Today in History

1876
Johns Hopkins Univ opens in Baltimore, Md,the 1st U.S. research univ,founded by Baltimore wealthy merchant/ philanthropist, Johns Hopkins
1934
romantic comedy' It Happened One Night' directed by Frank Capra is released. The story of a rogue reporter who trails a runaway heiress for a big story,on a bus from Fla- NYC.The movie starred Clark Gable, Claudette Cobert,Alan Hale, Ward Bond. It was the 1st movie to win the 5 major Oscar categories: Pic/ director/actor{Gable} actress {Colbert} screenplay{Robert Riskin}
2 other movies also have won 5 major categories: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' '75, 'Silence of the Lambs' '91
1980
at the Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, NY, the U.S. men's hockey team made up of mostly college kids, defeated the heavily favored Russia team 4-3 in one of the biggest upsets in Olympic history,known as 'The Miracle on Ice' The team would go on to win gold medal
1997
scientists at the Roslin Institute in Scotland announced they've cloned an adult mammal' Dolly' the sheep, born in July 1996,she died in 2003
 

On This Day In History, February 23rd

1954 The first mass inoculation against polio is conducted
Virologist Jonas Salk's vaccine is still one of the two versions used today, along with Hilary Koprowski's live polio vaccine.

1947 The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) begins operating
The ISO issues standards for everything from bicycle tyres to date formats.

1941 Glenn T. Seaborg and his team chemically identify Plutonium
The radioactive element plays an important role as nuclear fuel or in nuclear weapons.

1917 The February Revolution begins in Russia
The demonstrations and armed clashes ultimately resulted in the demise of the Russian Empire.

1455 The Gutenberg Bible is published
Johannes Gutenberg's Bible edition was the first book ever printed in movable type, heralding the age of the printed book in the West.
 

Births On This Day, February 23rd 🎂

1983 Mido
Egyptian footballer

1929 Alexy II of Moscow
Estonian/Russian patriarch

1899 Erich Kästner
German author, poet

1868 W. E. B. Du Bois
American sociologist, historian, activist

1685 George Frideric Handel
German/English composer

Deaths On This Day, February 23rd 🪦

1965 Stan Laurel
English actor, comedian

1934 Edward Elgar
English composer

1855 Carl Friedrich Gauss
German mathematician

1848 John Quincy Adams
American politician, 6th President of the United States

1821 John Keats
English poet
 
23rd February

1820 British police uncovered 'The Cato Street Conspiracy', planned by Arthur Thistlewood, to assassinate Cabinet ministers. Five of the eighteen conspirators were publicly hanged outside Newgate prison on 1st May 1820, six were transported to Australia for life, and the rest were either rewarded or released due to their status as spies, agent provocateurs, or men who had turned King's Evidence.

1874 Major Walter Clopton Wingfield patented an outdoor game he called ‘Sphairistike’, later known as lawn tennis. Eventually it was adopted by the All England Croquet Club which sponsored the first Wimbledon championships in 1877.

1945 World War II: The German town of Pforzheim was almost completely destroyed in a raid by 379 British bombers. About one quarter of the town's population (over 17,000 people) were killed in the air raid. The town was thought by the Allies to be producing precision instruments for use in the German war effort and to be a transport centre for the movement of German troops.

1963 Peter Hicks, a farmer who electrified his car to ward off traffic wardens in London's Covent Garden had to wait nine months before police returned his electric device and told him they would not be prosecuting. The electrified Land Rover was not the only mode of transport with which Hicks courted controversy. He also liked to pick up his son Charlie from school in an ex-American Army helicopter. "One day I was summoned to the headmaster who said he'd had complaints from the ground staff and could my father please park his helicopter somewhere else?"

2014 The oldest known survivor of the Nazi Holocaust, Alice Herz-Sommer, died in London at the age of 110. She was an accomplished pianist and music teacher and a film about her life was nominated for the best short documentary at the Academy Awards. Born into a Jewish family in Prague in 1903, Ms Herz-Sommer spent two years in a Nazi concentration camp in Terezin.
 
1896
'Tootsie Roll' candy created by Leo Hirschfield starts selling the individual wrapped candy in a small store in Brooklyn,NY,cost was a penny. His daughter, Clara's nickname was 'Tootsie', the company now is based in Chicago
1904
U.S. acquires control of Panama Canal for $10mill
1945
U.S. Marines raise U.S. flag on top of Mt. Suribachi,Iwo Jima
1980
Lake Placid, NY Winter Olympic Games,U.S. speed skater, Eric Heiden wins all the 5 speed skating events. He's the only athlete to win 5 gold medals at 1 Winter Games
1997
NBC broadcasts movie' Schindler's List' uncensored,without commercials,65 mill tune in. The movie which was released in 1993 won 7 Oscars
2021
a discovery of the oldest Australian rock art,a 17,300 yr old painting of a kangaroo was found in Western Australia was published in 'Nature Human Behaviour'
 
Feb 24th:
1839
William Otis patents steam shovel
1938
Dupont begins commerical production of toothbrush bristles
1969
movie' The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' based on book by Muriel Spark, directed by Ronald Neame. The movie stars, Maggie Smith as a teacher at a Edinburgh,Scotland girls school. She is know for straying from the school's curriculum,e.g takes the girls to art museums. Other cast members, Robert Stephens{ Smith's 1st husband}, Pamela Franklin, Gordon Jackson. Smith won best actress Oscar,her other Oscar win was supporting actress in "California Suite' '78
2008
Fidel Castro retires as President of Cuba after 50 yrs in power due to I'll health
 
On This Day In History, February 25th

1994 An Israeli doctor kills 30 unarmed Palestinians in the Mosque of Abraham
The massacre by right-wing extremist Baruch Goldstein was widely condemned, also in Israel.

1991 The Warsaw Pact is declared disbanded
Following the end of the Cold War, the defence treaty between 8 communist states had lost its purpose. It had been signed in 1955 as an antagonist of NATO.

1986 Corazon Aquino is sworn in as the 11th President of the Philippines
Aquino's presidency ended 20 years of dictatorship. She was the first female president in Asia.

1964 Muhammad Ali becomes world heavyweight champion
Ali, who still used his original name Cassius Clay at the time, is considered one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in history.

1947 The state of Prussia is dissolved
At its peak, the most important state of the German empire encompassed parts of modern-day Germany, Poland, and Russia.
 

Births On This Day, February 25th 🎂

1943 George Harrison
English singer-songwriter, guitarist, producer

1917 Anthony Burgess
English author

1873 Enrico Caruso
Italian tenor

1861 Rudolf Steiner
Austrian philosopher, educator

1778 José de San Martín


Deaths On This Day, February 25th 🪦

2001 Donald Bradman
Australian cricketer

1975 Elijah Muhammad
American religious leader

1970 Mark Rothko
Latvian/American painter

1723 Christopher Wren
English architect designed St Paul's Cathedral

805 Emperor Dezong of Tang
 
On This Day In History, February 26th

1993 A car bomb explodes below the World Trade Center in New York
The attack was carried out by a group of Islamist militants. 6 people died in the blast.

1991 The world's first web browser is presented to the public
The browser “WorldWideWeb” (later renamed “Nexus”) was developed by Tim Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist best known as the inventor of the internet.

1920 The first German Expressionist film is premiered
“The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” by Robert Wiene is considered one of the best silent films of the horror genre.

1917 The world's first jazz record is created
The “Original Dixieland Jass Band” recorded “Livery Stable Blues” for the Victor Talking Machine Company in New York.

1909 A colour motion picture is shown to the general public for the first time
A series of 21 short Kinemacolor films were presented at the Palace Theatre in London.
 
Births On This Day, February 26th 🎂

1954 Recep Tayyip Erdoğan
Turkish politician, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey

1932 Johnny Cash
American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor

1928 Ariel Sharon
Israeli general, politician, 11th Prime Minister of Israel

1852 John Harvey Kellogg
American surgeon, co-created Corn flakes

1802 Victor Hugo
French author, poet, playwright

Deaths On This Day, February 26th 🪦

1994 Bill Hicks
American comedian

1989 Roy Eldridge
American trumpet player

1981 Robert Aickman
English author

1966 Vinayak Damodar Savarkar
Indian politician

1821 Joseph de Maistre
French diplomat
 
26th February

1914 The launch of HMHS (Her Majesty's Hospital Ship) Britannic, sister to the RMS Titanic, at Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast. She was the third and largest Olympic-class ocean liner of the White Star Line and was intended to enter service as a transatlantic passenger liner. However, she was launched just before the start of the First World War and was laid up at her builders in Belfast for many months before being put to use as a hospital ship in 1915. She struck a mine off the Greek island of Keain in November 1916, and sank with the loss of 30 lives.

1935 Robert Watson-Watt and Arnold Wilkins demonstrated the first practical radio system for detecting aircraft. This demonstration was a key step in the development of radar and helped the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain.

1987 The Church of England's General Synod voted by a huge majority to clear the way for the ordination of women priests.

1991 Iraqi troops flee Kuwait City. The Kuwaiti capital was liberated by the Gulf War Allies after 208 days of Iraqi occupation.

1993 World Trade Center bomb terrorises New York. A suspected car bomb exploded underneath the World Trade Center in New York killing at least five people and injuring scores more.
 
1895
Michael Owens in Toledo, Ohio patents glass blowing machine to make glass bottles
1919
U. S. Congress established Grand Canyon National Park Act, Pres Woodrow Wilson signs it
1944
U.S. Navy Capt, Sue Dauser becomes the 1st female Superintendent in Nurse Corps.The Corp grew from 436- 11,000 by 1945.She was awarded the Navy Distinguished Service Medal
1973
Triple Crown throughbred horse, Secretariat is bought for a record $5.7million
1983
Michael Jackson's album'Thriller' hits #1 on Music charts, stays there for 37 weeks
2012
At the 84th Academy Awards, French film' The Artist' wins 5 Oscars inc Best Picture. It's the 2nd silent film to win Best picture, the 1st was 'Wings' in 1927, Other winners;
best actress; Meryl Streep' The Iron Lady,actor Jean Dujardin- The Artist,supp actor: Christopher Plummer'Beginners', supp actress: Octavia Spencer "The Help
 
March 2nd:
1901
U.S Steel Corp organized by industrialist/ banker, JP Morgan Sr thru the merger of Carneige Steel,Federal Steel,National Steel Companies
1959
construction begins on Sydney Opera House in Sydney ,Australia,took 14 yrs to complete.It was delayed by bad weather, design changes which upset Dutch architect, Jorn Utzon,cost over runs. It opened on Oct 20th,1973
1965
movie' The Sound of Music' based on Rogers/ Hammerstein Broadway musical directed by Robert Wise is released. The true story of the Von Trapp family who fled their country Austria to escape Nazi rule in 1938. The movie starred Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker,, Peggy Wood. The movie won 5 Oscars including Best Picture. It's one of the most popular musical films of all time
1983
compact disc recordings are developed by Phillips & Sony,when the CD"s 1st came out the cost was $20,not a hit with consumers at the time. A Sony CD player cost around $1,000
2016
U.S astronaut, Scott Kelly returns to Earth after spending almost a yr{340 days} in space a record
 
On This Day In History, March 3rd

2007, Nepal abolishes its monarchy
The amendment to the Nepalese constitution that declared the country a federal republic was passed by the parliament. The transition was completed on May 28, 2008. Established in 1768 by Prithvi Narayan Shah, the Kingdom of Nepal lasted for over 200 years. Nepal is the world's only country with Hinduism as the state religion.

1972 The office of the presidency established in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea
Kim Il-sung became the first and only president of North Korea under an amended constitution. He was elected to the post by the members of the North Korean parliament, which is also known as the Supreme People's Assembly. The post was abolished in 1998, and Kim II-sung was given the title of Eternal President of Korea.

1968 Israel raid on Lebanom
The Israeli Defence Forces mounted a special operation, also known as Operation Gift, on Beirut Airport. The raid was in retaliation to the attack on El Al Flight 253, which was en route from Tel Aviv to New York. During its layover in Athens, Greece, two Palestinians fired at passengers and crew and killed 1 person. In retaliation, Israel destroyed several passenger and cargo planes parked at Beirut Airport. There were no fatalities during the raid.

1885- The Indian National Congress (INC) is founded
The party is one of the two main political parties in India. Created by the members of the Theosophical Society, the party was a major player in India's independence movement against the British. After Independence, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, belonged to the INC.

1836 South Australia becomes a British colony
The central southern state of Australia was first established as a province in 1834 by the British Parliament under the South Australia Act. The day was observed as Proclamation Day in the state, which was later turned into an extra holiday after Christmas Day.
 
Births On This Day, December 28th 🎂

1962 Michel Petrucciani
French/American pianist

1934 Maggie Smith
English actress

1903 John von Neumann
Hungarian/American mathematician

1903 Earl Hines
American pianist

1856 Woodrow Wilson
American politician, 28th President of the United States, Nobel Prize laureate

Deaths On This Day, December 28th 🪦

2015 Lemmy
English singer-songwriter, bass player, actor

2004 Susan Sontag
American author

1984 Sam Peckinpah
American director, screenwriter

1959 Ante Pavelić
Croatian politician

1937 Maurice Ravel
French composer
 
3rd March

1284 The Statute of Rhuddlan (also known as the Statute of Wales) was enacted 'On This Day'. The Statute of Rhuddlan provided the constitutional basis for the government of the Principality of Wales from 1284 until 1536. The Statute introduced English common law to Wales but also permitted the continuance of Welsh legal practices within the Principality.

1943 World War II: 173 people were killed in a crush while trying to enter an air-raid shelter at Bethnal Green tube station, in London. The worst civilian disaster of World War II also represented the greatest single loss of life on the London Tube system, but curiously didn’t involve a train or vehicle of any description. On 3rd March 1943, an air-raid warning sounded and locals raced for cover at Bethnal Green tube station. Confusion and panic conspired to trap hundreds on the staircase entrance. In the crush that ensued, 173 were killed including 62 children with over 60 injured.

1966 The BBC announced plans to begin broadcasting television programmes in colour from next year.

1974 A Turkish Airlines DC10 crashed near Paris killing all 345 people on board. The plane was on a regular flight from Ankara to London via Paris.

1991 The Queen needed three stitches in her hand after intervening in a corgi fight. 🐶
 
On This Day In History, March 4th

2007 The world's first national internet election is held
Estonia was the first country to allow citizens to vote in a parliamentary election through the world wide web.

1980, Robert Mugabe becomes Zimbabwe's first black prime minister
A hero of the black struggle against the white minority rule in his country, Mugabe won a landslide victory. More recently, his oppressive style of leadership has been condemned domestically and internationally.

1977 The Vrancea earthquake claimed over 1500 lives
Most of the victims were residents of Romania's capital Bucharest.

1918 The first documented cases of the Spanish flu herald a deadly worldwide pandemic
The disease quickly spread around the world, causing over 25 million deaths.

1789 The U.S. Constitution is put into effect
The law is one of the world's oldest constitutions still in use. The oldest is the Constitution of San Marino, which was issued in 1600.
 
Births On This Day, March 4th 🎂

1968 Graham Westley
English footballer, manager

1951 Chris Rea
English singer-songwriter, guitarist

1950 Rick Perry
American politician, 47th Governor of Texas

1932 Ryszard Kapuściński
Polish journalist

1678 Antonio Vivaldi
Italian violinist, composer

Deaths On This Day, March 4th 🪦

2008 Gary Gygax
American game designer, writer, co-created Dungeons & Dragons

1977 Anatol E. Baconsky
Romanian poet, author, critic

1888 Amos Bronson Alcott
American educator, philosopher

1852 Nikolai Gogol
Ukrainian/Russian author, playwright

1811 Mariano Moreno
Argentinian lawyer, journalist, politician
 
4th March 1959
The winners of the first Grammy Awards were announced. Domenico Modugno's "Volare" was named Record of the Year.
Henry Mancini's "Peter Gunn" was Album of the Year and The Champs "Tequila" won best R&B performance.
Variety magazine seemed to take great delight when it later reported - "The record academy has snubbed the Rock. Not one Rock 'n' Roll record was nominated."
 
March 4th:
1793
George Washington's 2nd inaugrational speech as U.S. President was given in Senate Chamber in Philadelphia. It was the shortest speech by any President-133 words. The longest was by Pres William Harrison with 8,445 words
1877 composer, Pytor Tchaikovsky's ballet' Swan Lake' makes it world premiere by Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow
1902
American Automobile Association{AAA} is founded in Chicago, Ill
1924
song' Happy Birthday to You' written by sisters, Mildred&Patty Hill is published by Clayton F. Summy Co
1945
Princess Eliz{Queen Elizabeth II} joins the British Auxillary Transport Service{ATS} as a driver
1982
Bertha Wilson becomes the 1st female justice in Supreme Court in Canada. She serves for 8 yrs, retired in 1991
2023
Historic High Seas Treaty is agreed by nations at the United Nations,to place 30% of the seas into protected areas by 2030
 
On This Day In History, March 5th


1981 The home computer ZX81 is launched
The British ZX81 was one of the world's first home computer and was sold over 1.5 million times.

1970 The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty enters into force
Nuclear powers China, Russia, the U.S., the U.K., and France initiated the treaty in 1968. 190 nations around the world have since ratified it.

1960 Alberto Korda takes his famous picture of revolutionary Che Guevara
The iconic photograph, called Guerrillero Heroico, was taken at a memorial service for the victims of the La Coubre explosion.

1872 The air brake is patented
George Westinghouse is credited with the design of the railway braking system, which uses compressed air.

1616 Nicolaus Copernicus' revolutionary book De revolutionibus orbium coelestium is banned by the Catholic Church
In the book, Copernicus claimed that the Earth revolves around the sun. The Church maintained Ptolemy's geocentric system. The book is considered a milestone in the history of astronomy.
 

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