Important Events From This day in History March 21

 

1940 U.S.A. Queen Mary Ocean Liner

1940 : The Queen Mary Ocean Liner is leaving the safe harbor of New York together with the Ocean Liner The Mauritania for the first time since the War started to start new lives as troop ship carriers, The Queen Elizabeth is still currently in New York undergoing changes to accommodate troop carrying duties. No information has been given on where the final destination will be in Europe as secrecy is paramount to the survival of the Ships.

1963 U.S.A. Alcatraz Closes

1963 : Alcatraz federal penitentiary known as "The Rock" was a prison based on a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay in California, United States. It was designed to be the most secure prison in the world and in its 29 years of operation from 1934 - 1963, the penitentiary logged no prisoners as having ever successfully escaped.

1960 South Africa Sharpeville Massacre

1960 : Afrikaner police open fire on a group of unarmed black South African demonstrators in the black township of Sharpeville, near Johannesburg, South Africa, killing 69 people and wounding 180 in a hail of submachine-gun fire.

1921 England New Irish Parliament

1921 : It was announced that a new Irish Parliament would be forming. The first Irish parliament meeting was scheduled for June 21st of this year.

1928 U.S.A. Charles A. Lindbergh

1928 : President Coolidge presented Col. Charles A. Lindbergh with the Congressional Medal of Honor.

1932 U.S.A. Tornadoes

1932 : Tornadoes killed at least 184 persons in five southern states Alabama, Georgia Tennessee, Kentucky and South Carolina yesterday and early today.

1933 British Spies In Russia

1933 : Tension between Russian and Great Britain was at an all-time high. The major conflict between these two nations was expected to influence the verdict of spy charges filed against four British citizens.

1939 U.S.A. God Bless America

1939 : Kate Smith records the patriotic song "God Bless America." It is still sung at some sports events and other celebrations in combination with the national anthem.

1940 England World War II

1940 : Nazi army forces took revenge on the British. The attack occurred along the coast of the English Channel. Three ships had sunk and lives were lost.

1945 U.S.A. Allied Bombers Germany

1945 : Allied bombers began four days of heavy raids over Germany as an exercise to soften German resistance prior to allies taking Berlin later in the year.

1955 Antarctic Ice Melting

1955 : It was believed possible that the icy Antarctica could melt at a faster rate than most people would think. If this were possible, ocean levels would rise 90 to 150 feet. An Antarctic ice survey and corresponding studies were expected to be completed between now and some time shortly after 1957.

1963 England Trains Driving Themselves

1963 : The first of a new generation of trains that drive themselves not needing a driver but controlled by computers which are controlled by picking up signals from coded electrical impulses from the rails and signaling areas and give them the intelligence to start, accelerate, coast or slow down automatically are to be used on London Underground. An operator will still be on-duty aboard the train in the drivers cabin to survey opening and closing doors and to take charge of the train if any of the electrics fail during a journey.

1963 US Monetary Aid

1963 : The agreement made by the U.S. to help Central America during its time of economic and social crisis was announced today in 1963. President John F. Kennedy had just arrived in Costa Rica a few days prior to this time. Furthermore, action has been taken since the beginning of the year to help protect and care for Central American countries from the threat of Cuba. Monetary aid in the form of $20 billion was given to this region.

1965 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

1965 : Following the Bloody Sunday March earlier in the month, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led 3,000 civil rights demonstrators in a march in Alabama from Selma to Montgomery under the protection of army units deployed by President Lyndon B. Johnson.

1969 US Underground Nuclear Test

1969 : An underground nuclear test is carried out at the Atomic Energy Commission's Nevada test site.

1972 Cambodia

1972 : Fighting at the Long Cheng base in Northern Laos continued for the fourth day in a row. Meanwhile, 200 enemy rockets destroyed three areas of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Moreover, North Vietnamese armies invaded areas of South Vietnam. In Cambodia, 70 were killed and 120 persons were wounded. In South Vietnam, 13 government troops’ lives were taken.

1980 US Boycott Olympics

1980 : President Carter told U.S. Olympic athletes that the U.S. will be boycotting the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow.

1981 England Charles / Diana Wedding

1981 : A procession was planned for the Prince Charles and Princess Diana wedding. Standing room spaces along this parade route were being offered from 90 pounds ($200.00) each on up. These spaces were being sold by offices located in prime spots offering spectacular view of this day’s festivities. This royal procession route started from the Buckingham Palace to the St. Paul’s Cathedral where the wedding took place.

1984 England EEC Refund

1984 : A fight over the amount of refund Britain receives back from the European Economic Community has reached an en pass as Mrs Thatcher the British Prime Minister asked for an annual rebate of £730m but was offered £580m. The current refunds are often based on the amount of farming subsidies the country receives and Britain often got less back than other states because of its relatively small farming industry and the fact a high percentage of the budget is made up from farm subsidies.