Saturday, March 21, 2026

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.



Today in Labor History March 21st, 2026


 March from Selma to Montgomery

Women’s rights advocate and labor activist Alice Henry was born in Melbourne, Australia. Henry came to the U.S. in 1905 and worked for twenty years for the National Women’s Trade Union League of America in Chicago, lecturing, organizing, directing the education department, writing two books on women in the labor movement, and editing the League’s official journal. – 1857

3,200 people began the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama to protest racial violence. Earlier efforts to hold the march had failed when police attacked demonstrators and a white minister was fatally beaten by a group of Selma whites. The five-day walk ended March 26, when 20,000 people joined the marchers in front of the Alabama state Capitol in Montgomery. Soon after, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. – 1965
Today marked day four of the national wildcat postal strike. In New York, an effigy of Gus Johnson, president of the letter carriers’ union local, was hung at a meeting and the national union leaders were called “rats” and “creeps.” Despite the anti-strike clause in the postal worker’s contract and federal injunctions against striking, postal workers walked out in over 200 cities. – 1970

Thursday, March 19, 2026

Thursday Morning in the Blogosphere


 First time meeting face to face 2015



Fixing The Washington Post’s future - E&P Magazine


College Students Offer Surprising Advice on Social Media for Children - Second Rough Draft

Important Events From This day in History March 19

 

 

1987 U.S.A. Televangelist Jim Bakker

1987 : Televangelist Jim Bakker resigned as chairman of his PTL ministry organization and hands over control to Jerry Falwell. The PTL ministry had average viewers numbering over twelve million, amid the scandal involving a former church secretary, Jessica Hahn who was paid $279,000 from PTL funds to keep secret her allegation that he had raped her. During the earlier period the PTL ministry organization had raised millions to build Heritage USA a Christian theme park, water park and residential complex which between 1978, and 1986 was one of the top vacation destinations in the country . Following the scandal and large losses "Heritage USA" was forced to close.

In 1989, after a five week trial in Charlotte, the jury found Jim Bakker guilty on a number of accounting fraud and conspiracy charges, and Judge Robert Potter sentenced him to 45 years in federal prison and a $500,000 fine. He was released on Parole in 1993 after serving 5 years and in 1992 Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker were divorced.

1964 England New Towns Needed

1964 : A study, estimates the country's population will increase by three million by the early 1980s and highlights the need for expansion of existing cities and the creation of three new towns in the South East. The three "new towns" that were created were:

Milton Keynes formally designated as a new town on 23 January 1967 Current Population estimate 184,506.

Milton Keynes was one of the first towns / cities built in the UK that had a grid road system similar to cities in the US ( straight roads North / South and East / West )

Both Havant and Basingstoke did exist prior to 1964 but the number of houses and people living in the area significantly increased over the next two decades as green belt land was released for building.

2001 U.S.A. California Rolling Blackouts

2001 : California officials order the first of a further two days of rolling blackouts.

Rolling blackouts had began on

June 14th, 2000 due to a heatwave

January 17-18, 2001

March 19-20, 2001

May 7-8, 2001

The California electricity crisis which included extremely high prices and Rolling blackouts was a direct result from the manipulation of energy of a partially deregulated California energy system by companies like Enron and Reliant Energy.

1982 England Falkland Islands

1982 : 50 Argentines land at Leith Harbour, on South Georgia a British colony of the Falkland Islands in the south Atlantic and planted their nation's flag. Argentina invades the Falkland Islands on April 2nd and British Marines are deployed to regain the Island on April 25th

1916 U.S.A. First Use Of Air Combat

1916 : The first use of air combat by the US when Eight Curtiss "Jenny" planes of the First Aero Squadron are used in support for the 7,000 U.S. troops who invaded Mexico to capture Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa.

1918 U.S.A. Daylight Saving Time

1918 : The US Congress approves daylight-saving time. Germany started the use of DST in 1916 and other countries followed suit. Daylight saving time or British summer time is the practice of adjusting clocks forward one hour near the start of spring so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less, and adjusting them backwards in the Autumn by 1 hour. It is not used universally world wide but is common in Europe and North America.

1920 U.S.A. Treaty of Versailles

1920 : The senate voted to refused to ratify the treaty of Versailles that would end the nations war status.

1921 Argentina Wheat Export Tax

1921 : It was revealed that Buenos Aires would not add on a new wheat export tax. It was said that uncertainty of this decision had cause the wheat industry to be unstable for a period of time.

1931 U.S.A. Gambling

1931 : The Nevada state legislature votes to legalize gambling hoping to bring much needed money to the state in the worst of the depression years.

1932 Australia Sydney Harbor Bridge Opens

1932 : The Sydney Harbour Bridge the fourth-longest spanning-arch bridge in the world across Sydney Harbour officially opened. The bridge was designed to carry road traffic, railway traffic and a footpath on each side.

1938 Spain Civil War

1938 : Cabinet members were divided on the issue of whether or not the civil war should end. Fierce fighting occurred while the cabinet convened at the capital building. A fourth of the population of Barcelona had fled into the mountains and set up camp to hide from bombings.

1941 U.S.A. Jimmy Dorsey

1941 : Jimmy Dorsey and his orchestra record the hits "Green Eyes" and "Maria Elena." The album hit the Billboard charts two months later and spent 17 weeks on it, peaking at #1 in mid-June. Both songs eventually hit #1, making the album a major hit.

1945 Japan USS Carrier Franklin

1945 : Japanese aircraft attack the USS carrier Franklin off Japan, killing about 724 of the crew. The ship did not sink and managed to limp back to Pearl Harbor for repairs.

1948 Germany Communist Demonstrators

1948 : About 70,000 demonstrators crowded the streets of Berlin. About half of them were supporters of the Communist Party, while others were supporters of the Anti-Communist movement. This event was coordinated by the “Communist-Controlled Socialist Unity Party.” All other political groups of Berlin had boycotted this event.

1953 U.S.A. Academy Awards

1953 : The Academy Awards was televised for the first time with Bob Hope as the host.

1955 U.S.A. Billy Graham

1955 : President Eisenhower and his wife had met Reverend Billy Graham in person. They exchanged cordial greetings and chatted with him after services, which took place at the National Presbyterian Church in Washington.

1967 England Sexism By Judge

1967 : Twelve women were responsible for deciding the verdict of a theft trial. They had determined in 38 minutes that the defendant was guilty. A judge was astounded, and complimented them-saying they were women, but “equal to a jury of 12 gentlemen in arriving at the truth of the matter.”

1970 Germany Leaders Meet for First Time

1970 : The leaders of East Germany and West Germany meet for the first time since the country was divided in 1949 following the end of the second world war.

1971 Turkey Nihat Erim

1971 : Nihat Erim had his work cut out for him as Turkey’s new premier (prime minister). Erim was called upon by President Cevdet Sunay to form a new Turkish government, which was in total crisis. Before Erim became premier of Turkey, he was the head of a conservative group that belonged to the Republicans People Party. His current order of business as prime minister was to form a governmental structure which would satisfy the major political parties of the country. Erim also was responsible for making sure that the new governmental set-up would satisfy military commanders threatening a takeover.

1971 Peru Earthquake

1971 : An earthquake sets off a landslide, flood and avalanche that result in the destruction of the town of Chungar, Peru, and the death of most of the towns people.


Today in Labor History March 19, 2026


 Fifth Avenue Coach


The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Adamson Act, a federal law that established an 8-hour workday, with overtime pay, for interstate railway workers. Congress passed the law in 1916 to avert a nationwide rail strike. – 1917
During the Great Depression, 1,100 men standing in a breadline in New York City seized two truckloads of bread and rolls as they were being delivered to a nearby hotel. – 1930
In an effort to block massive layoffs and end a strike, New York City moved to condemn and seize Fifth Avenue Coach, the largest privately owned bus company in the world. – 1962
Three workers are killed, five injured during a test of the Space Shuttle Columbia - 1981

Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Tuesday Morning in the Blogosphere


 


Augusta good news digital newspaper - WRDW

Tapping into the power of data - E&P Magazine

The new reality of media sales - E&P Magazine

Important Events From This day in History March 17th

 

 2001 - England Eden Project

2001 : The Eden Project opens , It is the worlds largest greenhouse and is designed to help save the worlds largest number of plant species from around the world, with a number of domes each emulating a natural climate and geographical area of ecologically , the project has over 100,000 plants and is now one of the UK's most important tourist attractions.
 

1966 - Spain Hydrogen Bomb Found
1966 : A hydrogen bomb that had fallen from a B-52 bomber when it collided with a KC-135 refueling jet over the Mediterranean Sea was located by a U.S. midget submarine off the coast of Spain, it is recovered from the sea floor in April of the same year from a depth of 2,500 feet.
 

1905 - U.S.A. Franklin D. Roosevelt
1905 : Franklin D. Roosevelt marries his distant cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt, in New York City. The wedding was attended by President Theodore Roosevelt, FDR's fifth cousin, who gave his niece away.
 

1909 - Taiwan Earthquake
1909 : A powerful earthquake and aftershocks rock Taiwan , killing over 1,200 people.
 

 



1920 - U.S.A. Blizzard
1920 : A harsh blizzard had caused serious damage in Bismark, North Dakota, and temperatures had dropped dramatically. During this storm, an 18-year girl old had taken her jacket and covered her brother and sister with it. In the process, Hazel Minor (the 18-year-old) had lost her live. However, the lives of her younger siblings were saved. They all had laid in a snowdrift for 24 hours before being discovered.
 

1926 - U.S.A. Musical
1926 : The musical "The Girl Friend" opens in New York City. It runs for an impressive 409 performances.
 

1931 - U.S.A. Nevada Legalizes Gambling
1931 : Nevada Senate voted to legalize all forms of gambling in the state providing the impetus for the growth of Las Vegas.
 

1938 - Spain Bombing
1938 : Nine air raids total took place in Spain. About 300 lives were reported lost as a result of this attack, which took place in the city of Barcelona. One of the bombs was dropped near the U.S. Embassy, which Francisco Franco’s troops were responsible for.
 

1948 - Belgium Western European Treaty
1948 : This was the date of the signing of the 50-year Western European Treaty. The countries of Britain, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg all agreed to participate in this agreement, which included a provision for each of these countries to provide one another with military aid.
 

1949 - Switzerland Porsche
1949 : The first car with a Porsche badge is shown at International Automobile Show in Geneva, Switzerland on a Porsche 356.
 

1953 - U.S.A. Railway Income Drop
1953 : According to a report made just recently, Sante Fe Railway experienced an income drop of over $3,345,000. This difference income was compared and contrasted between 1952 and 1951.
 


1965 - Vietnam War
1965 : Word was out that the United States had invaded communist regions of Laos. The U.S. had dropped more than 20 tons of bombs in this location.
 

1968 - England Anti Vietnam War Demonstrators
1968 : 10,000 Anti Vietnam war demonstrators rally at Trafalgar square peacefully but when the demonstration moves outside the United States embassy in London, the demonstration turns violent with 130 injured, fifty taken to hospital including up to 25 police officers.
 

1969 - Israel Golda Meir
1969 : Golda Meir becomes first female Prime Minister of Israel, she had been born in Russia but the family had emigrated to the United States and she had gone to school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She was one of twenty-four signatories (two of them women) of the Israeli declaration of independence on May 14th, 1948.
 

1972 - Hearing Impaired
1972 : The first part of an article printed in a local West Virginia newspaper described the plight of hearing-impaired children. In this state, inadequate help was being provided, according to this report. This report, as well as part two of it, was printed to help detect and treat hearing impaired children.
 

1978 - Lebanon Israel Attacks
1978 : Israel continues it's attacks on southern Lebanon forcing hundreds of thousands of Palestinian refugees in vans, lorries and old buses to head for the safety of Beirut . The Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon are in retaliation for the bus hijacking in Tel Aviv in which 35 people were killed and 100 others were injured 5 days earlier.
 

1984 - England Boat Race
1984 : The 130th Cambridge / Oxford Boat Race is postponed for 24hrs after the Cambridge boat collides with a barge and sinks. The Boat Race dates back to 1829, with the first race held on 10 June at Henley-on-Thames. The current race is over the four and a quarter mile distance from Putney to Mortlake along the River Thames through London and pits students from Cambridge and Oxford universities . Cambridge currently lead the series since 1829 by 79-73.
 

1985 - U.S.A. Richard Ramirez
1985 : Richard Ramirez, the infamous Night Stalker, starts his killing spree when he kills two women in separate attacks in Los Angeles.
 

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/march18th.html

1988 - U.S.A. Warts
1988 : Precaution warning was given regarding the use of Carbon Dioxide treatment for warts. Although this has been a proven treatment for removing warts, doctors performing this procedure were advised to be careful not to allow the wart virus vapors to enter into the air.
 

1990 - U.S.A. Pointdexter
1990 : An update was made dated today (March 17, 1990) regarding the 5,000 computer erased by Pointdexter the day before resigning as Reagan’s national security adviser. FBI agent Ellen Glasser had testified to this fact on the previous Thursday. Moreover, Glasser also revealed that Poindexter told the FBI three days after resigning that he (Pointdexter) had no knowledge of early Iran shipments and profits made by Nicaragua Contras. Further information was printed about Pointdexter, indicating that he assisted a request made by Oliver North to Divert arms profits to the Contras. Pointdexter was also involved in the shipping of missiles to the Contras in 1985.
 

2000 - Ireland Bubbles Float Downwards Guinness
2000 : This was a big debate in the city of Ireland-one of the more peaceful and lighthearted this nation has ever taken part in. The question was asked why the bubbles float downwards rather than upwards when Guinness beer is poured into a glass.
 

2003 - U.S.A. Iraq Invasion
2003 : Two days prior to the US invasion of Iraq President George W. Bush gave a final ultimatum to Saddam Hussein that he had 48 hours for him and his sons to leave Iraq.
 

2007 - U.S.A. March on the Pentagon
2007 : Thousands of demonstrators have marched to the Pentagon to mark the fourth anniversary of the American invasion of Iraq and the fortieth anniversary of the march that occurred during the Vietnam War. This has coincided with demonstrations in Washington, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and elsewhere. The liberal group MoveOn.org is holding many small protest vigils around the country, and Saturday’s march is organized by the Answer Coalition, which uses the letters for Act Now to Stop War and End Racism, and is associated with the Workers World Party.
 

2008 - U.S.A. IRS announces stimulus payments Dates
2008 : The Internal Revenue Service will begin to send more than 130 million economic stimulus payments in May and the Social security number will determine the date checks are sent.
 

2008 - Kosovo becomes independent
2008 : Kosovo's parliament has declared independence from Serbia. The Kosovan Prime Minister has promised a democracy that respects the rights of all ethnic communities, and the Serbian Prime Minister has denounced the United States for its help there. The U.N. Security Council was split on the issue, with Russia saying that there was no need to change the 1999 resolution that handed Kosovo to the U.N.
European Union foreign ministers have ended talks on Kosovo's independence from Serbia, with its member states being divided in their recognition of it. France has said that it would recognize its independence, but several other states, especially Spain, were unhappy about the legal ramifications if held. President Bush has said that Kosovo's people were 'independent,' but stopped short of a formal recognition of the country. Russia has backed Serbia in its refusal to recognize the succession.
 

2009 - Seattle newspaper is the first major newspaper to be produced online only
2009 : The 146 year old Seattle Post-Intelligencer has printed its final edition, before becoming a solely online operation. Its owner has failed to find a buyer for the paper, which was put on sale in January. The newspaper industry has been badly hit by the financial markets, and a number of other titles face closure. The online-only venture is the first by any U.S. paper. The Post-Intelligencer said it will be maintaining seattlepi.com, making it the nation's largest daily newspaper to shift to an entirely digital news print.
 

2010 - Obama says he will be pursuing 'aggressive sanctions' on Iran
2010 : President Barack Obama has said that the United States would pursue 'aggressive sanctions' to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Obama, who has been pursuing dialogue with Iran as a cornerstone of his administration's foreign policy, has said he was successful in getting the international community to isolate Tehran. 'As we've seen, the Iranian government has been more concerned about preventing their people from exercising their democratic and human rights than trying to solve this problem diplomatically,' he said today.
 

2014 - El Salvador Electoral Court Confirms Sanchez Ceren Win
2014 : El Salvador's electoral court has confirmed Salvador Sanchez Ceren the winner of a hotly contested presidential election in the Central American country. The election was held on March 9 and ex-rebel Salvador Sanchez Ceren won 50.11 percent of the vote compared to opposing candidate Norman Quijano's 49.89 percent. Sanchez Ceren would become the country's first leftist ex-rebel president.

Today in Labor History March 17

 

The leadership of the American Federation of Labor selected the Carpenters Union to lead the eight hour movement. Carpenters throughout the country struck in April; by May 1, some 46,000 carpenters in 137 cities and towns had achieved shorter hours. – 1890

A U.S.-China treaty prevented Chinese laborers from entering the U.S. – 1894
Nearly 100 striking Mexican and Filipino farm workers began a march from Delano to Sacramento, California. By April 11, when they reached the steps of the state capitol, 10,000 supporters had joined them. A few months later, the two organizations representing the workers, the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee and the National Farm Workers Association, joined to form a single union, out of which the United Farm Workers was born. – 1966
The Rolling Stones, Joan Baez, the Jefferson Airplane, the Grateful Dead and other musicians requested the station not play their music as long as the station was run by strikebreakers. – 1968
Boeing Co. and the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA) came to terms on a new contract, settling the largest white-collar walkout in U.S. history.  SPEEA represented some 22,000 workers, of whom 19,000 honored picket lines for 40 days. – 2000

Monday, March 16, 2026

Monday Morning in the Blogosphere


 






A blow to Caribbean democracy as Stabroek News and Newsday papers fold - AP




Important Events From This day in History March 16th

 

 

2005 U.S.A. Scott Peterson

2005 : Scott Peterson is sent to death row for the slaying of his pregnant wife, Laci Peterson.

1968 Vietnam Massacre By US Forces

1968 : U.S. troops massacre South Vietnamese between 200 and 500 unarmed villagers at My Lai 4, a cluster of hamlets in the coastal lowlands of the northernmost region of South Vietnam. During the ensuing massacre, several old men were bayoneted; some women and children praying outside the local temple were shot in the back of the head; and at least one girl was raped before being killed. Others were systematically rounded up and led to a nearby ditch where they were executed. In some ways this single story that came out changed the views of many American citizens who were beginning to question why the US was involved in Vietnam and was later proved to be true, this was a fairly isolated case of US forces brutality which reflected wrongly on all US forces in Vietnam.

1935 Germany Treaty of Versailles

1935 : Adolf Hitler violates the Treaty of Versailles by introducing compulsory military conscription in Germany and rebuilding German armed forces. This included a new Navy (Kriegsmarine), the first full armored divisions (Panzerwaffe) and an Air Force (Luftwaffe).

1915 U.S.A. Federal Trade Commission

1915 : The Federal Trade Commission was organized following the Federal Trade Commission Act in 1914. Its principal mission is the promotion of "consumer protection" and the elimination and prevention of what regulators perceive to be "anti-competitive" business practices, one of it's roles is to enforce antitrust laws.

1920 U.S.A. Sir Aukland Geddes

1920 : Sir Aukland Geddes, an ambassador to the United States, stated that mutual respect was needed between the U.S. and Britain. A lengthy quote made by Geddes had been produced by the press. This quote included ideals of how when peace and respect is agreed upon that it should actually happen. Geddes stressed that trust love need to be present for peace to happen.

1926 U.S.A. First Rocket Launch

1926 : The US professor and scientist Robert Hutchings Goddard, Ph.D. launches the world's first liquid-fueled rocket.

1930 Spain Premier De Rivera

1930 : Respects were paid to Premier De Rivera who had passed away today in Spain. He was the one who was responsible for the founding of the Spanish Patriotic Union.

1942 U.S.A. Fats Waller

1942 : Recording artist Fats Waller records “The Jitterbug Waltz” in New York. In addition to this song, some of his other hits include “Honeysuckle Rose” and “Valentine Stomp.”

1945 Iwo Jima Allies Declare Secure

1945 : The island of Iwo Jima in the Pacific Ocean is declared secure by Allied Commanders, but on the night of March 25th a 300-man Japanese force launched a final counterattack in the vicinity of Airfield Number 2 leaving more than 100 US Forces killed and another 200 wounded. Iwo Jima was a difficult battle for the allies as the Japanese fought to the last man and of over 21,000 Japanese soldiers who were entrenched on the island, 20,703 died either from fighting or by ritual suicide.

1948 Columbia Plane Crash

1948 : A plane crashed into a mountain in Columbia. Fourteen lives were lost in this crash. A protestant clergy member and his family were among those on board before this tragedy happened.

1953 U.S.A. Right To Work Laws

1953 : The U.S. Supreme Court gave power to enforce right-to-work laws to the state of Virginia. This action made it possible for state courts to stop peaceful picketing demonstrations if this action non-union workers’ employment.

1953 England Marshal Tito

1953 : Marshal Tito of Yugoslavia is the first Communist head of state to visit Great Britain, this follows a visit last September by the Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden who visited Yugoslavia to strengthen ties between the two nations.

1964 U.S.A. NFL

1964 : Paul Hornung of the Green Bay Packers and Alex Karras of the Detroit Lions were reinstated by the National Football League after being suspended and investigated for gambling activities. . Find Out More About More History Of NFL Football including history, teams, growth, and the modern game.

1965 Canada Cancer and Cigarettes

1965 : Doctor William K. Kerr of the Toronto’s Department of Surgery reported the first ever biochemical link between cancer and cigarettes. Kerr was one of the groups of scientists who had studied the affects of cigarettes on persons, rather than just researching statistical studies.

1968 U.S.A. Robert F. Kennedy

1968 : Senator Robert F. Kennedy, the brother of assassinated President John F. Kennedy, announced his run for the Democratic presidential nomination.

1972 Canada Howard Hughes

1972 : Some people believed that Howard Hughes had traveled back to the United States by this time. However, other sources indicate that Hughes was still in Canada. Before this time, he had been in hiding Nicaragua. This was during the period in history when the author Irving had admitted in court that his yet-to-be-published biography about Hughes was a fraud.

1976 UK Harold Wilson

1976 : The British Prime Minister Harold Wilson shocks the political world by announcing his resignation after being the Labour leader for 13 years and prime minister for almost eight years.

1978 Italy Aldo Moro

1978 : The former Italian prime minister Aldo Moro is kidnapped in Rome. His escort of five police bodyguards were killed when he was snatched at gunpoint from a car near a cafe in the morning rush-hour. The Red Brigade has claimed responsibility and has said it kidnapped the Christian Democratic leader.

1978 France Amoco Cadiz

1978 : The Amoco Cadiz wrecks off the coast of Portsall, France losing 68 million gallons of oil that caused environmental damage to 240 miles of France’s Brittany coastline.

1985 Lebanon Terry Anderson

1985 : Terry Anderson the Middle East correspondent for The Associated Press is is kidnapped in Beirut, Lebanon, by Islamic militants.

1988 U.S.A. Microwaves

1988 : A summary of new weapon research was presented. A radiation specialist from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh has made it known that both the U.S. and Soviet Union had plans to use microwaves to their advantage on land, naval, and air bases. A fear regarding the use of microwaves was very present from this time forward. It became possible for enemy forces to use the microwaves to destroy the systems on which most military centers run.

1988 Northern Ireland Murder at Cemetery

1988 : A gunman opens fire and throws grenades into the crowd of mourners at Milltown Cemetery in Northern Ireland killing 3 mourners and injuring at least 50 attending the funeral for IRA members shot dead in Gibraltar.

1988 Iraq Poison Gas Attack On Kurds

1988 : Thousands of people are killed in a poison gas attack cocktail which included mustard gas, the nerve agents sarin, tabun and VX and possibly cyanide on the Kurdish city of Halabja in northern Iraq. The attack was believed to have been carried out by Iraq forces on the orders of Saddam Hussein.

1988 U.S.A. Iran-Contra Affair

1988 : Former National Security Adviser John M. Poindexter, former White House aide Oliver L. North and two others are indicted on charges relating to the Iran-Contra affair.

1990 Spain Seville

1990 : Seville, a small town located along the Guadalquivir River announced the planning of a special celebration. This is the town in Spain where Christopher Columbus resided in between voyages. The name of this celebration coming up was called the Universal Exhibition of 1992. The plan was to make the Monastery of Santa Maria de la Cuevas the central location of this event. Likewise, plans were to present this famous monastery as the Royal Pavilion during Exhibition 1992.

1998 Rwanda Mass Trials for 1994 Genocide

1998 : Rwanda began mass trials for the country's 1994 genocide of the hundreds of thousands of ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutu sympathizers in Rwanda, the trials had started in 1996 following the change of government but the backlog was so bad that mass trials were instituted. The genocide was perpetuated by Rwanda government leaders working in secret with youth group leaders, forming and arming militias called Interahamwe which were responsible for most of the murders, the Red Cross estimated that 500,000 Rwandans were murdered.

2000 U.S.A. Dow Jones

2000 : The Dow Jones Average shot up 500 points. This was one of the busiest trading days in the history of the New York Stock Exchange.

2003 Gaza Rachel Corrie

2003 : Rachel Corrie, a 23-year-old American in Gaza to protest Israel operations, was killed when she was run over by a bulldozer while trying to block troops from demolishing a Palestinian home.

2006 Iraq New Parliament

2006 : Iraq's newly elected parliament met briefly for the first time.

2006 United States National debt raised to 9 trillion dollars

2006 : The Senate has voted to raise the national debt ceiling to nearly 9 trillion dollars. This might prevent the first ever default on U.S. Treasury notes. The debt limit increase is the fourth since President Bush took office, and the move will allow the government to continue paying for the more expensive governmental packages, like the war in Iraq, without raising taxes. The 9 trillion dollar deficit will average out at about 30 thousand dollars a person.

2008 The Dalai Lama warns of violence in Tibet

2008 : The Dalai Lama has said he fears there will be more deaths in Tibet unless Beijing changes its policies in the Chinese-controlled region. Lhasa, Tibet's main city, has been reported quiet after the protests that took place there, but is under heavy Chinese restrictions. The Dalai Lama has said that the death toll from the protests may be as high as eighty. Indian-based officials have said that this figure has been confirmed by several sources, even though China has put the death toll at ten.

2008 Iraq McCain in Baghdad

2008 : John McCain has gone to Baghdad in a previously unannounced visit to the Iraqi capital. The Republican's presidential candidate will be meeting with U.S. and Iraqi officials during his trip there. He is also scheduled to visit London, Paris and Israel. The senator is well known for his strong support of the current U.S. policy in Iraq, and was one of the most prominent proponents of the 'surge' strategy.

2010 Sony sold the rights to Michael Jackson’s hits and unreleased work

2010 : Michael Jackson's estate has signed the world's biggest recording contract, nine months after the singer's death. The $250 million deal for up to ten recordings by 2017 is a huge bet on the singer's continuing popularity with people who are not familiar with his earlier works. It will give Sony the rights to sell Jackson's back catalog and previously unreleased tracks, as well as the soundtrack to the concert movie that Jackson was filming when he died. This will also allow Sony the right to exploit his music in video games, amusement park rides, television adverts, memorabilia and a DVD compilation.

2010 United States A halt to work on the border fence

2010 : The Obama Administration will be halting further work on the 'virtual fence' that runs along the U.S.-Mexican border. This will divert $50 million of the economic stimulus funds to other purposes. The move signals an almost certain death knell for the troubled five-year plan to drape a chain of tower-mounted sensors and other surveillance gear along most of the 2,000-mile southern border.

2011 Hip-Hop Star Nate Dogg Dies

2011 : Forty-one year old hip-hop and R&B star, Nathaniel Hale, also known as Nate Dogg, died after complications from two strokes. Nate Dogg had begun his career in the early 1990s and had collaborated with such artists as Snoop Dogg, Eminem, and Warren G.

2012 Nicolae Timofti Elected President of Moldova

2012 : After three years of political stalemate Nicolae Timofti, an independent judge, was elected to be the president of Moldova in a parliamentary vote. The country had no full-time president since 2009 when the former president Vladimir Voronin resigned. The opposition party of Communists boycotted the vote.

2013 Pakistan Government Completes Term

2013 : An elected government completed a full term for the first time in the country's history. Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf's government was the first to complete a full term since the country's formation in 1947. The success was praised for moving in the right direction of democracy as all previous governments had either been overthrown, ended by political infighting, or ended with assassinations and murders.

2014 Italy Venice Polls on Independence

2014 : Independence activists organized an online poll to gauge the opinions of Venice and the surrounding region on breaking away from the rest of Italy. Opinion polls suggested that up to two-thirds of the regions population would be in favor of independence. None of the polls conducted were considered legally binding.