Important Events From This day in History March 31st

 

1951 U.S.A. UNIVAC

1951 : The first commercially built U.S. computer The UNIVAC I (UNIVersal Automatic Computer I) is sold to the United States Census Bureau costing about US$159,000. This computer was built by Remington Rand and had been designed principally by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, the inventors of the ENIAC (1947 - the first general-purpose electronic computer) known as the "Giant Brain." These computers did not use transistors or micro chips but vacuum tubes (similar to what you find in old TV's from the fifties) and were the size of a small house (680 sq ft.)

1959 India Dalai Lama

1959 : The spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, has crossed the border into India after a 15 day journey on foot from the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, over the Himalayan mountains seeking asylum. This follows the Chinese repression of the rebellion by Tibetans in Lhasa. The Dalai Lama, is granted political asylum in India.

1990 England Poll Tax Demonstrations

1990 : The worst violence seen so far in the series of Anti Poll Tax demonstrations erupted in London during the largest rally when nearly 100,000 people take to the streets in protest at the new government levy. More than 400 were arrested and property was damaged with repairs estimated at £400,000 after the demonstration.

The Poll Tax (Community Charge) was introduced by Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government in 1989 (Scotland) and 1990 (England and Wales) and was a single flat rate per person tax on every working adult, at a rate set by the local authority. It was designed to replace the rating system of taxes, which was based on valuation and rent value, to fund local government. The tax was believed by many to move the tax burden from the rich to the poor, under earlier local taxes (Rateable Value "Rates") those who owned the largest and most expensive property paid the most but under "Poll Tax" the tax was moved to the number of people living in the house.

The Poll Tax was formally abolished in 1993 /1994 with the new The Council Tax which resembled the old rating system that the Poll Tax had replaced.

1889 France The Eiffel Tower

1889 : The Eiffel Tower, or the Tour Eiffel, was opened on March 31st, 1889, and was the work of a Gustave Eiffel, who was a bridge engineer. It was made for the centenary of the French Revolution and was chosen instead of over one hundred other plans that were given.

1940 Winston Churchill Warns Against German Invasion

1940 : The first sea lord of the admiralty Winston Churchill has warned that a million German troops are massed on the borders of Luxembourg, Belgium and Holland ready to strike and that England and it's allies must be prepared to protect other countries in the forthcoming conflict.

1943 U.S.A. Oklahoma!

1943 : The musical "Oklahoma!" debuts on Broadway. This play, written by the famed duo Rodgers and Hammerstein, was originally titled "Away We Go" and continues to be produced by theaters across the country.

1964 Brazilian coup d'état

1964 : A military coup d'état in Brazil led by Gen. Humberto Castello Branco ousted Pres. Joao Goulart.

1966 England Harold Wilson

1966 : Harold Wilson wins sweeping victory as the Labour party wins the general election with a majority of about 100 seats in the House of Commons.

1968 US Johnson Announces He Will Not Run

1968 : President Johnson announces on nationwide television he would not run for another term of office saying "I shall not seek and I will not accept the nomination of my party as your President."

1972 England CND March

1972 : The CND ( Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament ) organizes a four day demonstration against nuclear arms including a march to Aldermaston.

1973 U.S.A. Mississippi Floods

1973 : The Mississippi River reaches its peak level in St. Louis during a record 77-day flood. During the flooding 33 died and and millions of acres of farm land were unusable for a full year following the flood, also because the area's affected were in a known flood plain many residents had no insurance and lost everything they had worked for, this is also why the 33 died as they refused to evacuate the area.

1995 U.S.A. Selena Quintanilla-Pérez

1995 : Grammy award winning Mexican American singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was shot and murdered in a motel room by the woman who was the president of her fan club.

1995 Major League Baseball Strike

1995 : Baseball players agreed to end a 232-day strike which had begun on August 12, 1994, after a judge granted a preliminary injunction against club owners. The strike led to the cancellation of 938 games overall, including the entire 1994 postseason and 1994 World Series. Like nearly all strikes the Baseball player strike revolved around money with club owners demanding a salary cap in response to the worsening financial situation in baseball. Find Out More on our History of Baseball Page

2004 Iraq Four US Contractors Ambushed and Murdered

2004 : Four Blackwater Security Consulting (BSC) employees are ambushed and murdered in Fallujah, Iraq. The four armed contractors, Scott Helvenston, Jerko Zovko, Wesley Batalona and Michael Teague, were dragged from their cars, beaten, and set ablaze. Photos of the horrendous crimes were released to news agencies worldwide, causing indignation and outrage in the United States and other countries.

2005 U.S.A. Terri Schiavo

2005 : Terri Schiavo, the center of the most heavily litigated right-to-die dispute in U.S. history, died today, 13 days after her feeding tube was removed.

2005 UK Children Conceived Using Donor Eggs or Sperm Can Trace Parents

2005 : New laws in the UK now give the right to those born using donor eggs or sperm will have the option to ask for the identity of their donor will be when they turn 18. The new law is not retrospective, so people who have already donated will not be affected, but those donating from now and the children born through those donations will have the right to trace their biological parent in through the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority the same way as children who are adopted can ask adoption agencies. The new laws are causing some concern by infertility clinics about the future because the number of donors is expected to drop significantly.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/april1st.html

Today in Labor History March 31, 2023

 

Cesar Chavez

U.S. President Martin Van Buren issued an Executive Order, “finding that different rules prevail at different places as well in respect to the hours of labor by persons employed on the public works under the immediate authority of himself and the Departments as also in relation to the different classes of workmen…hereby directs that all such persons, whether laborers or mechanics, be required to work only the number of hours prescribed by the ten-hour system.” – 1840

The new closed-range cattle ranching industry that became dominant after the Civil War denied cowboys the right to be paid in cattle, start their own herds, or have access to open land.  Ranchers insisted that cowboys work exclusively for wages (which averaged only $40/month), and the cowboys responded by going on strike. – 1883

Cesar Chavez was born on this day in Yuma, Arizona.- 1927

President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed legislation establishing the Civilian Conservation Corps to help alleviate suffering during the Depression. By the time the program ended after the start of World War II, it had provided jobs for more than six million men and boys. The average enrollee gained 11 pounds in his first three months. – 1933

Wisconsin state troopers failed to get scabs across the picket line to break a 76-day Allis-Chalmers strike in Milwaukee led by UAW Local 248. The plant remained closed until the government negotiated a compromise. – 1941

Federal judge Sonia Sotomayor, later to become a Supreme Court justice, issued an injunction against baseball team owners to end a 232-day work stoppage. – 1995

Today Cesar Chavez Day was celebrated as an official state holiday in California, Colorado, Oregon, and Texas and unofficially throughout the United States. The day honors the life and work of farmworkers’ advocate, union activist, and civil rights leader Cesar Chavez. – 2013

Building a Guitar Out of 700 Sheets of Newspaper

 I take a bunch of newspaper and attempt to build a guitar out of it.

Important Events From This day in History March 30th

 

1981 U.S.A. Ronald Reagan Shot

1981 : President Ronald Reagan was shot at close range as he left the Washington Hilton Hotel just about one mile from the White House . The attacker John Hinckley, the son of an affluent oil industry executive, was charged with trying to assassinate the president and in the following June, Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity and was committed to hospital.

1987 U.S.A. Vincent Van Gogh

1987 : An anonymous foreign buyer purchased Vincent Van Gogh's masterpiece 'Sunflowers' for nearly $36.3 million.

2002 England Queen Mother Dies

2002 : The Queen Mother died in her sleep today at the age of 101. Tributes have been flooding in from across the world and from all corners of society for "Queen Mum" as she was affectionately known by the British public.

1867 U.S.A. Buys Alaska

1867 : The United States government purchases Alaska in 1867. The purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million meant the US was paying roughly two cents per acre of land.

1909 U.S.A. 59th Street Bridge

1909 : The Queensboro Bridge also known as the 59th Street Bridge, linking the New York boroughs of Manhattan and Queens, opened. The bridge which is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City was started in 1903.

1945 Austria Soviet Invasion

1945 : The Soviet Union invaded Austria during World War II, and at the end of the war Austria like Germany was divided into 4 Zones: American, British, French and Russian with Vienna similarly divided but at its center was an International Zone, sovereignty of which alternated at regular intervals between the 4 Powers. The commission had its seat in Vienna. It was dismantled following the conclusion of the Austrian State Treaty in 1955

1978 England Politics and Advertising

1978 : The British Conservative party has recruited a major advertising agency ( Saatchi & Saatchi ) in it's bid to win the next general election. It should be remembered that this was the first time a British Political party had hired a high powered advertising agency to get it's message across and it changed the form and costs of political advertising making political advertising as original and slick as any brand advertising, it also set the benchmark for all future political advertising.

1979 England Airey Neave Murdered

1979 : The British Conservative MP and the shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Airey Neave is killed by a car bomb as he left the House of Commons car park.

1980 England The Alexander Kielland

1980 : The Alexander Kielland a floating apartment for oil workers in the North Sea collapses, killing 123 people.

1998 England BMW Buys Rolls Royce

1998 : The German car maker BMW buys Rolls-Royce cars for $570 million.

1999 U.S.A. Landmark Smoking Damages

1999 : A jury in Portland, Oregon, in a landmark case ordered Philip Morris to pay $81 million to the family of a man who died of lung cancer after smoking Marlboros for four decades.

2006 Iran Thirty days to return to the negotiating table

2006 : Iran has been given thirty days to return to negotiations on its nuclear program. The talks in Berlin have reinforced the deadline that was set in by the U.N. Security Council, which was urging Iran to halt its uranium enrichment. The U.N. nuclear watchdog's chief has said Iran was not an imminent threat, and that sanctions would be a 'bad idea.' The Berlin talks included the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Council: the U.S., China, France, Russia and the United Kingdom, as well as Germany.

2007 United States Immigration arrests in Baltimore

2007 : Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have raided the offices of a temporary employment agency in Baltimore as well as other places that were contracting workers. Agents arrested sixty-nine employees who could not prove they had papers or legal permission to work in the United States. None of the employment agency's management was taken into custody.

2007 United States Conviction at the Guantánamo military tribunal

2007 : The military tribunal at Guantánamo Bay has convicted Australian detainee David Hicks for providing material support for terrorism. Hicks accepted a plea deal in exchange for a maximum sentence of seven years in an Australian prison. Hicks said in his plea agreement that he was never subjected to illegal treatment while in US custody. The deal prevents Hicks from talking about his case for the next twelve months and prohibits him from ever profiting from his story.

2008 Iraq Basra

2008 : Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr has ordered his Mehdi Army militia to withdraw from the streets of Basra and other cities. The Iraqi government has welcomed this, and a government spokesman has said that the decision is 'positive and responsive' and that the move would 'help the government confront those who are violating the law.' The Iraqi Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, has called this 'a step in the right direction.' Al-Sadr has told reporters that anyone who carries arms against Iraqi forces is not one of his followers, but called on the government to stop haphazard raids and to release prisoners who have not been charged.

2008 United States Open Skies Agreement takes effect

2008 : The United States and the European Union have agreed to a new transatlantic economic partnership in Washington. This has been designed to promote trade and investment by harmonizing the continent's regulatory standards, and creating the basis for a single U.S.-E.U. market. Both sides have also signed an Open Skies deal, which reduces fares and boosts traffic on transatlantic flights.

2011 Inca Artifacts Returned to Peru

2011 : Hundreds of Inca artifacts are welcomed back into Peru in a lavish ceremony after being out of the country for nearly one hundred years. The items had been taken from the ancient site of Machu Picchu and were housed at Yale University in the United States. The government of Peru had hosted a lengthy campaign against Yale, saying the artifacts had only been on loan to the university, and Yale eventually gave in, returning the items.

2012 Japan Says Will Intercept North Korean Rocket

2012 : Japan has stated that if North Korea launches a rocket in April and it flies into Japan's territory, the country will not hesitate to shoot it down if necessary. South Korea made a similar statement earlier in the week, saying that if it was necessary they too would shoot the rocket down.

2013 North Korea State of War

2013 : The secretive country of North Korea announced that it would enter a "state of war" with neighboring country South Korea. The move came in a series of moves that had escalated tension between North Korea and the rest of the world. The country had been making nearly continuous threats on South Korea and the United States since it had been sanctioned for a nuclear test.

2014 Forces Occupy Brazil Slum

2014 : Brazilian security forces have occupied the Mare favela, a dangerous slum near the Rio airport ahead of the country's hosting of the World Cup. It was thought of as a hot spot for drug trafficking and raids on the area turned up large amounts of weapons.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/march31st.html

Today in Labor History March 30

 

 Harry Bridges

Chicago stockyard workers won an 8-hour day. – 1918

30,000 unemployed people marched in New York City. At the time, there was virtually no formal or institutional aid available for the unemployed or poor. Even the AFL did not support unemployment insurance, as it saw itself as the representative of skilled workers only, and could care less about the unskilled and factory workers. Another reason for the lack of government support for the unemployed was that working conditions were so terrible the ruling elite feared that workers would choose the dole over work if given the choice. In New York, police attacked the marchers. – 1930

Chicago stockyard workers won an 8-hour day. – 1918

30,000 unemployed people marched in New York City. At the time, there was virtually no formal or institutional aid available for the unemployed or poor. Even the AFL did not support unemployment insurance, as it saw itself as the representative of skilled workers only, and could care less about the unskilled and factory workers. Another reason for the lack of government support for the unemployed was that working conditions were so terrible the ruling elite feared that workers would choose the dole over work if given the choice. In New York, police attacked the marchers. – 1930

To save time and money, they were not provided with proper safety equipment to work on cutting rock that had been discovered to have a high silica content. The official death toll from silicosis was 476, with estimates as high as 700 to 1,000. It was considered to be one of the worst industrial disasters in U.S. history. – 1930

The Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act was enacted. – 1970

The United Farm Workers signed the first table grape contract with two growers. – 1970

Harry Bridges, Australian-born dock union leader, died at age 88. He helped form and lead the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) for 40 years. A Bridges quote: “The most important word in the language of the working class is ‘solidarity’”. – 1990

Leaders of the Screen Actors Guild announced that the membership had voted to merge with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, creating the 150,000-member SAG-AFTRA. – 2012

Forced to live in horse stalls. How one of America’s worst injustices played out at Santa Anita

 BY DARRELL KUNITOMI

Wednesday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

84th Annual Overseas Press Club Awards - Overseas Press Club of America

An ISU student created a media platform by and about people of color - Chicago Tribune

Utah first state to pass social media regulations aimed at protecting minors - The Salt Lake Tribune

Video privacy lawsuit targets Star Tribune for sharing subscriber data with Facebook - Pioneer Press

Texas Observer, legendary crusading liberal magazine, is closing and laying off its staff - The Texas Tribune

China Runs Propaganda in Major US Newspapers

The Chinese regime is pouring money into pumping out propaganda. It's medium is legacy U.S. media, disguised as opinion pieces. China Daily's ad inserts trace back to the Chinese Communist Party. Reports point to the millions spent ahead of U.S. elections, aiming to sway public opinion. Those ads highlight instances of China's success in other countries and push policies that favor Beijing. From former President Donald Trump to the head of Britain's intelligence agency, officials are sounding the alarm. What does this mean for democracy?

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Important Events From This day in History March 29th

 

1967 England Torrey Canyon

1967 : The British Royal Navy continues it's attempt to sink the remains of the supertanker Torrey Canyon just off the coast of Lands End, hoping to ignite a fire and burn off the massive oil slick near the ship containing tens of thousands of tons of oil. This is now the second day the navy has tried and has so far dropped 62,000 lbs of bombs, 5,200 gallons of petrol, 11 rockets and large quantities of napalm onto the ship. The ship was eventually sunk the next day.

2006 Palestine Hamas

2006 : Hamas ( Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya ) the Palestinian Islamist militant organization and political party which is listed as a terrorist organization by Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, and the United States, wins the Palestinian parliamentary elections, taking 76 of the 132 seats in the chamber,and formally took over the Palestinian government, with Ismail Haniyeh sworn in as the new prime minister.

1857 The Indian Mutiny

1857 : The Indian Mutiny against British rule in India had been begun by Indian troops (sepoys) that were in the service of the British East India Company. On March 29th, 1857 the sepoy Mangal Pandy of the 34th Native Infantry refused orders on the parade ground at Barrackpore, and he was hanged leading to increased violence and Mutiny against British Rule.

1936 Germany Re-Occupies Rhineland

1936 : The German people voted overwhelmingly in favor of reoccupying the demilitarized Rhineland zone and abandon the clauses of the Versailles treaty restricting the military, with 99% of the votes supporting Hitler.

1943 U.S.A. War Rationing

1943 : The rationing of meat, cheese, butter and cooking oils goes into effect when Americans are given ration books allowing the purchase of a certain amount of meat, cheese, butter and cooking oils each month. This followed earlier rationing of Gasoline.

1950 The Mad Bomber New York

1950 : A note is sent to police in New York warning of a bomb planted at Grand Central Station in New York City, the bomb squad do mange to diffuse the bomb. The Mad Bomber had been targeting New York since 1940 taking a break during World War II and left a total of at least 33 bombs, of which 22 exploded until he was caught. When the Mad Bomber ( George Peter Metesky ) a disgruntled ex-employee of Con Edison, New York's electric utility company, was caught in 1957 he was sent to a mental institution where he stayed until his release in 1973.

1951 U.S.A. Rosenbergs

1951 : Rosenbergs found guilty of conspiracy to commit espionage for their role in providing nuclear secrets to the Soviet Union.

1951 U.S.A. 23rd Amendment

1951 : The 23rd Amendment to the Constitution is ratified Available as a downloadable image on our Public Domain Images Page.

1971 My Lai, Vietnam

1971 : Following the massacre of 500 South Vietnamese civilians in the village of My Lai, Vietnam in 1968 when Lieutenant Calley was in charge of Charlie Company, a unit of the American Division's 11th Infantry Brigade, the unit committed crimes which included murder, rape, sodomy, maiming and assault of civilians. Lieutenant William Calley has been found guilty of murder at a court martial for his part in the My Lai massacre. He was the only officer ever convicted for the massacre and was sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labor but was released within three days , pending appeal, on the personal instructions of President Richard Nixon, and spent the next three years under house arrest at Fort Benning in Georgia. He was freed on bail in 1974 his sentence was then cut to 10 years but he was paroled later that year after completing one third of his sentence.

1973 US Troops Leave Vietnam

1973 : The last United States troops left South Vietnam, ending America's direct military involvement in the Vietnam War. The US had originally become involved by supplying 50 military advisers in 1960 /1961 and over the coming years escalated first the number of advisers and then direct military involvement. The Vietnam war had started in 1959 and finally ended in 1975, and was fought between the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (North Vietnam) supported by communist allies and the Republic of Vietnam (South Vietnam) supported by the US and other western Allies. The war resulted in a North Vietnamese victory in 1975 when the North Vietnamese took over the capital Saigon.

1981 England London Marathon

1981 : The first London Marathon organised by Chris Brasher is run with 7,590 taking part including a number of celebrities including Jimmy Saville raising money for charity. The London Marathon is now a yearly event attracting 30,000 runners from around the world, including some of the world's greatest athletes and tens of thousands of others who complete the marathon raising many millions for charities along the way and many wearing fancy dress costumes.

1982 Mexico Earthquake

1982 : An earthquake and a volcanic eruption at El Chichon in southern Mexico, kills many thousands. The eruptions, which continued for over a week, caught many local people unaware and unprepared as the last time the Volcano had erupted was 130 years earlier.

1999 U.S.A. Dow Jones

1999 : The Dow Jones industrial average closed above 10,000 for the first time, at 10,006.78.

2002 Palestine Yasser Arafat

2002 : Israel sends tanks and armored personnel carriers to isolate Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat considered an enemy of Israel in his headquarters compound in the West Bank town of Ramallah. He is kept confined within his Ramallah compound for over two years by the Israeli army, and dies at the age of 75 in 2004.

2006 Total Eclipse

2006 : A total solar eclipse of has taken place around the world, and observers have been able to see it from 08.36 to 11.46 G.M.T. in places like Eastern Brazil, Western and North Africa, Turkey, Central Asia and Mongolia.

2007 King Abdullah describes the U.S. presence in Iraq as illegal

2007 : The Saudi monarch has made a forceful appeal for Arab unity, and denounced the U.S. policy in Iraq and Palestinian embargo at the Arab League summit in Riyadh. King Abdullah described the U.S. presence in Iraq as illegal. Arab leaders are meeting to relaunch the plan for peace with Israel that was endorsed five years ago.

2007 Senate passes an Iraq resolution with a timeline for withdrawal

2007 : The Senate is ignoring President Bush’s veto threat and has approved the $122 billion spending bill with a timeline for troop withdrawal. The bill, which will continue to fund the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, orders Bush to start withdrawing troops from Iraq 120 days after its passage. As such it sets a nonbinding target date for troop withdrawal by the end of March, 2008.

2009 Seven people are killed in a nursing home

2009 : A man shot and killed seven patients and a nurse at a nursing home in Carthage, North Carolina. He, himself, was wounded during a shootout with a police officer. Three inhabitants and a visitor to the nursing home were also wounded in the attack. The slain patients ranged in age from 78 to 98, the Moore County District Attorney said. The man accused of carrying out the attack was 45-year-old Robert Stewart. Stewart was not an employee of the Pinelake Health and Rehab Center, and he did not appear to have been related to any of the patients, the D.A. said. Stewart's purpose is unknown.

2010 Bombings at Moscow Metro

2010 : Two Female Suicide bombers attack during the morning rush hour two stations of the Moscow Metro (Lubyanka and Park Kultury) leaving at least 40 people dead and over 100 injured.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/march30th.html

Today in Labor History March 29

 

Ohio made it illegal for children under 18 and women to work more than 10 hours a day. – 1852

Sam Walton, founder of the huge and bitterly anti-union Wal-Mart empire, was born on this date in Kingfisher, Oklahoma. He once said that his priority was to “Buy American”, but Wal-Mart is now the largest U.S. importer of foreign-made goods, often produced under sweatshop conditions. – 1918

The U.S. Supreme Court, in West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish, upheld the constitutionality of minimum wage legislation enacted by the State of Washington, overturning a decision in 1923 that held that federal minimum wage legislation for women was an unconstitutional infringement of liberty of contract. The case was brought by Elsie Parrish, a hotel housekeeper who lost her job and did not receive back wages in line with the state’s minimum wage for women law. – 1937

The “Battle of Wall Street” occurred as police charged strikers lying down in front of stock exchange doors. 43 were arrested. – 1948

The National Maritime Union of America merged with the National Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association. – 1988

Important Events From This day in History March 28th

 

1979 Three Mile Island Nuclear Radiation

1979 : Radiation is released at Three Mile Island Nuclear Generating Station when a cooling plant malfunction releases radioactive steam and radiation near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, The authorities declare a general emergency but did not inform the public until five hours after the gas escaped.

A study in 2002 found that incidences of cancer in the area were not significantly higher than elsewhere.

This is still considered the worst nuclear incident in US history, but it should be remembered no deaths were attributed to the disaster.

1942 Malta George Cross Medal for Bravery

1942 : King George VI has awarded the people from the small Mediterranean island of Malta the George Cross Medal for Bravery saying "To honour her brave people I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta, to bear witness to a heroism and a devotion that will long be famous in history." The Island had been under constant attack by Italian and German bombers and Messerschmitts machine guns since June 1940 because of it's strategic location for both the North Africa campaign and the European Campaign, Food supplies and health and hygiene became a serious problem as the ships that would normally supply the Island were sunk by the enemy before they bring in new supplies.

1964 Radio Caroline begins transmission of pop music

1964 : Radio Caroline was a pirate radio station based on a former Danish passenger ferry used to broadcast from international waters ( 1 of 2 ships converted to radio ships ) as a teen aged 14 I can remember it well and my transistor radio was nearly always tuned into Radio Caroline because the dj's were much more edgy than the other radio DJ's of the time ( I was lucky and lived on the south coast of the UK where the signal could be picked up ) . Irish musician manager and businessman Ronan O'Rahilly set up the station after he could not get any airplay on Radio Luxembourg for Georgie Fame's records because the station was committed to sponsored programmes promoting major record labels: EMI, Decca, Pye and Philips.

2000 Zimbabwe White Farmer Shot And Killed

2000 : Problems with racial tension continue in the country of Zimbabwe as President Robert Mugabe pressed on with his plan to remove Zimbabwe's farms from white ownership, with the latest death when a white farmer in Zimbabwe is shot dead by squatters occupying his land.

1908 Canada Mining Accident

1908 : A record of a terrible mining accident that occurred a few days before this date was made public. Two well-known miners died while involved in drifting operations in the Spruce Creek Mine. While working, the mine had caved in, and these men were entrapped. A third person had escaped and sounded an alarm, hoping it would signal the other two men to evacuate in time. Unfortunately, it was too late.

1920 U.S.A. Tornadoes

1920 : Tornadoes swept through the mid-western and southern portions of the United States, killing more than 200 people and injuring more than a 1,000.

1921 US Advertising

1921 : A short, sweet description of the importance of advertising a business was presented in a local Oklahoma publication. This advice was depicted in the form of a short rhyming poem, to which the first line is as follows: “The city that gets the publicity gets the business.”

1930 Turkey City Name Changes

1930 : Two of Turkey's largest cities change their names ( Constantinople and Angora ).

The City of Constantinople is changed to Istanbul

The City of Angora is changed to Ankara

1933 U.S.A. Wet and Dry Rally

1933 : A wet and dry rally and parade took place. Both supporters of alcohol and supporters of dry laws attended this event, which occurred in Oklahoma. On the same day, further debate took place regarding the legalization of pari-mutuel horse-betting systems. No decision has yet been made regarding this issue, even though proposals towards legalizing this form of gambling were made two weeks beforehand.

1939 Spanish Civil War

1939 : Madrid, Spain is now in the hands of Nationalist General Francisco Franco and the Spanish civil war ends. The Spanish Civil War began in 1936 with Rebels attempting a coup d'état by parts of the army against the government. Like many modern conflicts other countries often become involved and take sides often supporting one side or the other with weapons and volunteers . The Spanish Civil War was no different with the Government in power getting the support of the Soviet Union and Mexico, and the rebels supported by Italy and Germany. The Spanish Civil War also bought out the worst in people with terrible atrocities committed on and by both sides during the war, with up to 100,000 people executed in the name of ???.

1940 Great Britain

1940 : France and Britain were beginning to think about expanding their support. They expected the alliance they create would be semi-permanent, providing strength for battle. For instance, World War II took place during this time, and France and Britain looked to other countries’ resources to draw upon.

1972 U.S.A. Farming Practices

1972 : A tiny bit of information regarding farming was printed. At this time in history, a typical U.S. farm produced enough food and fiber to supply the needs of up to 45 people (39 at home and six abroad). Ten years prior to this date, only about 24 people were supported by the yield of an average American farm. Current Figures - A Typical U.S. farm today supplies enough food and fiber to supply the needs of over 200 people

1990 Lithuania Drops Border Guards

1990 : Lithuania, formerly a part of the USSR, decided against earlier plans to implement a border guard. This was done in order to avoid conflict with Soviet Troops. Lithuania also ordered citizens to give up weapons at request of these Soviet military personnel.

1991 England Hillsborough Disaster

1991 : An inquest held over the deaths of 95 fans killed during during the Hillsborough disaster at Sheffield Wednesday's football stadium has returned a verdict of accidental death. The disaster happened during an FA Cup semi-final between Nottingham Forest and Liverpool held at Sheffield Wednesday's stadium on April 15th 1989, and is blamed on too many Liverpool fans being allowed in to the back of an already full stand at the Leppings Lane end of the ground. As more and more fans were allowed in fans were being crushed to death by the sheer volume of additional fans being allowed in. In total 95 Liverpool fans died during the disaster.

2008 President Bush says the United States is not in recession

2008 : President Bush has said that the U.S. economy is not going into a recession, but is following a 'slowdown.' He has told people that May's tax measures have been designed to get consumers shopping again. According to the US National Bureau of Economic Research, the United States had already entered the Great Recession by the time this statement was made and the official dates were from December of 2007 to June of 2009.

2008 Pew Center reports on prison numbers

2008 : The Pew Center study of American prisons has found that they have reached their highest ever number of inmates. The report has said that the U.S. is the global leader at the rate in which it imprisons its citizens, with over 2.3 million people being held in 2008. This number is larger than the prison populations of China, Russia and Iran. The report calls for fewer low-risk offenders to be sent to jail.

2009 Demonstrations at G20 summit

2009 : Thousands of people are marching through London to demand action on poverty, climate change and jobs. The Put People First alliance of charities and unions walked from Embankment to Hyde Park for a rally. Speakers have called on the G20 leaders to pursue a new kind of global justice. The police have estimated that about 35,000 marchers took part in the event. Its organizers have said that people want a chance to air their views peacefully, and protesters have described the march's 'carnival-like atmosphere.' Brass bands, piercing whistles and stereo music was played as the procession passed through central London. The ex-Mayor of London, Ken Livingston, has called 'on the Tories to stop polluting everything they touch.'

2009 Obama Promotes Climate Change Forum in Washington

2009 : President Obama has launched a Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate, with the group's first meeting to be set in Washington in April. This will be followed in July by a summit in Italy. Obama has invited the leaders of the leading industrial nations, as well as the secretary general of the United Nations, to participate in the forum. The White House has said that the forum was designed to 'help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome' at the U.N. climate change negotiations that will be taking place in Copenhagen in December. It also wanted to explore 'concrete initiatives and joint ventures that increase the supply of clean energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.'

2010 West Bank Sealed Off During Passover

2010 : Israel seals off the West Bank from midnight until midnight on 6 April during its traditional Passover biblical religious holiday.

2012 US Suspends Food Aid Plans to North Korea

2012 : The United States has suspended plans to send food aid to North Korea after the country violated a missile test moratorium by announcing their plans for a rocket launch in the middle of April. While North Korea insisted that the future test would only be for peaceful purposes to launch a satellite, the US and other countries believed the plans were for a long-range missile.

2013 Chile Police and Students Clash at Protest

2013 : Thousands of students in Chile clashed with authorities as their protested for education reforms in the capital of the country. These protests marked the first for this year but the issue had been a point of contention since 2011. The police stated that sixty people had been arrested.

2014 One Killed in Kashmir Attack

2014 : One person was shot and killed in Indian-administered Kashmir by a group of suspected militants. They also reportedly attacked an Indian military camp. The suspected militants were also reported as wearing Indian military uniforms.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/march29th.html

Today in Labor History March 28, 2023

 Emma Goldman

Emma Goldman was arrested for giving a lecture on contraceptives. Goldman believed that knowledge of and access to contraceptives was key to women’s ability to control their own bodies and thus their social and material well being. – 1915

Members of the Gas House Workers’ Union Local 18799 began what was to become a four-month recognition strike against the Laclede Gas Light Company in St. Louis. The union later said the strike was the first ever against a public utility in the U.S. – 1935

Martin Luther King led a march of striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee. Police attacked the workers with mace and sticks. A 16-year old boy was shot and 280 workers were arrested. He was assassinated a few days later after speaking to the striking workers. The sanitation workers were mostly black. They worked for starvation wages under plantation like conditions, generally under racist white bosses. Workers could be fired for being one minute late or for talking back and they got no breaks. Organizing escalated in the early 1960s and reached its peak in February 1968, when two workers were crushed to death in the back of a garbage truck. – 1968

Dan Robert McQuitty Rest in Peace

 

Harold Rios, Dan McQuitty, and Owen Brennan 

Retired Los Angeles Times Pressmen Dan McQuitty and Eddie Enriquez

We are sad to announce that on January 15, 2023, at the age of 83, Dan Robert McQuitty of Santa Clarita, California passed away. Leave a sympathy message to the family on the memorial page of Dan Robert McQuitty to pay them a last tribute.

Dan worked many years at the Los Angeles Times, and ended his career at the newspapers Chatsworth production facility as pressroom superintendent. 

Important Events From This day in History March 25th

 

1965 U.S.A. The Alabama Freedom March

1965 : Following the end of the march by 25,000 civil rights supporters from Selma to Montgomery after four days and nights on the road under the protection of Army troops and federalized Alabama National Guardsmen. They were refused permission to give a petition to Governor Wallace which said:

"We have come not only five days and 50 miles but we have come from three centuries of suffering and hardship. We have come to you, the Governor of Alabama, to declare that we must have our freedom NOW. We must have the right to vote; we must have equal protection of the law and an end to police brutality."

During the rally that followed the refusal by the Governor of Alabama, Governor Wallace. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stated

"We are not about to turn around. We, are on the move now. Yes, we are on the move and no wave of racism can stop us."

1807 UK abolished Slave Trade

1807 : The British House of Commons had passed a law forbidding the capture or transport of slaves and it became law on This Day, 1807, Offending captains were fined £100 per slave found on board their ships (although this could lead to slaves being thrown overboard).

1911 New York Shirt Factory Fire

1911 : 148 Girls Perish in a New York Shirt Factory when they became trapped by a fire. The Triangle Shirtwaist Co. factory located on the eighth, ninth and tenth floors of a New York City loft building, didn't have an outside fire escape.

1920 Treaty of Versailles

1920 : France considered the possibility of giving Germany more time to pay reparation debts that it owed after World War I. They had refused to pay the 12 billion of the 20 billion gold marks (equivalent to millions of dollars) balance owed. The motion to pay this debt was agreed upon as of the signing of the World War I Treaty of Versailles, which was first signed in 1919. However, the Germans resented the conditions of the treaty, and were still fighting the terms of it well over a year later. Eventually, Germany’s refusal to comply with the peace treaty signed in 1919 lead to the Second World War.

1929 U.S.A. Mini Market Crash

1929 : The stock market experiences a mini-crash on This Day, 1929 as investors start to sell their stocks. This crash reveals a shaky foundation in the market. Borrowing and credit is effected as interest rates climb to twenty percent.

1935 Crucifixion of Jesus Christ

1935 : Hugh S. Johnson spoke out very boldly his point of view regarding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. He said it was the Romans who had really killed him and not the Jews. He also mentioned that Jesus was “framed” and did not receive a fair trial. This argument was often made regarding the un-justification treatment of Jews. However, in Johnson’s case, he described actions against Jesus-in his own way-as an abuse of political power.

1939 Billboard Magazine Introduces Hillbilly Chart

1939 : Billboard Magazine introduced the ( country music ) hillbilly music chart. The term country music did not begin to be used until the 1940s when the earlier term hillbilly music was deemed as degrading to the style of music.

1940 England Not Working Class War

1940 : Concerns arose among the working class that the current war was an imperialistic one. Further accounts reveal that many workers of England had no desire to be a part of it. They felt that the purpose of it was to fight for the protection of French and English Possessions. Working class unions advocated against this war (World War II).

1947 U.S.A. Coal Mine Explosion

1947 : An explosion at a Coal mine in Centralia, Illinois, today trapped more than 100 miners and sent deadly gas through the mine's tunnels.

1950 Czechoslovakia Hostages

1950 : A news article printed this date in 1950 portrayed an account of a hostage situation in Czechoslovakia. On the day before, three Czech planes were held at gunpoint by Anti-Communist rebels. The pilots of these planes were forced to fly to the Erding Air Base, which is located in Germany. The planes departed from three different Czech locations-Brno, Bratislava, and Ostrava.

1957 Italy The Treaty of Rome

1957 : France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg sign the treaty in Rome establishing the European Economic Community (EEC), also known as the Common Market.

1963 Korea Civilian Rule

1963 : The United States made the decision to support the return of civilian rule in Korea. This action was taken on the grounds that the military junta structure now present in Korea could lead to the continued de-stabilization of that country’s political system (government).

1967 U.S.A. Anti Vietnam War Demo

1967 : Martin Luther King, Jr., leads a march of 5,000 antiwar demonstrators in Chicago.

1971 U.S.A. Louis Armstrong

1971 : Louis Armstrong, the famous trumpet player, had undergone a temporary tracheotomy after being admitted to a New York hospital. Armstrong had received this throat operation after receiving treatment for heart trouble.

1975 Saudi Arabia King Faisal Assassinated

1975 : King Faisal is fatally wounded by his nephew Prince Faisal Ibu Musaed when he fires 3 shots directly at the king from a pistol during a royal audience. Prince Faisal bin Musaed was later found guilty of the murder of his uncle and was beheaded in public in the capital Riyadh.

1975 Britain's National Front Party

1975 : Right wing opponents who are member of Britain's National Front Party and oppose Britain's entry into the common market rally in Islington, North London.

1980 Russia Moscow Olympics Boycott

1980 : The British Olympic Association has defied the British Government and will be sending a team to the Moscow Olympics later in the year. The British and US government and other Governments around the world have called for a boycott of the Moscow Olympics. Although many governments pressured their Olympic Athletes only 16 countries did not compete including The United States, Japan, West Germany, China, Canada and 9 others. To place it in context 81 other countries athletes many in defiance of their governments wishes did compete but many as a sign of support against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan marched under the Olympic Flag, instead of their national flags.

1981 Germany Squatters

1981 : German police raided a home occupied by squatters. They were looking for evidence leading to the resolution of local crimes committed. The next day, these squatters were cleared from the building, and over a thousand youth protested in the streets. On the day after, many young people argued with authority.

1990 U.S.A. Happy Land Fire

1990 : A fire at an unlicensed social club called "Happy Land" in New York City with blocked fire escapes and no alarms or sprinkler systems kills 87 people, most of them Honduran and Dominican immigrants.

1991 Italy NATO

1991 : Three prominent NATO officers called for a year-round allied naval force to be stationed in the Mediterranean. This action would help provide heightened security for all those who pass through these waters. These new naval forces would replace the temporary ones that were currently stationed in this area. The Naval On-Call Force would usually stay in this area two times a year for up to six weeks at a time.

2006 U.S.A. Rallies for immigrants

2006 : Activists have rallied in Los Angeles to protest against plans to criminalize undocumented workers. The organisers say that demonstrators want an immigration system that was humane and not racist. The House of Representatives has passed a bill that will be making it a felony for immigrants to be in the the country illegally, and President Bush has proposed a guest- worker plan. Protests against the immigration reform bill, H.R. 4437, are being held in several US cities, with 500,000 people marching in Los Angeles, 50,000 in Denver, and 20,000 in Phoenix. They are also protesting at the proposed construction of a security wall along the United States-Mexican border.

2008 Kosovo Division

2008 : Serbia has proposed that Kosovo is divided along ethnic lines. This has been refuted by Kosovo's ethnic Albanian leadership in Pristina. The proposal, which was submitted to the United Nations, is the result of a campaign by Serbia to entrench its political and administrative control over the northern part of Kosovo. It is said that this is a largely symbolic gesture, with the ethnic Albanian leadership in Pristina having vowed never to accept partition. Dmitry Medvedev was in Belgrade for talks with the Serbian President Boris Tadic. Whilst this has been heralded as a predominantly economic meeting, the visit is also seen as a support for Serbia's opinion on Kosovan events. Kosovo's declaration of independence has started a number of public protests in Serbia.

2008 Muslim scholars in India say terrorism is un-Islamic

2008 : An influential group of Muslim theologians in India have denounced terrorism, saying it is against the teachings of Islam. Their thoughts were given at a meeting being held at an Islamic school. Scholars from around six thousand religious schools were attending the meeting.

2008 Iraq The Battle of Basra

2008 : The Battle of Basra begins with the Iraqi Army launching an operation (code-named Saulat al-Fursan) to drive the Mahdi Army out of the city of Basra. This operation is the first to be planned and carried out by the Iraqi Army since the 2003 invasion. Coalition and Iraqi aircraft patrolled the skies above Basra, and carried out air strikes in support of the ground forces. Coalition forces have provided some embedded military transition teams to the Iraqi Army units and U.S. Special Forces are conducting joint operations with Iraqi Special Operations Forces.

2009 Geithner speaks on the finance industry's new regulations

2009 : The Treasury Secretary, Timothy Geithner, has said that the U.S. is committed to stricter rules on financial fraud and abuse. In Washington, he mentions that the new regulations will help to prevent a repeat of the credit crisis. His comments come a week before the G20 meet in London. As Geithner testified, a government investigator was scheduled to release a report on the Treasury Department’s plans to rescue the troubled banks. It has been ascertained that partnerships between government and private investors, backed by the Federal Reserve, are vulnerable to fraud and require stronger safeguards.

2009 Hillary Clinton wants to reimpose the ban on assault weapons

2009 : The Secretary of State has pledged the United States into giving Mexico more help in its anti-drugs campaign. Clinton said that the use of military-style assault weapons was of particular concern, and she would discuss the re-imposition of a ban on their sale. The previous decision to lift the ban was a mistake, she said. She has admitted that it is America's appetite for drugs that has helped fuel the violence. Some eight thousand people have died in Mexico's drug-related violence in the last two years.

2011 Conservative Canadian Government Falls

2011 : Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's conservative government falls after facing a vote of no confidence by the Canadian parliament. The no-confidence vote meant that there would be an election in May in which the conservative party would get a chance to keep power. The liberal party as well as two other opposition parties joined forces to secure the vote of no confidence against Harper.

2013 Ex-President of Zambia Arrested

2013 : Zambia's former president Rupiah Banda was arrested. Banda was accused of stealing more than eleven million dollars while he was in office.

2014 Girl Scout Breaks Cookie Selling Record

2014 : Twelve year old Katie Francis from Oklahoma City broke the Girl Scout record for cookie sales. She sold 18,107 boxes of cookies over a total of seven weeks. The previous record had been set in the 1980s and was for 18,000 boxes. The selling season was extended by a week and Katie had stated she hoped she could sell up to 20,000 boxes.

https://www.thepeoplehistory.com/march26th.html