade-based daily Press's headlines have said that Russia supported Serbia's desire to retrieve Kosovo, but Serbia is now under pressure from Washington and Brussels to stop the violence that started on February 17th. An aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the Western recognition of Kosovo as a cocked gun ready for firing.

2009 Slumdog Millionaire wins at the 2009 Oscars

2009 : Slumdog Millionaire wins eight Oscars. Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Simon Beaufoy it is set and filmed in India. It is the story of a man from Bombay who appears on the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? It has won eight of its ten Oscar nominations, including Best Film, Best Director, Best Original Score and Best Original Song.

2009 Israel Suspected To Be Behind Hamas Killing

2009 : E.U. foreign ministers have 'strongly condemned' the use of forged European passports in the assassination of the Hamas commander Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. Their statement has made no direct reference to Israel, whose secret services are widely accused of having carried out last month's killing in Dubai. The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman met some of the foreign ministers on the sidelines of the meeting, and has repeated that there is 'no proof' of Israel's involvement.

2011 Defense Minister of Germany Forfeits PhD

2011 : Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the defense minister of Germany gave up his doctorate after being accused of plagiarizing his doctoral thesis. Several claims against Guttenberg were made including one that he had completely lifted a part of his thesis from a newspaper article. Guttenberg admitted to mistakes and asked the University of Bayreuth to remove his PhD.

2012 Comedian Frank Carson Dies

2012 : UK Comic Frank Carson died at the age of 85 after suffering from illness. The comedian was a regular on British television throughout the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Born in Belfast, Carson was recognized for his charity work that he conducted in Northern Ireland.

2013 Djibouti Opposition Joins Elections

2013 : The opposition party in Djibouti decided to join elections ending a ten year boycott. Opposition parties banded together to campaign in parliamentary elections and were able to participate largely unhindered.

2014 Pope Francis Names New Cardinals

2014 : Pope Francis has appointed nineteen new cardinals in a ceremony at St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. This is his first of such appointments since becoming the Pope.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/february23rd.html

Today in Labor History February 22nd, 2023

 

Albert Shanker

3,000 union shoemakers on strike in Lynn, Massachusetts met to form committees and appoint guards to prevent violence and keep scabs from coming into the city. Within a week, the strike spread throughout New England to include 20,000 workers in 25 towns. President Abraham Lincoln told a reporter that he was “glad to see that a system of labor prevails in New England under which laborers can strike when they want to”. – 1860

The founding convention of the People’s Party met in St. Louis with the support of the Knights of Labor, United Mine Workers and 20 other organizations. The party criticized political corruption, increasing concentration of wealth, and attacks on the rights of workers and farmers. – 1892

Responding to the mayor’s injunction against picketing, deploying the police, and hiring scabs, striking AFSCME Local 1733 sanitation workers held a mass meeting and crashed the Memphis City Council meeting to demand that a resolution on the strike be formulated. When the Council’s promise to do so proved empty, the workers took to the streets and were subsequently attacked by the police, galvanizing widespread support for the strike. – 1968

Albert Shanker died on this date at age 68. He served as president of New York City’s United Federation of Teachers from 1964 to 1984 and of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to 1997. – 1997

Education Secretary Rod Paige called the nation’s largest teachers union, National Education Association (NEA), a “terrorist organization” during a White House meeting with state governors. Meanwhile the Bush administration asserted the right to imprison citizens or non-citizens indefinitely without trial or access to lawyers, family members or journalists, as long as they were accused of being terrorists. – 2004

Teachers and classified school employees began a wildcat strike in West Virginia. The strike was called over low pay and high healthcare costs and involved 20,000 employees shutting down schools in all 55 West Virginia counties. It lasted until March 7 when the State Legislature agreed to a 5% pay raise but did not provide guarantees to control rising healthcare costs. This was the first of a strike wave by education employees in 2018. – 2018