Important Events From This day in History March 26

 

  

1979 Camp David Peace Treaty Signed

1979 : Egypt's Anwar Sadat and Israel's Menachem Begin ended 30 years of bitter warfare by signing the first peace treaty between an Arab nation and the Jewish state . The peace treaty was the result of the Camp David Peace Accords, agreed in September 1978 when Israel agreed to withdraw troops from the Sinai Peninsula in return for Egypt's recognition of the state of Israel. Also agreed was some self determination for Palestinians.

1964 U.S.A. Funny Girl Musical

1964 : The musical ''Funny Girl,'' starring Barbra Streisand and featuring Sydney Chaplin, Kay Medford, Danny Meehan, Jean Stapleton, and Lainie Kazan, opened at the Winter Garden Theatre on Broadway. In 1966 the production staring Barbra Streisand opened at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London's West End.

1953 U.S.A. Polio Vaccine

1953 : Dr. Jonas E. Salk, announced a vaccine had been used safely and successfully used in preliminary trials on 90 children and adults as a polio vaccine, two years later the vaccine was released and given to every child in the United States. Poliomyelitis ( Polio ) was one of the most dreaded illnesses which killed or paralyzed thousands during the early 20th century and following World War II the number of cases of Polio increased significantly making the need for a cure or a vaccine to protect against the disease even more important. Much of the funding for Dr. Jonas E. Salk research came from March Of Dimes Foundation ( National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis ) which had been set up under the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938 to raise money for polio research and to care for those suffering from the disease.

1997 U.S.A. Heaven's Gate Cult Suicides

1997 : The bodies of 39 members of the Heaven's Gate cult were found dead in a California mansion all having committed suicide by ingesting a lethal mixture of phenobarbital and vodka. The Heaven's Gate Cult led by Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles and the leader Applewhite convinced his followers to commit suicide so that their souls could take a ride on a spaceship that they believed was hiding behind the Comet Hale-Bopp ( Haleys Comet ).

1992 Mike Tyson Convicted of Rape

1992 : Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson is sentenced to six years in prison for raping Miss Black Rhode Island, Desiree Washington. He was released in March 1995 after serving three years. He did go back to fighting for the heavyweight championship after his release but in 1997 was again in trouble when he fought Evander Holyfield in Vegas and was disqualified for biting Holyfield on both ears. One bite was severe enough to remove a piece of Holyfield's right ear, which was found on the ring floor after the fight.

1925 U.S.A. Prohibition

1925 : During the Prohibition Era, local and federal officers destroyed equipment used to make liquor. Alcohol that was created was dumped out as well, and participants in illegal booze operations were put in jail.

1933 Germany Herman Goering

1933 : Leader Herman Goering spoke his point of view regarding the mistreatment of Jews. He made a statement that the persecution of a person just because he (or she) is a Jew will not be tolerated.

1948 Israel Fighting

1948 : According to an article printed in an international newspaper, fighting continued on the day before. Arabs attacked a Jewish convoy. As a result, 20 people were killed and 10 were wounded. There was no Good Friday break (although Good Friday was not a major Jewish Holiday, but Passover was).

1958 China Food Shortage

1958 : A shortage of food was occurring at this time, and it was not getting any better. This lack of sufficient food supplies started to take place in Shantung, China and has spread as far as the Southern coast. It is estimated 30 million died during the Great Chinese Famine officially referred to as the Three Years of Natural Disasters of 1958–61 in China, but now accepted by the Chinese Government as a combination of Natural Disasters and poor planning following the Great Leap Forward which moved many peasant farmers off the land into Iron and steel production, the famine was also caused by changes in farming practices and a series of droughts and floods including the great the Yellow River flood which is considered the 7th deadliest natural disaster in the 20th century.

1963 Korea Referendum

1963 : Local protest was made in Korea against military rule of this country, and the Korean people were soon to be given a chance to decide whether or not this should continue. A referendum would soon be taken by the government of this country. Likewise, nations such as the U.S.A. moved to support anti-military Korean government rule. This action was highly welcomed.

1971 Bangladesh Independence

1971 : The country of Bangladesh had declared its independence. This decree was made by Leader Sheikh. Bangladesh was formerly East Pakistan.

1981 New British Party Social Democrats

1981 : A new political party ( Social Democrats ) has been formed in the UK from four breakaway Labour party defectors Roy Jenkins, David Owen, William Rodgers and Shirley Williams. The Social Democrats have launched their new political party pledging to "reconcile the nation" and "heal divisions between classes". They left the Labour party over the current leadership under Michael Foot moving further to the radical left, but did not feel they could support the conservative party under Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher who was dividing Britain into haves and have nots. They have described the new Social Democrat Party as left-of-center party and believe strongly in Proportional representation "ONE MAN ONE VOTE" but without agreement by the other two parties it was unlikely to ever happen. The party formed an alliance over the next few years with the Liberal Party but after the 1987 general election which the conservatives won under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher. The labour party chose a more moderate leader Neil Kinnock and supporters of the SDP went back to the labour party hoping that they could get a more moderate labour party back in power and the Social Democrat Party was folded in 1990.

1981 Germany Fundraiser to Fight World Hunger

1981 : Information about a very unique fundraiser to help fight against hunger around the world was printed on this day. A group of high school students in Germany planned to fast from solid food for up to 30 hours. This effort was made in order to learn about the affects of hunger and how it would feel to go without food. It was also designed to help raise funds for World Vision International, one of the largest hunger-fighting organizations. People were to pledge a certain amount of money for every hour a student would go without food.

1982 U.S.A. Vietnam Veterans Memorial

1982 : Groundbreaking ceremonies took place in Washington, D.C., for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The Memorial came about from the work of the The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Inc. (VVMF), established in 1979 to create a memorial to veterans of the Vietnam War, and in 1980 congress authorizes three acres near the Lincoln Memorial for the site. The main part of the memorial was completed in 1982 and receives around 3 million visitors each year.

1990

1990 : An announcement of the 40th anniversary of the first German-American Boy Scout Troop was made on this day. This troop met for the first time on January 13th, 1949.

1999 England Miners Win Compensation

1999 : Ex-miners in England have won their case for compensation in a deal worth £2 billion for lung disease caused through working underground in the coal mining industry. Legal representation for the miners claimed it had been known for decades dust produced in the coal mining process could cause lung disease but not enough was done to protect them. Many of these miners were working underground in the 50's before health and safety laws ensured there were dust masks and showers at collieries.

1999 U.S.A. Dr. Jack Kevorkian

1999 : Dr. Jack Kevorkian, was found guilty of second-degree murder for giving a lethal injection to a terminally ill man and airing it on the television program "60 Minutes." He allowed the airing of a videotape on "60 Minutes." that he had made which depicted the voluntary euthanasia of Thomas Youk, 52, an adult male with full capacity who was in the final stages of ALS. He was sentenced to to serve a 10-25 year prison sentence by the judge, he was released on parole in 2007 on the condition that he cannot help anyone else die. He no longer assists in voluntary euthanasia but does campaign that the law is changed ( currently the only US State that allows legalized doctor-assisted suicide for terminally ill people is Oregon. )

2000 Israel Pope John Paul II

2000 : Pope John Paul II who is currently on visiting Israel as part of his Millennium Pilgrimage, prayed for forgiveness of the sins of those involved in the Holocaust. John Paul II has said visiting the area has fulfilled one of his dreams since he was elected Pontiff in 1978. The trip is a milestone in relations between Catholicism and Judaism.

2000 Russia Vladimir Putin

2000 : Vladimir Putin was elected president of Russia for the first time he went on to be re-elected in 2004 and is the current President of the Russian Federation.

2002 Afghanistan Earthquake

2002 : A devastating earthquake shook up villages located in the Hindu Kush Mountains of Northern Afghanistan. It was estimated that 1,800 people had died and up to 10,000 people were homeless.

Today in Labor History March 26

 

San Francisco brewery workers began a 9-month strike as local employers followed the union-busting lead of the National Brewer’s Association and fired their unionized workers, replacing them with scabs. Two unionized brewers refused to go along, kept producing beer, prospered wildly and induced the Association to capitulate. A contract benefit since having unionized two years earlier, certainly worth defending: free beer. – 1868

Congress amended the Immigration Act of 1907 to specifically bar the entrance of “paupers, anarchists, criminals and the diseased”. The move was specifically designed to limit entry of Eastern and Southern European immigrants, many of whom were becoming radicalized by the deplorable working and living conditions in late 19th and early 20th century America. – 1910

On this day in Labor History the year was 1911. Marking one the most tragic days in US labor history. 146 women and girls died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

A mining disaster at Jed, West Virginia killed 83 workers. – 1912

On March 26th, Chicano labor organizer Cesar Chavez started a 340-mile march from Delano to Sacramento, California, to advocate for the rights of farm workers - 1966

On March 26, 2020, new unemployment claims in the United States surged to 3.3 million, the largest weekly increase in U.S. history to date amid job losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic - 2020

Wednesday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

How AI Is Creeping Into The New York Times - The Atlantic

Cancel culture vs. free speech: Why America needs a cease-fire - E&P Magazine

How Reach and Immediate are rising to the AI disinformation challenge - Journalism UK

US newspaper circulations 2025: Washington Post print declines 21% in a year - Press Gazette

Proposed Michigan public notice changes spark transparency fears from newspaper industry - MA

Important Events From This day in History March 25

 

 

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.

Today in Labor History March 25, 2026

 

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire

Coxey’s Army (Common-Wealth Army) headed to Washington DC to demand economic reform. Coxey was a wealthy businessman and Populist who proposed a plan of federal work relief on public roads to be financed by Treasury notes to end the depression of 1893. When Congress refused to pass this bill, Coxey declared, We will send a petition to Washington with “boots on“.Coxey and his lieutenants were arrested by police and about 50 people were beaten or trampled. – 1894

A federal court issued the first injunction against a union under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. The case was brought against the Workingman’s Amalgamated Council of New Orleans for interfering with commerce. The law was a major victory for bosses. – 1893

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City killed 146 people, mostly women and young girls who were working in sweatshop conditions. As tragic as this fire was for poor, working-class women, it is estimated that over 100 workers died on the job each day in the U.S. in 1911. What was most significant was that this tragedy became a flashpoint for worker safety and public awareness of sweatshop conditions.

The Triangle workers had to work from 7:00 am until 8:00 pm, seven days a week. The work was almost non-stop. They got one break per day (30 minutes for lunch). For this, they were paid only $6.00 per week. In some cases, they had to provide their own needles and thread. Furthermore, the women were locked inside the building to minimize time lost to bathroom breaks.

A year prior to the fire, 20,000 garment workers walked off the job at 500 clothing factories in New York to protest the deplorable working conditions. They demanded a 20% raise, a 52-hour work week and overtime pay. Over 70 smaller companies conceded to the union’s demands within the first 48 hours of the strike. However, the bosses at Triangle formed an employers’ association with the owners of the other large factories. Soon after, strike leaders were arrested. Some were fined. Others were sent to labor camps. Armed thugs were also enlisted to beat up and intimidate strikers. By the end of the month, almost all of the smaller factories had conceded to the union. By February 1910, the strike was finally settled. – 1911

Heavy deposits of coal dust caused an explosion in the Centralia Coal Company’s Mine No. 5 in Centralia, Illinois, killing 111 of the 142 miners at work at the time. Following the disaster, UMWA President John L. Lewis invoked the union’s right to call memorial days and as a memorial to those killed at Centralia, the miners did not work for six days. – 1947

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled employers may sometimes favor women and members of minority groups over men and whites in hiring and promoting in order to achieve better balance in the workforce. – 1987

James Edward Wooten Rest in Peace

 My dear father, James Wooten, passed away peacefully on January 12, 2026. We were blessed to have him in our lives for 91 years. His life was a testament to strength, resilience, and unwavering love—for his family and for his Lord, Jesus Christ.

He leaves behind both a legacy and a void that will never be filled. I celebrate his life with gratitude, knowing how truly blessed I am to be his daughter, and how blessed our family was to call him husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle, cousin and friend for many years.
We will gather to remember and honor him on Saturday, January 31, 2026, at New Beginnings Christian Fellowship. Though he is no longer with us physically, his spirit will remain with us forever.

Tuesday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

New merger benefits investigative reporting - E&P Magazine

Nine ways web archives are used in digital investigations - Journalism UK

US judge dismisses Google monopoly claim brought by local publishers - Press Gazette

Was a conservative radio caller behind the idea to send ICE agents into airports? - Poynter

ProPublica’s union authorizes the first U.S. newsroom strike over AI protections - Nieman Lab

Important Events From This day in History March 24

 

 

1989 U.S.A. Exxon Valdez

1989 : The Exxon Valdez, a 987-foot oil tanker, ran aground on a reef and ripped holes in its hull, spilling crude oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound. The Tanker spilled over 200,000 Barrels of Oil or more than 11 million gallons of crude oil leaving a Five Mile Slick making it one of the largest and most devastating environmental disasters at sea.

After 3 months when environmentalists and biologists did a study it was found that nearly 250,000 seabirds,3,000 sea otters, 300 harbor seals, 250 bald eagles and up to 22 killer whales died as a result of the spill, and the fish stocks in the area were also devastated due to the oil.

1941 U.S.A. Glenn Miller

1941 : Glenn Miller began production on “Sun Valley Serenade.” This would be his first motion picture for the film company 20th Century Fox.

1958 U.S.A. Elvis Presley

1958 : Elvis Presley is inducted as US Army as a private #53310761 and completed basic training at Fort Hood, Texas, before being posted to Friedberg, Germany with the 3rd Armored Division. It was while in the army he studied Karate which he continued to study after his term in the army finished as a sergeant on March 2, 1960.

1973 England Dark Side of the Moon

1973 : Pink Floyd the British Progressive rock band release the album "Dark Side of the Moon" which has became the 6th best selling album of all time with sales exceeding 40 million copies worldwide. What many do not know is it was produced at the Beatles famous Abbey Road Studios in London. Below are the tracks recorded on the album:

Speak to Me

Breathe

On the Run

Time

The Great Gig in the Sky

Money

Us and Them

Any Colour You Like

Brain Damage

Eclipse

1900 U.S.A. New York Subway

1900 : Work on the New York subway begins on the first section from City Hall to the Bronx, financed by the issue of rapid transit bonds issued by the City of New York and because no company was willing to take the risk of such a large project. They decided to build the subways itself by subcontracting with the IRT who ran the elevated railways in the city to equip and operate the subways, sharing the profits with the City and guaranteeing a fixed five-cent fare.

1920 U.S. Women Have Most Freedom

1920 : A woman from South America completed studies on women around the world. She had determined that women from the United States enjoy the most freedom of all the women around the world.

1921 U.S.A. Bullet

1921 : W.B. Meadows, a 78-year-old Civil War veteran coughed up a bullet. It had been stuck in his body since 1863 , which he was shot during the Battle of Vicksburg. Despite the fact that Meadows had a bullet stuck in his head for 58 years, he seemed to be in reasonably good health at the time he disposed of it. This man was a part of the “G” 37th infantry of Alabama.

1935 Oklahoma Education

1935 : An educational bill was being considered in Oklahoma. A major portion of this new bill involved the requirement of each county to divide areas up into separate districts. Another very important part of this bill would be that pertaining to defining school districts, by way of creating area maps. Further studies of each county were proposed by this bill as well.

1940 Norway Lochassator Sunk

1940 : Reports indicate that the British Ship Lochassator sunk into the waters of the Scandinavian Peninsula after it struck a German mine. During the same time period, Great Britain also sunk a carrier operated by the Germans in the North Sea. This action was taken in an attempt to cut Germany off from Swedish iron ore.

1944 Italy Nazi Reprisals

1944 : Following the murder of 32 German soldiers by Italian Resistance in Rome, Italy, Nazi execute 300 civilians. Just three months later the allied troops took back Rome on June 4th 1944.

1949 Palestine US Aid

1949 : President Harry S. Truman authorizes $16 million in aid for Palestinian refugees displaced and facing starvation as a result of Israel’s War of Independence in 1948.

1950 Canada Airforce C54

1950 : A message simply read as “I-s” was found in the snow. This is Air Force code for “serious injury, doctor required, food and water needed”. This signal brought hope that perhaps there were yet people alive aboard this buried plane Airforce C54 that had been missing for two months.

1953 England Queen Mary Dies

1953 : The British Queen Mother who was 85 dies peacefully in her sleep.

1954 U.S.A. AMC Formed

1954 : Nash Kelvinator Corporation and the Hudson Motor Car Company merged to form the American Motors Corporation ( AMC ).

1963 Costa Rica San Jose Volcano

1963 : A report was made concerning the erupting of a San Jose volcano. Hundreds of people had become ill from falling ash after the explosion of the Iraza. Likewise, numerous Costa Rica crops were destroyed, and local farm animals were killed.

1965 U.S.A. Ranger 9 Moon Lander

1965 : A live broadcast from the Ranger 9 Moon Lander is shown on television as it hurtles to it's destruction on the moons surface. Ranger 9 was the last of the moon probes sent in which they are deliberately aimed at the surface of the Moon to take as many images as possible before being destroyed on impact and the first fitted with a camera that could create film suitable for use on domestic TV's.

1972 U.S.A. Rocks

1972 : Scientists studying rock from different areas of the world have supported the theory that the continents used to be adjoining. As of this date, rocks have been gathered from Nova Scotia, Connecticut, New Jersey, Georgia, and South Carolina. These rocks were scheduled to be compared and contrasted with rocks from Morocco, which is in Africa.

1978 France Amoco Cadiz

1978 : The tanker Amoco Cadiz splits in two off the coast of France during strong winds dumping 220,000 tons of crude oil on the Brittany coast line. The spill has created an oil slick 18 miles wide and 80 miles long causing an environmental ecological disaster in the area.

1985 Germany Major Arthur Nicolson

1985 : Major Arthur Nicolson was shot. Within a few days following this event, Americans had told their side of the story regarding how it happened, which was very different from the story told by the Soviets account of the incident.

1990 Australia Richard Pryor

1990 : News of Comedian Richard Pryor’s hospitalization the day before went public. He had suffered a mild heart attack the day before and was now considered to be in good condition. He was expected to be released the following week. This was not the only time he had health trouble. In the 1980s he nearly died from a cocaine overdose.

1992 England Punch Magazine

1992 : The satirical British magazine Punch announces it will publish it's final issue on April 8th after 150 years due to falling sales and subscriptions.

Today in Labor History March 24

 

New York City Subway

Groundbreaking occurred on the first section of the New York City subway system, from City Hall to the Bronx. The New York subway workers would go on to found the TWU (Transport Workers Union) in 1934. The TWU established a reputation for left-wing politics and was one of the first unions to join the CIO. – 1900

7,500 hotel workers and members of HERE (Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union), Local 5 ended a 21-day strike of 11 major hotels in Hawaii. They stuck to protect their earned pension benefits. – 1990

Some of us may have received notice of a proposed settlement of a privacy lawsuit against the LA Times

 

Monday Morning in the Blogosphere

 

A Mayday alert for independent media - Investigative Post

Don Lemon is ready to stand up for press freedoms - Poynter

Key Considerations for Facility Expansion - Printing Impressions

Navigator raises UWF price, warns on Middle East conflict impact - Print Week

Publishers hit back at report claiming it is ‘open season’ on Muslims in press - Press Gazette

Important Events From This day in History March 23rd

 

  

1956 Pakistan Independence

1956 : The Islamic Republic of Pakistan becomes an independent republic within the British Commonwealth. Following the fighting in Pakistan and India in 1947 Muslims moved to Pakistan, creating a country where 96% of the population are Muslim. Currently Pakistan has the world's sixth largest population. Below is a table with the worlds top ten population estimates as of latest figures.

1. People's Republic of China 1,323,353,000

2. India 1,128,000,000

3. United States 303,232,774

4. Indonesia 231,627,000

5. Brazil 186,029,000

6. Pakistan 162,312,500

7. Bangladesh 158,665,000

8. Nigeria 148,093,000

9. Russia 141,849,000

10. Japan 127,790,000

1942 Japanese-Americans Evacuated

1942 : More than 600 Japanese aliens and Japanese-Americans from the Pacific Coast assembled at Pasadena's Rose Bowl under military orders to evacuate to a camp in Owens Valley, California.

1909 U.S.A. Theodore Roosevelt

1909 : Former President Theodore Roosevelt has left for a hunting trip in Africa to collect specimen's for the Smithsonian Institution on the steamer Hamburg.

1913 U.S.A. Tornadoes

1913 : A series of tornadoes near Omaha, Nebraska and in Iowa kill 115 people.

1919 The Italian National Fascist Party

1919 : Benito Mussolini establishes the Fascist Party, just 2 years later in 1922 they took over power in Italy and ruled until 1943. The party promised they could take Italy back to the times of The Great Roman Empire and make Italy once more an important world power, and expanded the Italian colonies of Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, and Fezzan until they were formally unified into the colony of Italian Libya in 1934. In 1936 they took control after much bloody fighting of Ethiopia but managed to alienate many of the world powers over the brutal war, leaving themselves with only one other country supporting them, Germany under the power of Hitler. This was possibly the main reason Italy joined the axis pact with Germany in 1936. The party was dissolved following the arrest of Benito Mussolini in 1943 and is the only party whose reformation is explicitly banned by the Constitution of Italy.

1920 U.S.A. Women’s suffrage

1920 : Delaware was the last of 36 states that needed to make a decision regarding Women’s suffrage. If this state voted “yes” to the 18th Amendment, then women would be able to vote in the upcoming November presidential election. More Details on the 18th Amendment

1930 France Debt Repayment

1930 : France has been told that a number of ministers and deputies were awaiting the receipt of delayed war debt payments. The reason for this delay given by the Prime Minister of France was that it was awaiting action by the U.S. regarding the exact terms of the debt.

1940 Romania German Oil Embargo

1940 : Germany had requested help from Romania. This assistance was initially delivered in the form of oil. However, Germany had met with Allied opposition (the countries fighting against the Nazi regime in World War II). Countries opposed to Germany during the war refused to that country oil.

1955 England Aneurin Bevan

1955 : Clement Atlee had saved Aneurin Bevan from losing his position within the British Labor Party. Bevan’s expulsion was put on the back burner and a hearing was scheduled to take place in front of a subcommittee. He had almost lost his position in office after defying Atlee’s leadership.

1963 Korea Peace Talks

1963 : An offer to schedule peace talks in Seoul, Korea was made by minister Won Woo. The military government had invited representatives from 14 different political parties as well as leaders of other organizations. This meeting was set to take place on the Wednesday after this date, in the capitol conference room.

1966 Vatican Church Leaders Meet

1966 : For the first time in more than four centuries, heads of the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches met in Vatican City.

1972 Jordan King Hussein

1972 : King Hussein, the man who was commonly referred to as the “father of Jordan”, made a plan to visit the U.S. He wanted to discuss his plans for the Middle East with President Richard Nixon. At this time, Hussein was offering a proposal for forming the United Arab Kingdom. This particular political structure would be made up of two plots of land that exist on both sides of the Jordan River. Additionally, King Hussein denied plans to create a partially self-governing entity on the West Bank of the Jordan.

1981 U.S.A. Supreme Court Abortion Ruling

1981 : The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states could require, with some exceptions, parental notification when teenage girls seek abortions.

Currently 6 states in the US do not require parental consent

Other US states require one or all of the following prior to allowing abortion.

One or both parents to be informed

One or both parents must consent

Parental notification law currently enjoined

Parental consent law currently enjoined

There are a number of other laws in each state relating to this highly charged issue and parental consent is just one of the laws used to make abortion harder or easier depending on the ideological stance in that state.

1983 Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)

1983 : President Ronald Reagan proposes that the United States starts a program to develop antimissile technology that would make the country nearly impervious to attack by nuclear missiles often called the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI).

1987 West Germany IRA Bombing

1987 : A British Army base in Rheindahlen, West Germany is targeted by a large car bomb injuring 30 as part of the ongoing war of terrorism by the IRA on British Troops.

1987 Lebanon US Hostages

1987 : In Lebanon, a group of Muslim kidnappers held an 1ll American hostage. They wanted to trade this sick hostage for 100 Arab prisoners held in Israel. Avi Pazner, aid to Prime Yitzhak Shamir, refused to consider the kidnappers’ demands. Pazner said that Israel does not negotiate with terrorists.

2001 Mir Space Station Ends

2001 : Mir Russia's and the worlds first consistently inhabited long-term research station in space ended 15 yrs in space when it is decommissioned and ends with a planned fiery plunge into the South Pacific. The space station was originally built for only Russian space exploration. The use of Mir evolved over the years as tensions between East and West eased with the ending of the cold war to become a sign that space exploration could become a truly joint project with the US Space Shuttle taking supplies and new crew members from many countries including the US and Russia.

2002 U.S.A. War Against Terrorism Funding

2002 : A news report indicates that President George Bush requested an extra $27 billion from Congress for use on the war against terrorism. While Bush was visiting in El Paso, Texas he said that the “price of freedom is never too high” as far as he was concerned.

2006 France’s marriage age is changed

2006 : The French parliament passes a law that raises the age at which a woman can get married from 15 to 18. The earlier law had set the minimum age for women to marry at 15, and men at 18, and had been introduced in 1804. The new legislation brings France into line with most of the other European Union members. The punishments for rape and assault of a spouse will now include partners and ex-partners, and sentences for murder have also been increased.

2007 Australia Burnley Tunnel Accident

2007 : A crash involving three trucks and four cars deep in the Burnley Tunnel in Melborne results in an explosion and subsequent fire which causes the death of three and the evacuation of drivers and passengers from 200 vehicles. It was estimated that at one point the fire reached temperatures in excess of 1800 °F ( 1000 °C, but for the well organised emergency services and the Tunnels design many more could have lost their lives.

2007 Royal Navy sailors captured in Iraqi/Iranian waters

2007 : Fifteen British navy personnel have been captured at gunpoint by Iranian forces. The men were seized when they boarded a boat in the Gulf, off the coast of Iraq, which they suspected was involved in smuggling. The Royal Navy has said the group was on a routine patrol in Iraqi waters, but the Iranians have said that they had illegally entered Iranian waters. The sailors were from the Type 22 frigate H.M.S. Cornwall.

2008 4000 U.S. servicemen and women dead in Iraq

2008 : The number of United States military personnel killed in Iraq since the US-led invasion has passed the 4,000 mark. The latest to die were the four soldiers whose vehicle was blown up by a bomb in southern Baghdad today. A fifth soldier was wounded in the attack, which took place about 3 p.m. E.T. This milestone has come just days after Americans marked the fifth anniversary of the war's start.

2009 United States Mount Redoubt volcano Eruption

2009 : The Mount Redoubt volcano in Alaska has erupted again, and sent a cloud of ash to around 50,000 feet. The volcano, which is 103 miles from Anchorage, had erupted on the evening of March 22nd, and four more explosions have taken place today. The volcano's ash has fallen on towns to the north of Anchorage, although the city itself has not been affected. Alaskan Airlines have canceled nineteen flights because of the ash, and aircraft at the Elmendorf Air Force Base are also being sheltered. The National Weather Service has called it 'a light dusting.'

2010 Obama signs US healthcare reform bill into law

2010 : President Obama has signed his healthcare bill, which has been hailed as the most expansive social legislation in decades, saying it enshrines "the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care.” Having signed the measure, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House, he spoke to an audience of of the Democratic lawmakers who have ridden the legislative process. They interrupted him repeatedly with cheers, applause and standing ovations.

2010 Virgin Galactic's Space Ship Two

2010 : Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo "VSS Enterprise" is shown to reporters from around the world on its maiden flight from the Mojave Air and Spaceport in Mojave, California, United States. Space Ship Two is designed to carry "space tourists" with tickets costing $200,000 each, under development by The Spaceship Company, a joint venture between Scaled Composites and Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Group. 65,000 would-be space tourists have applied for the first batch of 100 tickets.

2011 Portuguese Prime Minister Resigns

2011 : The Prime Minister of Portugal, Jose Socrates, resigned after his austerity budget failed to pass in parliament. Failure to pass the budget meant that Portugal would likely join the ranks of Greece and Ireland in the European Union, and would need help from a bailout package similar to the ones that those two countries received in 2010. The budget aimed at tackling the harsh economic situation in the country included tax rises and spending cuts, however the five opposition parties all voted against it.

2013 US Popular Band Splits

2013 : The popular band My Chemical Romance from the US state of New Jersey announced that they would be splitting up after performing together for twelve years. The alternative group had reached their peak of mainstream popularity in the mid-2000s in the USA and worldwide.

2014 Guinea Ebola Outbreak Reaches Capital

2014 : A deadly outbreak of the Ebola virus reached the capital of Guinea, Conakry. The virus had already killed fifty-nine of the reported eighty people who had been infected in the outbreak.

Today in Labor History March 23, 2026

 

New York Postal Strike

101 Wobblies (members of the Industrial Workers of the World, IWW) went on trial in Chicago for opposing World War I. They were tried for violating the Espionage Act. In September 1917, 165 IWW leaders were arrested for conspiring to subvert the draft and encourage desertion. Their trial lasted five months, the longest criminal trial in American history up to that time. The jury found them all guilty. The judge sentenced Big Bill Haywood and 14 others to 20 years in prison. 33 others were given 10 years each. They were also fined a total of $2,500,000. The trial virtually destroyed the IWW. Haywood jumped bail and fled to the USSR, where he remained until his death 10 years later. – 1918

The Norris-La Guardia Act was passed, restricting injunctions against unions and banning yellow dog contracts, which require newly-hired workers to declare they are not union members and will not join one. – 1932

President Nixon declared a national emergency and ordered 30,000 troops to New York City to break the postal workers strike. The troops didn’t have a clue how to sort and deliver mail; a settlement came a few days later. – 1970

The Coalition of Labor Union Women was founded in Chicago by some 3,000 delegates from 58 unions and other organizations. – 1974

Fifteen workers died and another 170 were injured when a series of explosions ripped through BP’s Texas City refinery. Investigators blamed a poor safety culture at the plant and found BP management gave priority to cost savings over worker safety. – 2005

Today in Labor History March 22

Mark Twain

Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, gave a speech entitled, Knights of Labor: The New Dynasty. In the speech, he commended the Knights’ commitment to fair treatment of all workers, regardless of race or gender. “When all the bricklayers, and all the machinists, and all the miners, and blacksmiths, and printers, and stevedores, and house painters, and brakemen, and engineers . . . and factory hands, and all the shop girls, and all the sewing machine women, and all the telegraph operators, in a word, all the myriads of toilers in whom is slumbering the reality of that thing which you call Power, …when these rise, call the vast spectacle by any deluding name that will please your ear, but the fact remains that a Nation has risen.” Clemens was a lifelong member of the International Typographical Union (now part of the Communications Workers of America). – 1886

The Grand Coulee Dam on Washington state’s Columbia River began operation after a decade of construction. Eight thousand workers labored on the project; 77 died. – 1941

State and local police in Rhode Island used tear gas on some 800 IAM picketers striking the Browne & Sharp machine tool manufacturing company in North Kingstown. Governor J. Joseph Garrahy later publicly apologized for the actions of police. – 1982

A 32-day lockout of major league baseball players ended with an agreement to raise the minimum league salary from $68,000 to $100,000 and to study revenue-sharing between owners and players. – 1990

A bitter six-and-a-half year UAW strike at Caterpillar Inc. ended. The strike and settlement, which included a two-tier wage system and other concessions, deeply divided the union. – 1998

 

Sunday Morning in the Blogosphere

The Heritage Hotel, Manila, Philippine's

 

Putting the ‘free’ in press freedom - E&P Magazine

CBS News cuts radio division amid layoffs - Poynter

CBS News to cut 6% of staff and close radio service - Press Gazette

White House plays politics with press accountability - E&P Magazine

Stars and Stripes defends its independence amid new Pentagon pressures - E&P Reports

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.