A New Documentary Will Soon Air About Henry David Thoreau With Ken Burns & Don Henley

This is supposed to air later this month. In a couple of weeks or so, in fact.

I say that it is supposed to because it feels like too often lately, interesting programs like this get delayed, or never seem to air. Like that Chernobyl documentary that CNN was supposedly going to air a couple of weeks ago, but which keeps getting cancelled, or at least delayed, because they want to give us still more like coverage of Mr. Trump's damn war with Iran.

Because, you know, 22 of 24 hours covering it in a day simply is not enough, right? Might as well make it the full 24 hours, and frustrate those of us who wanted to see a serious - and very interesting - documentary on a major historical event which is going to see it's 40th anniversary later on this year.

Heaven forbid we get a break from the highly propagandized war with Iran, eh?

Anyway, some of my enthusiasm for this documentary was admittedly compromised when I saw it was by none other than Ken Burns. In my opinion, it felt like he seriously compromised his own reputation when he took the overly convenient and narrow, Americentrist approach with the documentary on the American Revolution. Sorry, but for me, he lost a lot of credibility with that. It is one of those situations where once you see that side of him, you cannot unsee it. He had said some things in the past which made me scratch my head, but that was kind of the needle that broke the camel's back, if you will.

Still, I imagine that a documentary on Henry David Thoreau, like this one, is long overdue. Also, Don Henley (yes, the same Don Henley who was with The Eagles and enjoyed a successful solo music career as well) will be a part of this. He has long been an advocate for the preservation of Walden Woods, as well as an environmental activist. So he should bring some balance, and an intellectual element, as well. So I will give it a shot, in hopes that the narrow nationalism which Burns exhibited at times in the past will hopefully not be on display in this documentary.

One way or the other, in any case, it seemed worth posting about. 

PBS 11 March at 14:00  · We’re loving the film poster for Henry David Thoreau. 🎬 The new documentary from executive producers Ken Burns and Don Henley, directed by the Ewers Brothers, premieres March 30–31 on PBS.  

When you hear Thoreau’s name, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? #ThoreauPBS

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Weekend Funny - Onion Headline: U.S. Suffers Additional Casualties In War It Won Last Week

This is one of those funny/not funny headlines.

Funny, because it is witty, and also quite true.

Not funny, because...well, again, it's true.

Another war where the United States gets involved in the Middle East?

SMH...

U.S. Suffers Additional Casualties In War It Won Last Week  Published:  March 13, 2026

https://theonion.com/u-s-suffers-additional-casualties-in-war-it-won-last-week/

U.S. Suffers Additional Casualties In War It Won Last Week - The Onion

March 15th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 44 B.C.E., one of the most famous historical events, The Ides of March, took place. Gaius Julius Caesar, the dictator of Rome, was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate house by 60 conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March. In 221, Liu Bei, a Chinese warlord and member of the Han royal house, declared himself Emperor of Shu-Han and claimed his legitimate succession to the Han Dynasty. Constantius II elevated his cousin Gallus to Caesar, and put him in charge of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire on this day in 351. On this day in 1341 during the Hundred Years War, an alliance was signed between Roman Emperor Louis IV and France's Philip VI. Christopher Columbus returned to Spain on this day in 1493 after his first voyage to the "New World." In 1672 on this day, King Charles II enacted the Declaration of Indulgence. On this day in 1744, French King Louis XV declared war on England. In an emotional speech in Newburgh, New York, George Washington asked his officers not to support the Newburgh Conspiracy on this day in 1783. The plea was ultimately successful and the threatened coup d'etat never takes place. In 1812 on this day, the first Russian settlement in California, along the Russian River, was established. On this day in 1917  during the Russian Revolution, Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar, abdicated the throne. On this day in 1939, Hitler's forces invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia--a nation sacrificed on the altar of the Munich Pact, which was a vain attempt to prevent Germany's imperial aims. In 1989 on this day, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev called for radical agricultural reform in the USSR. 

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history: 

• On this day in 44 B.C.E., one of the most famous historical events, The Ides of March, took place. Gaius Julius Caesar, the dictator of Rome, was stabbed to death in the Roman Senate house by 60 conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March.    Caesar, born into the Julii, an ancient but not particularly distinguished Roman aristocratic family, began his political career in 78 B.C. as a prosecutor for the anti-patrician Popular Party. He won influence in the party for his reformist ideas and oratorical skills, and aided Roman imperial efforts by raising a private army to combat the king of Pontus in 74 B.C. He was an ally of Pompey, the recognized head of the Popular Party, and essentially took over this position after Pompey left Rome in 67 B.C. to become commander of Roman forces in the east.    In 63 B.C., Caesar was elected pontifex maximus, or "high priest," allegedly by heavy bribes. Two years later, he was made governor of Farther Spain and in 64 B.C. returned to Rome, ambitious for the office of consul. The consulship, essentially the highest office in the Roman Republic, was shared by two politicians on an annual basis. Consuls commanded the army, presided over the Senate and executed its decrees, and represented the state in foreign affairs. Caesar formed a political alliance--the so-called First Triumvirate--with Pompey and Marcus Licinius Crassus, the wealthiest man in Rome, and in 59 B.C. was elected consul. Although generally opposed by the majority of the Roman Senate, Caesar's land reforms won him popularity with many Romans.    In 58 B.C., Caesar was given four Roman legions in Cisalpine Gaul and Illyricum, and during the next decade demonstrated brilliant military talents as he expanded the Roman Empire and his reputation. Among other achievements, Caesar conquered all of Gaul, made the first Roman inroads into Britain, and won devoted supporters in his legions. However, his successes also aroused Pompey's jealousy, leading to the collapse of their political alliance in 53 B.C.    The Roman Senate supported Pompey and asked Caesar to give up his army, which he refused to do. In January 49 B.C., Caesar led his legions across the Rubicon River from Cisalpine Gaul to Italy, thus declaring war against Pompey and his forces. Caesar made early gains in the subsequent civil war, defeating Pompey's army in Italy and Spain, but was later forced into retreat in Greece. In August 48 B.C., with Pompey in pursuit, Caesar paused near Pharsalus, setting up camp at a strategic location. When Pompey's senatorial forces fell upon Caesar's smaller army, they were entirely routed, and Pompey fled to Egypt, where he was assassinated by an officer of the Egyptian king.    Caesar was subsequently appointed Roman consul and dictator, but before settling in Rome he traveled around the empire for several years and consolidated his rule. In 45 B.C., he returned to Rome and was made dictator for life. As sole Roman ruler, Caesar launched ambitious programs of reform within the empire. The most lasting of these was his establishment of the Julian calendar, which, with the exception of a slight modification and adjustment in the 16th century, remains in use today. He also planned new imperial expansions in central Europe and to the east. In the midst of these vast designs, he was assassinated on March 15, 44 B.C., by a group of conspirators who believed that his death would lead to the restoration of the Roman Republic. However, the result of the "Ides of March" was to plunge Rome into a fresh round of civil wars, out of which Octavian, Caesar's grand-nephew, would emerge as Augustus, the first Roman emperor, destroying the republic forever.

• In 221, Liu Bei, a Chinese warlord and member of the Han royal house, declared himself Emperor of Shu-Han and claimed his legitimate succession to the Han Dynasty.

•  Constantius II elevated his cousin Gallus to Caesar, and put him in charge of the Eastern part of the Roman Empire on this day in 351.

493 - Theodorik the Great beats Odoaker of Italy

933 - Battle at Riade: German King Henry I beats Magyaren

1311 - Battle of Halmyros: The Catalan Company defeats Walter V of Brienne to take control of the Duchy of Athens, a Crusader state in Greece. 

•  On this day in 1341 during the Hundred Years War, an alliance was signed between Roman Emperor Louis IV and France's Philip VI. 

1360 - France army attacks English south coast, raiding Winchelsea

1382 - Conservative "Popolo Grasso" regain power in Florence Italy

1391 - Jew hating Monk in Seville Spain stirs up people to attack Jews

Bust of Christopher Columbus

• Christopher Columbus returned to Spain on this day in 1493 after his first voyage to the "New World."

1545 - First meeting of the Council of Trent.

1560 - Failed assault on royal palace in Amboise France

1562 - General Francois de Guise enters Paris

1580 - Spanish king Philip II puts 25,000 gold coins on head of prince Willem of Orange

• In 1672 on this day, King Charles II enacted the Declaration of Indulgence

1729 - Sister St Stanislas Hachard, 1st US nun, takes her vows, N Orleans

Royal France

• On this day in 1744, French King Louis XV declared war on England.

1778 - Nootka Sound, Vancouver Is discovered by Capt Cook

1781 - Battle of Guilford Court House, SC (British suffer heavy losses)

Statue of George Washington in Paramus, NJ (above) and in Morristown, NJ (Below)

• In an emotional speech in Newburgh, New York, George Washington asked his officers not to support the Newburgh Conspiracy on this day in 1783. The plea was ultimately successful and the threatened coup d'etat never takes place.

• In 1812 on this day, the first Russian settlement in California, along the Russian River, was established.

1820 - Maine admitted as 23rd state

1827 - Freedom's Journal, 1st Black newspaper, publishes

1827 - University of Toronto is chartered

1848 - A revolution breaks out in Hungary. The Habsburg rulers are compelled to meet the demands of the Reform party.

1855 - Louisiana establishes 1st health board to regulate quarantine

1862 - Gen John Hunt Morgan begins 4 days of raids near Gallatin, TN

1864 - Red River Campaign-Union forces reach Alexandria, LA

1867 - Michigan becomes 1st state to tax property to support a university

1869 - Cincinnati Red Stockings become the 1st pro baseball team

1869 - Cincinnati Red Stockings beat Antioch 41-7

1875 - 1st US cardinal (John McCloskey) invested

1877 - Commencement of 1st Test Cricket, Australia v England at MCG

1885 - 1st performance of Caesar Franck's "Lesson Djinns"

King Charles IIKing Charles II 1887 - 1st salaried fish & game warden (William Alden Smith in Michigan)

1889 - 6 US & German warships perish in harbor of Apia Samoa, 200 die

1892 - 1st escalator patented by inventor Jesse W Reno (NYC)

1892 - NY State unveils automatic ballot booth (voting machine)

1897 - 1st indoor fly casting tournament opens, at Madison Square Garden

1901 - Horse racing is banned in San Francisco, last race Mar 16th

1903 - Frederick Lugard occupies Sokoto West Africa

1906 - Brits Rolls, Royce & Johnson form Rolls Royce Ltd

1907 - Finland is 1st European country to give women the right to vote

1908 - 1st performance of Maurice Ravel's "Rapsodie Espagnole"

1912 - Pitcher Cy Young retires from baseball with 511 wins

1913 - 1st presidential press conference (Woodrow Wilson)

1913 - Cleveland establishes 1st small claims court

1915 - Neth merchant ship Tubantia torpedoed & sinks in North Sea

1916 - Gen Pershing, 15,000 troops chasing Villa into Mexico, stays 10-mos

US President Woodrow WilsonUS President Woodrow Wilson 1916 - University of Gent goes under Dutch control

• On this day in 1917  during the Russian Revolution, Nicholas II, the last Russian Tsar, abdicated the throne.

1919 - American Legion forms (Paris)

1922 - 1st southern radio station begins (WSB, Atlanta Georgia)

1923 - Lenin is hit with his 3rd stroke

1926 - Belgium's "black monday," franc falls

1928 - Benito Mussolini modifies Italy electoral system (abolishes right to choose)

1930 - 1st seaplane glider flown, Port Washington, NY

1930 - 1st streamlined submarine of US navy, USS Nautilus, launched

1933 - NAACP begins coordinated attack on segregation & discrimination

1934 - US Information Service opens

1935 - George Headley completes 270 in cricket v England at Kingston

1937 - 1st blood bank forms (Chicago IL)

1937 - 1st state contraceptive clinic opens (Raleigh NC)

1939 - Hitler occupies Bohemia & Moravia (Czechoslovakia); Slovakia independ

• On this day in 1939, Hitler's forces invaded and occupied Czechoslovakia--a nation sacrificed on the altar of the Munich Pact, which was a vain attempt to prevent Germany's imperial aims.    On September 30, 1938, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, French Premier Edouard Daladier, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Pact, which sealed the fate of Czechoslovakia, virtually handing it over to Germany in the name of peace. Although the agreement was to give into Hitler's hands only the Sudentenland, that part of Czechoslovakia where 3 million ethnic Germans lived, it also handed over to the Nazi war machine 66 percent of Czechoslovakia's coal, 70 percent of its iron and steel, and 70 percent of its electrical power. Without those resources, the Czech nation was left vulnerable to complete German domination.    No matter what concessions the Czech government attempted to make to appease Hitler, whether dissolving the Communist Party or suspending all Jewish teachers in ethnic-German majority schools, rumors continued to circulate about "the incorporation of Czechoslovakia into the Reich." In fact, as early as October 1938, Hitler made it clear that he intended to force the central Czechoslovakian government to give Slovakia its independence, which would make the "rump" Czech state "even more completely at our mercy," remarked Hermann Goering. Slovakia indeed declared its "independence" (in fact, complete dependence on Germany) on March 14, 1939, with the threat of invasion squelching all debate within the Czech province.    Then, on March 15, 1939, during a meeting with Czech President Emil Hacha--a man considered weak, and possibly even senile--Hitler threatened a bombing raid against Prague, the Czech capital, unless he obtained from Hacha free passage for German troops into Czech borders. He got it. That same day, German troops poured into Bohemia and Moravia. The two provinces offered no resistance, and they were quickly made a protectorate of Germany. By evening, Hitler made a triumphant entry into Prague.    The Munich Pact, which according to British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain had purchased "peace in our time," was actually a mere negotiating ploy by the Hitler, only temporarily delaying the Fuhrer's blood and land lust.    

Nazi Politician Hermann GoeringNazi Politician Hermann Goering 1940 - Hermann Goering says 100-200 church bells enough for Germany, smelt the rest

1941 - Blizzard in ND kills 151

1943 - Allied reconnaissance flight over Java

1943 - Red Army evacuates Kharkov

1944 - Italian town of Cassino destroyed by Allied bombing

1945 - 17th Academy Awards - "Going my Way," Bing Cosby & Ingrid Bergman win

1945 - Bert Shepard (1 legged WW II vet) tries out as a pitcher for Senators

1945 - Billboard publishes its 1st album chart (King Cole Trio is #1)

1945 - Catholic University of Nijmegen reopens

1945 - Dodgers open spring training at Bear Mountain NY

1946 - British premier Attlee agrees with India's right to independence

1947 - John Lee appointed 1st black commissioned officer in US Navy

1948 - Bradman scores 115 for the Australian cricket team v Western Australia

1948 - Sir Laurence Olivier on the cover of LIFE magazine

1948 - WCAU TV channel 10 in Philadelphia, PA (CBS) begins broadcasting

Actress Ingrid BergmanActress Ingrid Bergman 1949 - WICU TV channel 12 in Erie, PA (NBC) begins broadcasting

1949 - WLWD (now WDTN) TV channel 2 in Dayton, OH (NBC) begins broadcasting

1950 - "Consul" opens at Barrymore Theater NYC for 269 performances

1950 - Gian Carlo Menotti's opera "Consul," premieres in NYC

1950 - NYC hires Dr Wallace E Howell as its official "rainmaker"

1951 - Persia nationalizes Anglo-Iranian Oil Company

1952 - "2 in the Aisle" closes at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC after 276 perfs

1952 - Greatest 24-hr rainfall begins: 187 cm at La Reunion, Indian Ocean

1953 - Patty Berg wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship

1953 - West Germany loses in soccer to Netherlands, 2-1

1954 - "CBS Morning Show" premieres with Walter Cronkite & Jack Paar

1954 - WSJV TV channel 28 in Elkhart-South Bend, IN (ABC) begins broadcasting

1955 - Dutch 2nd Chamber requires TV licenses

1955 - US Air Force unveils self-guided missile

1955 - WLEX TV channel 18 in Lexington, KY (NBC) begins broadcasting

Broadcast Journalist Walter CronkiteBroadcast Journalist Walter Cronkite 1956 - "My Fair Lady" opens at Mark Hellinger Theater NYC for 2,715 perfs

1956 - Whipper Billy Watson beats Lou Thesz in Toronto, to become NWA champ

1957 - 3rd nation to explode a nuclear bomb (Britain)

1958 - "Body Beautiful" closes at Broadway Theater NYC after 60 performances

1958 - KULR TV channel 8 in Billings, MT (NBC/ABC/CBS) begins broadcasting

1958 - Oscar Robertson of Cin scores a NCAA midwest region-record 56 pts

1958 - Royals basketball star Maurice Stokes collapsed during a playoff game with encephalitis; He goes into a coma & is permanently disabled

1958 - USSR performs atmospheric nuclear test

1959 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship

1959 - Richard Rogers' "No Strings" opens on Broadway

1959 - Robert Foster sets record by staying underwater 13 m 42.5 s

1959 - WILX TV channel 10 in Lansing, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting

1960 - Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve established (1st underwater park)

1960 - National Observatory at Kitt Peak, Arizona dedicated

1961 - South Africa withdrews from British Commonwealth

NBA Player Oscar RobertsonNBA Player Oscar Robertson 1962 - "No Strings" opens at 84th St Theater NYC for 580 performances

1962 - 5 research groups announce simultaneously discovery of anti-matter

1962 - Donald Jackson of Canada, is 1st to land a triple lutz ice skate jump

1962 - KATU TV channel 2 in Portland, OR (ABC) begins broadcasting

1962 - Richard Rodger's musical "No Strings," premieres in NYC

1962 - Wilt Chamberlain is 1st to score 4,000 pts in an NBA season

1963 - WFAN TV channel 14 in Washington, DC (IND) begins broadcasting

1964 - LBJ asks for a War on Poverty

1964 - USSR performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk USSR

1965 - LBJ asks congress to ensure everybody's right to vote

1965 - T.G.I. Friday's 1st restaurant opens in NYC

1965 - WMFE TV channel 24 in Orlando, FL (PBS) begins broadcasting

1966 - 8th Grammy Awards: Taste of Honey, Tom Jones, Sintra & Striesand

1966 - Racial riots erupt in the Watts section of Los Angeles

1967 - AFCENT-headquarter moves to Brunssum

Singer Tom JonesSinger Tom Jones 1967 - Marshal Arturo da Costa e Silva sworn in as pres of Brazil

1967 - WSJK TV channel 2 in Sneedville/Knoxville, TN (PBS) 1st broadcast

1968 - Bob Beamon sets indoor long jump record (27'2-3/4")

1968 - British minister of Foreign affairs George Brown resigns

1968 - LIFE mag calls Jimi Hendrix "most spectacular guitarist in the world"

1968 - US Mint stops buying & selling gold

1968 - Uprising in South Yemen

1968 - Diocese of Rome announces that it "deplored the concept," but wouldn't prohibit rock & roll masses at Church of San Lessio Falconieri

1969 - US Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas resigns

1969 - Violent Chinese-Russian border dispute leaves 100s dead

1970 - "Purlie" opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 689 performances

1970 - Expo '70 opens in Osaka, Japan

1970 - Gary Geld & Peter Udell's "Purlie," premieres in NYC

1971 - Chatrooms make their debut on the Internet

1972 - Danish airliner hit mountain in Sheikdom of Oman killing 112

Rock Guitarist Jimi HendrixRock Guitarist Jimi Hendrix 1972 - NASA selects 3 part configuration for Space Shuttle

1974 - Brazilian president Garastazu Médici resigns

1975 - Bundy victim Julie Cunningham disappears from Vail, Colo

1975 - Jevgeni Kulikov skates world record 500m (37.99 sec)

1976 - Failed coup in Niger

1977 - "Eight is Enough" premiers on ABC-TV

1977 - US House of Reps begin 90 day test of televising its sessions

1977 - First official test cricket match is played between Australia and England at Melbourne

1978 - -21] operation Litani: Israeli offensive in South Lebanon

1978 - A's trade Vida Blue to Giants for 7 players & $390,000

1978 - China PR performs nuclear test at Lop Nor PRC

1979 - Apparat releases Newdos + 2.1 for Radio Shack's TRS-80

1979 - Isle's Bryan Trottier's 5th career hat trick

1979 - Sarfraz takes 9-86 at MCG as Australia lose 7-5 to lose the Test

1981 - "Broadway Follies" opens/closes at Nederlander Theater NYC

1981 - Patty Hayes wins LPGA Sun City Golf Classic

1981 - Suriname failed coup under sgt-mjr Wilfred Hawker

1982 - Actress Theresa Saladana, stabbed repeatedly by obsessed fan

1982 - KGB-AM in San Diego CA changes call letters to KCNN (now KPOP)

1982 - Nicaragua suspends their citizens rights for 30 days

1983 - Karnataka beat Bombay on 1st innings to win cricket Ranji Trophy

Supermodel & Actress Brooke ShieldsSupermodel & Actress Brooke Shields 1984 - 10th People's Choice Awards: Brooke Shields

1984 - Tanzania adopts constitution

1985 - Larry Holmes TKOs David Bey in 10 for heavyweight boxing title

1985 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1985 - The first Internet domain name is registered (symbolics.com).

1986 - Funeral services held for Swedish PM Olaf Palme

1987 - "Starlight Express" opens at Gershwin Theater NYC for 761 performances

1987 - "Sweet Charity" closes at Minskoff Theater NYC after 368 performances

1987 - 13th People's Choice Awards: Bill Cosby

1987 - Last day in Test cricket for Larry Gomes & Joel Garner

1987 - NZ beat WI by 5 wickets in Jeremy Coney's last Test Cricket

1987 - US Davis Cup team loses to Paraguay

1988 - Eugene Marino of Atlanta, appointed 1st African American archbishop

1988 - NASA reports accelerated breakdown of ozone layer by CFK

1988 - NFL's St Louis Cardinals officially move to Phoenix

Actor/Comedian Bill CosbyActor/Comedian Bill Cosby 1989 - "Les Miserables," opens at Royal Alexandra Theatre Toronto

The flag of the USSR (Soviet Union)

• In 1989 on this day, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev called for radical agricultural reform in the USSR.  In a dramatic indication of just how far he wants his reforms to go, General Secretary of the Communist Party Mikhail Gorbachev calls for an end to the Soviet agricultural bureaucracy and the introduction of free market principles. Gorbachev's speech was an indication that his economic program in the Soviet Union was suffering serious troubles--problems that eventually led to the collapse of his government and the Soviet Union in December 1991.    By 1989, the Soviet economy was reeling, and one of the biggest problem areas was agriculture. The Soviet centralized farming system, in which farmers worked to fulfill quotas set by the government and sell their produce directly to the state, was a disaster. Despite billions of dollars in government subsidies, the majority of the nation's farms operated at a loss. Each year, the Soviet Union was forced to import tons of wheat, meat, and other products. Gorbachev reacted to this embarrassing Soviet dependence on foreign markets for essential foodstuffs with his March 15, 1989 proposal to decentralize the farming system and allow more free market policies to dictate the agricultural industry in Russia. In his request to the Soviet Central Committee, Gorbachev stated, "The essence of economic change in the countryside should be in granting farmers broad opportunities for displaying independence, enterprise, and initiative." Under his plan, many farmers would be able to sell their produce directly to farmer's markets or restaurants, for example.    The Central Committee issued its approval of the plan the following day. However, Gorbachev's proposal was too little, too late. The Soviet economy continued to falter and agricultural production never met demand. The economic problems contributed to the failure of Gorbachev's government and other reform plans, and in December 1991, Gorbachev formally resigned as president of the Soviet Union. Shortly thereafter the Soviet Union was dissolved.

1989 - Dept of Veterans Affairs officially established as a Cabinet position

1989 - NY Rangers retire goalie Eddie Giacomin's #1 uniform

1990 - Fernando Collor de Mello sworn in as pres of Brazil

1991 - 4 LA police are charged with beating Rodney King

1991 - Sergei Bubka pole vaults world record 6.14m (20 feet 1 3/4)

1991 - Territories of Amapa & Roraima become states in Brazil

1992 - Brandie Burton wins LPGA Ping/Welch's Golf Championship

1992 - UN officially embarks on its largest peacekeeping operation

1993 - Vinod Kambli scores 227 v Zimbabwe, his 2nd consecutive Test 200

1994 - 8th Soul Train Music Awards: Toni Braxton, Whitney Houston win

1994 - Experts from AL certify Indian's Jacobs Field is properly lit

1997 - Pitts Penguins' Joe Mullen, is 1st American to score 500 NHL goals

1998 - "Cabaret," opens at Club Expo Theater NYC

1998 - Welch's/Circle K Golf Championship

Singer and actress Whitney HoustonSinger and actress Whitney Houston 1999 - Pluto again becomes outermost planet

2003 - Hu Jintao takes over presidency for the People's Republic of China.

2004 - Announcement of the discovery of 90377 Sedna, the farthest natural object in the Solar system so far observed.

• 2013 - 24 people die after a double decker bus veers off a pass in Cape Town, South Africa

2013 - 16 people are killed by a fireworks accident in Tlaxcala, Mexico

2013 - Patrick Chan of Canada wins the men’s 2013 World Figure Skating Championships

44 BC - Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated by high ranking Roman Senators. The day is known as the "Ides of March."   1341 - During the Hundred Years War, an alliance was signed between Roman Emperor Louis IV and France's Philip VI.   1493 - Christopher Columbus returned to Spain after his first New World voyage.   1778 - In command of two frigates, the Frenchman la Perouse sailed east from Botany Bay for the last lap of his voyage around the world.   1781 - During the American Revolution, the Battle of Guilford Courthouse took place in North Carolina. British General Cornwallis' 1,900 soldiers defeated an American force of 4,400.   1820 - Maine was admitted as the 23rd state of the Union.   1862 - General John Hunt Morgan began four days of raids near the city of Gallatin, TN.   1864 - Red River Campaign began as the Union forces reach Alexandria, LA.   1875 - The Roman Catholic Archbishop of New York, John McCloskey, was named the first American cardinal.   1877 - The first cricket test between Australia and England was played in Melbourne. Australia won by 45 runs.   1892 - New York State unveiled the new automatic ballot voting machine.   1892 - Jesse W. Reno patented the Reno Inclined Elevator. It was the first escalator.   1900 - In Paris, Sarah Bernhardt starred in the premiere of Edmond Rostand's "L'Aiglon."   1901 - German Chancellor von Bulow declared that an agreement between Russia and China over Manchuria would violate the Anglo-German accord of October 1900.   1902 - In Boston, MA, 10,000 freight handlers went back to work after a weeklong strike.   1903 - The British conquest of Nigeria was completed. 500,000 square miles were now controlled by the U.K.   1904 - Three hundred Russians were killed as the Japanese shelled Port Arthur in Korea.   1907 - In Finland, woman won their first seats in the Finnish Parliament. They took their seats on May 23.   1909 - Italy proposed a European conference on the Balkans.   1910 - Otto Kahn offered $500,000 for a family portrait by Dutch artist Frans Hals. Kahn had outbid J.P. Morgan for the work.   1913 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson held the first open presidential news conference.   1916 - U.S. President Woodrow Wilson sent 12,000 troops, under General Pershing, over the border of Mexico to pursue bandit Pancho Villa. The mission failed.   1917 - Russian Czar Nicholas II abdicated himself and his son. His brother Grand Duke succeeded as czar.   1919 - The American Legion was founded in Paris.   1922 - Fuad I assumed the title of king of Egypt after the country gained nominal independence from Britain.   1934 - Henry Ford restored the $5 a day wage.   1935 - Joseph Goebbels, German Minister of Propaganda banned four Berlin newspapers.   1937 - In Chicago, IL, the first blood bank to preserve blood for transfusion by refrigeration was established at the Cook County Hospital.   1938 - Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia.   1939 - German forces occupied Bohemia and Moravia, and part of Czechoslovakia.   1944 - Cassino, Italy, was destroyed by Allied bombing.   1946 - British Premier Attlee offered India full independence after agreement on a constitution.   1948 - Sir Laurence Olivier was on the cover of "LIFE" magazine for his starring role in Shakespeare’s "Hamlet."   1949 - Clothes rationing in Great Britain ended nearly four years after the end of World War II.   1951 - General de Lattre demanded that Paris send him more troops for the fight in Vietnam.   1951 - The Persian parliament voted to nationalize the oil industry.   1954 - CBS television debuted its "Morning Show."   1955 - The U.S. Air Force unveiled a self-guided missile.   1956 - The musical "My Fair Lady" opened on Broadway.   1960 - Ten nations met in Geneva to discuss disarmament.   1960 - The first underwater park was established as Key Largo Coral Reef Preserve.   1964 - In Montreal, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor were married.   1968 - The U.S. mint halted the practice of buying and selling gold.   1970 - The musical "Purlie" opened on Broadway in New York City.   1971 - CBS television announced it was going to drop "The Ed Sullivan Show."   1977 - The first episode of "Eight is Enough" was aired on ABC-TV.   1977 - The U.S. House of Representatives began a 90-day test to determine the feasibility of showing its sessions on television.   1979 - Pope John Paul II published his first encyclical "Redemptor Hominis." In the work he warned of the growing gap between the rich and poor.   1982 - Nicaragua's ruling junta proclaimed a month-long state of siege and suspended the nation's constitution for one day. This came a day after anti-government rebels destroyed two bridges near the Honduran border.   1985 - In Brazil, two decades of military rule came to an end with the installation of a civilian government.   1989 - The U.S. Food and Drug administration decided to impound all fruit imported from Chili after two cyanide-tainted grapes were found in Philadelphia, PA.   1989 - The U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs became the 14th Department in the President's Cabinet.   1990 - In Iraq, British journalist Farzad Bazoft was hanged for spying.   1990 - Mikhail Gorbachev was elected the first executive president of the Soviet Union.   1990 - The Ford Explorer was introduced to the public.   1990 - The Soviet parliament ruled that Lithuania's declaration of independence was invalid and that Soviet law was still in force in the Baltic republic.   1991 - Four Los Angeles police officers were indicted in the beating of Rodney King on March 3, 1991. (California)   1991 - Yugoslav President Borisav Jovic resigned after about a week of anit-communist protests.   1994 - U.S. President Clinton extended the moratorium on nuclear testing until September of 1995.   1996 - The aviation firm Fokker NV collapsed.   1998 - More than 15,000 ethnic Albanians marched in Yugoslavia to demand independence for Kosovo.   1998 - CBS' "60 Minutes" aired an interview with former White House employee Kathleen Willey. Wiley said U.S. President Clinton made unwelcome sexual advances toward her in the Oval Office in 1993.   2002 - Libyan Abdel Baset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi began his life sentence in a Scottish jail for his role in the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988.   2002 - In the U.S., Burger King began selling a veggie burger. The event was billed as the first veggie burger to be sold nationally by a fast food chain.   2002 - In Texas, Andrea Yates received a life sentence for drowning her five children on June 20, 2001.   2002 - U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell told the Associated Press that the U.S. would stand by a 24-year pledge not to use nuclear arms against states that don't have them.   2004 - Clive Woodall's novel "One for Sorrow: Two for Joy" was published. Two days later Woodall sold the film rights to Walt Disney Co. for $1 million.  Disney movies, music and books

44 B.C. On the “Ides of March,” Julius Caesar was stabbed to death in the senate house by a group of conspirators led by Cimber, Casca, Cassius, and Marcus Junius Brutus. 1493 Christopher Columbus returned to Spain after his first visit to the Western Hemisphere. 1820 Maine became the 23rd state. 1917 Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia, is forced to abdicate his throne (March 2, old style calendar). 1937 The first hospital blood bank in the United States was established, in Chicago, at Cook County Hospital. 1965 President Lyndon Johnson asked Congress for legislation guaranteeing every American the right to vote. 2003 Hu Jintao was chosen to replace Jiang Zemin as the president of China. 2004 Scientists reported the discovery of Sedna, the most distant object in the solar system.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/mar15.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory

Weekend Funny - The Onion: Health Speculations Swirl After Trump Screams, ‘Fuck! I’m Dying!’

The news has been quite heavy as of late. Democracy too often seems on it's deathbed here in the United States, and wars rage on. The environmental toll from this latest Middle Eastern war has been absolutely ridiculous.

So perhaps it's time to try and get a lighter note in.

Below is a link to an amusing headline from The Onion. I'm sure that people from the Mindless MAGA Moron cult will disagree. Then again, they proudly hailed themselves as the "Fuck Your Feelings!" crowd. So who cares what they feel about this, or pretty much anything else, right?

Take a look at this spoof headline:

Weekend Funny - The Onion: Health Speculations Swirl After Trump Screams, ‘Fuck! I’m Dying!’ Published:  March 13, 2026

https://theonion.com/health-speculations-swirl-after-trump-screams-fuck-im-dying/?fbclid=IwY2xjawQh32FleHRuA2FlbQIxMABzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEelcCp0igSPp_-niAMnbeZiwVsaStEqGTR4Z5r99M-EVihGN180ri2vspgvf4_aem_z4SFPiX3oUAC5ObWRA0vlA

Health Speculations Swirl After Trump Screams, ‘Fuck! I’m Dying!’ - The Onion

March 14th - Today is Pi Day: 3.14 - π Day & Albert Einstein's Birthday

That's right! Today is "Pi Day", which only comes around once a year.

If we all remember our math lessons from years past, you should remember this, more or less:

π= 3.141592653...

It goes on forever. it is one of those strange ironies. An important number in mathematics, but there is no rationality to it.

Today is March 14, 2015, which means that it is 3/14/15. Put another way, you can say that it was 3.1415, and at 9:26 and 53 seconds, we could say that we were precisely at Pi time!

I got to spend some time with my son, and tried to explain to him a bit about "Pi Day", and how this only happens once every one hundred years. After misunderstanding what I said initially (he naturally thought I meant the kind of "pie" that you eat), he actually took some interest in "Pi Day", and we had a miniature countdown until we reached precise "Pi time", if you will.

Just an interesting little note.

Also, today happens to be...

The Birthday of Albert Einstein

Bust of Albert Einstein in Princeton, New Jersey, where he lived his final years.

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." 

~ Albert Einstein

Given the mathematical significance of this day it seems fitting that it should also be the birthday of a true genius like Albert Einstein in 1879 in Ulm, Germany.

I will not pretend to be smart enough to understand the actual physics, science, and mathematics behind the wok that he did. And although I certainly know, as everyone else does thanks to Einstein, that E=MC2, I could not begin to explain to you what that actually means, and how it actually works, in any intelligent or capable manner.

However, it is always fascinating to look into the mind of such a man, which we can do when reading about him, or studying him. I read a book about him some years ago, and have read some quotes from him as well.

So, I thought it would be a good idea to add a few good quotes, as well as attach an article about Einstein from Bill Moyers website, which is about the mix between science and faith. It is fascinating to speculate on what Einstein would have had to say on the subject. I am reading a book (have been reading it for some time, admittedly, although it is very think) called "On God", where many of the great thinkers from the last half of the 20th century discuss faith and God, and I believe there is some material and quotes from Einstein in there that I was impressed by. This article should also shed some light on what Einstein had to say about it, and so it comes highly recommended!

Enjoy the article, and try to appreciate that, for the only time on our lives, today is "Pi Day"!

"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and all science." 

~ Albert Einstein

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius --- and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." 

~ Albert Einstein

"Peace cannot be achieved through violence, it can only be attained through understanding." 

~ Albert Einstein

"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile." 

~ Albert Einstein

Conversations on the Intersection Between Faith and Science January 17, 2014 by Trent Gilliss

http://billmoyers.com/2014/01/17/conversations-on-the-intersection-between-science-faith-and-the-universe/

Also, I thought it would be a good idea to add the link to one of my favorite radio shows, On Being, and particularly the episode that they had specifically about Einstein's faith.  FREEMAN DYSON AND PAUL DAVIES — Einstein's God from the February 25, 2010 On Being show (it may actually have still been called Speaking of Faith at that point). It also seemed like a good idea to add the link for the transcripts as well, which can be found at the very bottom. Enjoy!  

http://www.onbeing.org/program/einsteins-god/90

http://www.onbeing.org/program/einstein039s-god/transcript/842#main_content

March 14th: This Day in History

 

Once again, it should be reiterated, that this does not pretend to be a very extensive history of what happened on this day (nor is it the most original - the links can be found down below). If you know something that I am missing, by all means, shoot me an email or leave a comment, and let me know!

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

On this day in 1489, the Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sold her kingdom to Venice. She was the last of the Lusignan dynasty. In 1558 on this day, Ferdinand I was appointed Holy Roman Emperor. England granted a royal charter to the Massachusetts Bay Colony on this day in 1629. On this day in 1743, the first American town hall meeting was held at Boston's Faneuil Hall. In 1836 on this day, the HMS Beagle, along with it's most famous passenger Charles Darwin, left Australia. On this day in 1879, Albert Einstein was born, the son of a Jewish electrical engineer in Ulm, Germany. In 1916 on this day during the World War I Battle of Verdun, there was a German attack on Mort-Homme ridge, West of Verdun. Nazi Germany dissolved the Republic of Czechoslovakia on this day in 1939. On this day in 1943 during World War II, the Kraków Ghetto was 'liquidated' in Poland. The white minority ruled government of apartheid South Africa banned the African National Congress (ANC) on this day in 1958. On this day in 1990, the Congress of People's Deputies elected General Secretary Mikhail S Gorbachev into the newly-established and powerful position of President of the Soviet Union. The Cedar Revolution took place on this day in 2005 in Lebanon, when over one and a million Lebanese went into the streets of Beirut to demonstrate against the Syrian military presence in Lebanon, and against the government, following the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Here's a more detailed look at events that transpired on this date throughout history:

• On this day in 1489, the Queen of Cyprus, Catherine Cornaro, sold her kingdom to Venice. She was the last of the Lusignan dynasty.   

• In 1558 on this day, Ferdinand I was appointed Holy Roman Emperor.

1559 - Storm floods ravage Gorinchem, Dordrecht & Woudrichem, Neth

1590 - Battle at Ivry: French King Henri IV beats Catholic League

• England granted a royal charter to the Massachusetts Bay Colony on this day in 1629. 

1644 - England grants patent for Providence Plantations (now Rhode Island)

1647 - Thirty Years' War: Bavaria, Cologne, France and Sweden sign the Truce of Ulm.

1653 - Johan van Galen beats English fleet at Livorno

1689 - Scotland dismisses Willem III & Mary Stuart as king & queen

• On this day in 1743, the first American town hall meeting was held at Boston's Faneuil Hall.

1757 - On-board the HMS Monarch, English Admiral John Byng is executed by firing squad for neglecting his duty.

1794 - Eli Whitney patents cotton gin

1800 - Luigi Chiaramonti crowned Pope Pius VII

1812 - Congress authorizes war bonds to finance War of 1812

1821 - African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church founded (NY)

1826 - General Congress of South American States assembles at Panama

British Naturalist & Botanist Charles Darwin

• In 1836 on this day, the HMS Beagle, along with it's most famous passenger Charles Darwin, left Australia.

1840 - Jose Zorilla's "El Zapatero y el Rey," premieres in Madrid

1843 - Boston conducts its 1st town meeting (Faneuil Hall)

Naturalist Charles DarwinNaturalist Charles Darwin 1845 - -5.3°F (-20.7°C) in Groningen

1862 - Battle of New Bern NC: General Burnside conquers New Bern

1864 - Rossini's "Petite Messe Solennelle," premieres in Paris

1864 - Union troops occupy Fort de Russy, Louisiana

1869 - Defeat of Titokowaru.

1870 - California legislature approves act making Golden Gate Park possible

1875 - Smetana's "Vysehrad," premieres

Bust of Albert Einstein in Princeton, New Jersey, where he lived his final years.

• On this day in 1879, Albert Einstein was born, the son of a Jewish electrical engineer in Ulm, Germany. Einstein's theories of special and general relativity drastically altered man's view of the universe, and his work in particle and energy theory helped make possible quantum mechanics and, ultimately, the atomic bomb.    After a childhood in Germany and Italy, Einstein studied physics and mathematics at the Federal Polytechnic Academy in Zurich, Switzerland. He became a Swiss citizen and in 1905 was awarded a Ph.D. from the University of Zurich while working at the Swiss patent office in Bern. That year, which historians of Einstein's career call the annus mirabilis--the "miracle year"--he published five theoretical papers that were to have a profound effect on the development of modern physics.    In the first of these, titled "On a Heuristic Viewpoint Concerning the Production and Transformation of Light," Einstein theorized that light is made up of individual quanta (photons) that demonstrate particle-like properties while collectively behaving like a wave. The hypothesis, an important step in the development of quantum theory, was arrived at through Einstein's examination of the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon in which some solids emit electrically charged particles when struck by light. This work would later earn him the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics.    In the second paper, he devised a new method of counting and determining the size of the atoms and molecules in a given space, and in the third he offered a mathematical explanation for the constant erratic movement of particles suspended in a fluid, known as Brownian motion. These two papers provided indisputable evidence of the existence of atoms, which at the time was still disputed by a few scientists.    Einstein's fourth groundbreaking scientific work of 1905 addressed what he termed his special theory of relativity. In special relativity, time and space are not absolute, but relative to the motion of the observer. Thus, two observers traveling at great speeds in regard to each other would not necessarily observe simultaneous events in time at the same moment, nor necessarily agree in their measurements of space. In Einstein's theory, the speed of light, which is the limiting speed of any body having mass, is constant in all frames of reference. In the fifth paper that year, an exploration of the mathematics of special relativity, Einstein announced that mass and energy were equivalent and could be calculated with an equation, E=mc2.    Although the public was not quick to embrace his revolutionary science, Einstein was welcomed into the circle of Europe's most eminent physicists and given professorships in Zýrich, Prague, and Berlin. In 1916, he published "The Foundation of the General Theory of Relativity," which proposed that gravity, as well as motion, can affect the intervals of time and of space. According to Einstein, gravitation is not a force, as Isaac Newton had argued, but a curved field in the space-time continuum, created by the presence of mass. An object of very large gravitational mass, such as the sun, would therefore appear to warp space and time around it, which could be demonstrated by observing starlight as it skirted the sun on its way to earth. In 1919, astronomers studying a solar eclipse verified predictions Einstein made in the general theory of relativity, and he became an overnight celebrity. Later, other predictions of general relativity, such as a shift in the orbit of the planet Mercury and the probable existence of black holes, were confirmed by scientists.    During the next decade, Einstein made continued contributions to quantum theory and began work on a unified field theory, which he hoped would encompass quantum mechanics and his own relativity theory as a grand explanation of the workings of the universe. As a world-renowned public figure, he became increasingly political, taking up the cause of Zionism and speaking out against militarism and rearmament. In his native Germany, this made him an unpopular figure, and after Nazi leader Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany in 1933 Einstein renounced his German citizenship and left the country.    He later settled in the United States, where he accepted a post at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. He would remain there for the rest of his life, working on his unified field theory and relaxing by sailing on a local lake or playing his violin. He became an American citizen in 1940.    In 1939, despite his lifelong pacifist beliefs, he agreed to write to President Franklin D. Roosevelt on behalf of a group of scientists who were concerned with American inaction in the field of atomic-weapons research. Like the other scientists, he feared sole German possession of such a weapon. He played no role, however, in the subsequent Manhattan Project and later deplored the use of atomic bombs against Japan. After the war, he called for the establishment of a world government that would control nuclear technology and prevent future armed conflict.    In 1950, he published his unified field theory, which was quietly criticized as a failure. A unified explanation of gravitation, subatomic phenomena, and electromagnetism remains elusive today. Albert Einstein, one of the most creative minds in human history, died in Princeton in 1955.

1885 - Gilbert & Sullivan's comic opera "Mikado," premieres in London

1888 - 2nd largest snowfall in NYC history (21")

1889 - August Strindberg's "Froken Julie," premieres in Copenhagen

1889 - German Ferdinand von Zeppelin patents his "Navigable Balloon"

1896 - Sutro Baths (SF) opens by Cliff House (closed Sept 1, 1952)

1899 - Stanley Cup: Montreal Shamrocks beat Winnipeg Victorias, 6-2

1900 - Hugo de Vries rediscovers Mendel's laws of genetics

1900 - US currency goes on gold standard

Inventor Ferdinand von ZeppelinInventor Ferdinand von Zeppelin 1901 - 1st performance of Anton Bruckner's 6th Symphony in A

1903 - 1st national bird reservation established in Sebastian, FL

1903 - Stanley Cup: Ottawa Silver 7 sweep Rat Portage Thisles in 2 games

1903 - WB Yeats & Lady Gregory's "Hour-glass," premieres in Dublin

1906 - Calgary City Rugby Foot-ball Club forms

1908 - Stanley Cup: Mont Wanderers beat Toronto Trolley Leaguers, 6-4

1909 - Amsterdam Social-Democratic Party (SDP) forms

1910 - Lakeview Gusher, the largest U.S. oil well gusher near Bakersfield, California, vented to atmosphere.

1912 - King Vittorio Emanuel III of Rome injured during assassination attempt

1913 - John D Rockefeller gives $100 million to Rockefeller Foundation

1914 - Serbia & Turkey sign peace treaty

1915 - German cruiser Dresden blows itself up near coast of Chile

• In 1916 on this day during the World War I Battle of Verdun, there was a German attack on Mort-Homme ridge, West of Verdun.

1918 - 1st concrete ship to cross the Atlantic (Faith) is launched, SF

1922 - KGU-AM in Honolulu HI begins radio transmissions

Oil Industrialist John D. RockefellerOil Industrialist John D. Rockefeller 1922 - KSD-AM in Saint Louis MO begins radio transmissions

1922 - WGR-AM in Buffalo NY begins radio transmissions

1923 - Allies accepts Vilnus taking East-Galicia in Poland

1923 - German Supreme Court prohibits NSDAP

1923 - Pres Warren G Harding becomes 1st pres to pay taxes

1926 - A train in Costa Rica falls into the Río Virilla, killing 248 and injuring 93.

1931 - 1st theater built for rear movie projection (NYC)

1933 - Civilian Conservation Corp, begins tree conservation

1935 - 36-Folsom becomes 1st line to use 1-man streetcars

1936 - Federal Register, 1st magazine of the US government, publishes 1st issue

1937 - Battle of the Century: Fred Allen & Jack Benny meet on radio

1937 - Pope Pius XI publishes anti-nazi-encyclical Mit brennender Sorge

1939 - England draw with South Africa at Durban on the 10th day

• Nazi Germany dissolved the Republic of Czechoslovakia on this day in 1939.

1940 - 27 killed, 15 injured when truck full of migrant workers collides with a train outside McAllen, Texas

1941 - Nazi occupiers of Holland forbid Jewish owned companies

1941 - Xavier Cugat & orchestra record "Babalu"

These two pictures are of what I believe to be the last remaining part of the wall that kept the Jews inside of the Ghetto during the German occupation of the city. Sorry, but I really do not know what the plaque says, unfortunately. But it was an interesting thing to see!

• On this day in 1943 during World War II, the Kraków Ghetto was 'liquidated' in Poland.

1945 - RAF bomb cuts railway link Hannover-Hamm

1946 - Belgian government of Spaak, forms

1948 - Freedom Train arrives in SF

1950 - FBI's "10 Most Wanted Fugitives" program begins

1951 - During Korean War, US/UN forces recapture Seoul

1951 - Earthquake at Euskirchen, Germany

1953 - KOLR TV channel 10 in Springfield, MO (CBS) begins broadcasting

1954 - Braves Henry Aaron homers in his 1st exhibition game

1954 - KDAL (now KDLH) TV channel 3 in Duluth-Superior, MN (CBS) begins

1954 - Louise Suggs wins LPGA Titleholders Golf Championship

1954 - NBA Baltimore Bullets end a 32 game road losing streak

1955 - Prince Mahemdra becomes king of Nepal

1956 - Satchel Paige signs with the Birmingham Black Barons (Negro League)

1957 - Indonesian government of Sastroamidjojo resigns

1958 - RIAA certifies 1st gold record (Perry Como's Catch A Falling Star)

1958 - Recording Industry Association of American created

An old button with a ribbon from the anti-apartheid days of the 1980's.

• The white minority ruled government of apartheid South Africa banned the African National Congress (ANC) on this day in 1958.

1958 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1958 - USSR performs atmospheric nuclear test

1960 - 14 die in a train crash in Bakersfield Calif

1960 - Wilt Chamberlain (Phila) sets NBA playoff record of 53 points

1961 - George Weiss becomes pres of NY Mets

1962 - Disarmament conference opens in Geneva without France

1962 - Gordie Howe (Det Red Wings) is 2nd NHLer to score 500 goals

1963 - SF Guy Rogers ties NBA record with 28 assists

1964 - "Girl Who Came to Supper" closes at Broadway NYC after 112 perfs

Night club operator Jack RubyNight club operator Jack Ruby 1964 - Dallas jury sentences Jack Ruby to death in Lee Harvey Oswald murder

1965 - Israeli cabinet approves diplomatic relations with West Germany

1967 - 1st NFL-AFL common draft, Balt Colts pick Bubba Smith

1967 - JFK's body moved from temporary grave to a permanent memorial

1968 - POM performs atmospheric nuclear test at Maralinga Australia

1968 - CBS TV suspends Radio Free Europe free advertising because RFE doesn't make it clear it is sponsored by the CIA

1969 - Barbara Jo Rubin becomes 1st woman jockey to win at Aqueduct

1969 - Seymour Nurse scores 258 in his last Test Cricket innings, WI v NZ

1971 - Barbra Streisand appears on "The Burt Bacharach Special" on CBS TV

1971 - Rolling Stones left England for France to escape taxes

1971 - South Vietnamese troops flee Laos

1971 - The Rolling Stones leave England for France to escape taxes

1972 - NBA's Cincinnati Royals announce they are moving to KC

1973 - Liam Cosgrave appointed president of Ireland

1976 - Jockey Bill Shoemaker wins his 7,000th race

Singer-songwriter & Actress Barbra StreisandSinger-songwriter & Actress Barbra Streisand 1976 - US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

1978 - Marines terminate Molukse action in Province house (1 dead)

1978 - NFL permanently adds 7th official (side judge)

1979 - In China, a Hawker Siddeley Trident crashes into a factory near Beijing, killing at least 200.

1980 - 3rd Emmy Sports Award presentation

1980 - Ice Dance Championship at Dortmund West Germany won by Regoczy & Sallay

1980 - Ice Pairs Championship at Dortmund won by Cherkasova & Shakhrai (USSR)

1980 - Polish airliner crash kills all 87 aboard (22 are US amateur boxers)

1980 - Worlds Ladies Figure Skating Champ in Dortmund won by Anett Potzsch

1982 - Sally Little wins LPGA Olympia Gold Golf Classic

1982 - Sidath Wettimuny scores Sri Lanka's 1st Test Cricket century

1983 - OPEC cut oil prices for 1st time in 23 years

1984 - Challenger moves to Vandenberg AFB for mating of STS 41-C mission

1984 - Gerry Adams, head of Sinn Féin, is seriously wounded in an assassination attempt in central Belfast.

1985 - 11th People's Choice Awards: Bill Cosby wins 4 awards

Actor/Comedian Bill CosbyActor/Comedian Bill Cosby 1985 - Michael Secrest (US) completes 24-hr ride of 516 miles, 427 yards

1986 - European Space Agency's Giotto flies by Halley's Comet (605 km)

1987 - Providence, with Billy Donovan's 25 points, beats Austin Peay 90-87

1987 - Skier Piotr Fijas jumps record 194m

1987 - Worlds Ladies Figure Skating Champ in Cincinnati won by Katarina Witt

1987 - NY Met Darryl Strawberry charges Red Sox pitcher Al Nipper during spring training exhibition game, causes bench clearing brawl

1990 - 4th Soul Train Music Awards: Soul II Soul, Janet Jackson

The flag of the USSR (Soviet Union)

• On this day in 1990, the Congress of People's Deputies elected General Secretary Mikhail S Gorbachev into the newly-established and powerful position of President of the Soviet Union.  While the election was a victory for Gorbachev, it also revealed serious weaknesses in his power base that would eventually lead to the collapse of his presidency in December 1991.    Gorbachev's election in 1990 was far different from other "elections" previously held in the Soviet Union. Since coming to power in 1985, Gorbachev had worked hard to open up the political process in the Soviet Union, pushing through legislation that eliminated the Communist Party's monopoly on power and establishing the Congress of People's Deputies. The public at large elected the Congress by secret ballot. By 1990, however, Gorbachev was facing criticism from both reformers and communist hard-liners. The reformers, such as Boris Yeltsin, criticized Gorbachev for the slow pace of his reform agenda. Communist hard-liners, on the other hand, were appalled by what they saw as Gorbachev's retreat from Marxist principles. In an attempt to push forward his reform program, Gorbachev led a movement that amended the Soviet constitution, including writing a section establishing a new and more powerful presidency, a position that had previously been largely symbolic.    On March 14, 1990, the Congress of People's Deputies elected Gorbachev to a five-year term as president. While this was certainly a victory for Gorbachev, the election also vividly demonstrated the problems he faced in trying to formulate a domestic consensus supporting his political reform program. Gorbachev had worked assiduously to make sure that the Congress gave him the necessary two-thirds majority, including making repeated threats to resign if the majority was not achieved. Had he not received the necessary votes, he would have had to campaign in a general election against other candidates. Gorbachev believed that a general election would result in chaos in an already unsteady Russia; others in the Soviet Union attributed his actions to fear that he might lose such an election. The final vote in the Congress was extremely close, and Gorbachev achieved his two-thirds majority by a slim 46 votes.    Gorbachev won the presidency, but by 1991 his domestic critics were pillorying him for the nation's terrible economic performance and faltering control over the Soviet empire. In December 1991 he resigned as president, and the Soviet Union dissolved. Despite the criticism he received, Gorbachev is credited for instituting a dizzying number of reforms that loosened the tight grip of communism on the Soviet people.  

1991 - Emir of Kuwait returns to Kuwait City, after the Iraqis leave

1991 - Ice Dance Championship at Munich won by Isabel & Phil Duchesnay (FRA)

1991 - Ice Pairs Championship at Munich won by N Mishkutenok & A Dmitriev

1991 - Men's Figure Skating Championship in Munich won by Kurt Browning (CAN)

1991 - British Court of Appeal frees "Birmingham 6" who had been unjustly sentenced in August 1975 to life imprisonment

1992 - Farm Aid V

1992 - NY Met Daryl Boston, Vince Coleman & Dwight Gooden accused of rape

Singer Janet JacksonSinger Janet Jackson 1992 - Soviet newspaper "Pravda" suspends publication

1993 - "Conversations with My Father" closes at Royale NYC after 462 perfs

1993 - "Face Value" closes at Cort Theater NYC after * performances

1993 - "Saint Joan" closes at Lyceum Theater NYC after 49 performances

1993 - 3,000th performance of "Nunsense"

1993 - Johan Koss skates world record 5km (6:36.57)

1993 - Meg Mallon wins LPGA Ping/Welch's Golf Championship

1993 - Ricky Ponting hits twin tons for Tasmania aged 18 years 84 days

1993 - Worlds Ladies Figure Skating Champ in Prague won by Oksana Baiul (UKR)

1994 - Mexican banker/billionaire Alfredo Harp Helu kidnapped

1994 - Soyuz TM-21 launches with V Dezyurov, G Strekalov & N Thagard

1994 - Timeline of Linux development: Linux kernel version 1.0.0 is released.

1995 - 1st time 13 people in space

1996 - Australia beat West Indies by 5 runs in amazing cricket World Cup semi

1996 - Crufts show at NEC Birmingham, (1995 winner, Joshua, an Irish setter)

1997 - 68 year old Gordie Howe signs AHL contract with Syracuse Crunch

1997 - Iranian military plane crashes, killing 80

1997 - Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson wins 67th James E Sullivan Award

42nd US President Bill Clinton42nd US President Bill Clinton 1997 - President Clinton trips & tears up his knee requiring surgery

1997 - The Chinese city of Chongqing (formerly Chunking) is upgraded to a centrally administered municipality.

1998 - An earthquake measuring 6.9 on the Richter scale hits southeastern Iran.

2003 - Start of weekend of protests against war in Iraq that are attended by millions

• The Cedar Revolution took place on this day in 2005 in Lebanon, when over one and a million Lebanese went into the streets of Beirut to demonstrate against the Syrian military presence in Lebanon, and against the government, following the assassination of Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

2013 - 25 people are killed and 50 are wounded by a series of car bombings in Baghdad, Iraq

2013 - 7 people are killed after gunmen storm a bar in Cancun, Mexico

2013 - Xi Jinping is named as the new President of the People's Republic of China

1489 - Catherine Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, sold her kingdom to Venice. She was the last of the Lusignan dynasty.   1629 - A Royal charter was granted to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.   1647 - During the Thirty Years War, France, Sweden, Bavaria and Cologne signed a Treaty of Neutrality.      1757 - British Admiral John Byng was executed by a firing squad on board HMS Monarch for neglect of duty.   1794 - Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin.   1864 - Samuel Baker discovered another source of the Nile in East Africa. He named it Lake Albert Nyanza.   1891 - The submarine Monarch laid telephone cable along the bottom of the English Channel to prepare for the first telephone links across the Channel.   1900 - U.S. currency went on the gold standard with the ratification of the Gold Standard Act.   1900 - In Holland, Botanist Hugo de Vries rediscovered Mendel's laws of heredity.   1901 - Utah Governor Heber M. Wells vetoed a bill that would have relaxed restrictions on polygamy.   1903 - The U.S. Senate ratified the Hay-Herran Treaty that guaranteed the U.S. the right to build a canal at Panama. The Columbian Senate rejected the treaty.   1904 - The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the governments claim that the Northern Securities Company was an illegal merger between the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railway companies.   1905 - French bankers refused to lend money to Russia until after their war.   1905 - The British House of Commons cited a need to compete with Germany in naval strength.   1906 - The island of Ustica was devastated by an earthquake.   1912 - An anarchist named Antonio Dalba unsuccessfully attempted to kill Italy's King Victor Emmanuel III in Rome.   1914 - Henry Ford announced the new continuous motion method to assemble cars. The process decreased the time to make a car from 12½ hours to 93 minutes.   1915 - The British Navy sank the German battleship Dresden off the Chilean coast.   1918 - An all-Russian Congress of Soviets ratified a peace treaty with the Central Powers.   1923 - President Harding became the first U.S. President to file an income tax report.   1932 - George Eastman, the founder of the Kodak company, committed suicide.   1936 - Adolf Hitler told a crowd of 300,000 that Germany's only judge is God and itself.   1939 - Hungary occupied the Carpatho-Ukraine. Slovakia declared its independence.   1943 - U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first U.S. President to fly in an airplane while in office.   1945 - In Germany, a 22,000 pound "Grand Slam" bomb was dropped by the Royal Air Force Dumbuster Squad on the Beilefeld railway viaduct. It was the heaviest bomb used during World War II.   1947 - The U.S. signed a 99-year lease on naval bases in the Philippines.   1947 - Moscow announced that 890,532 German POWs were held in the U.S.S.R.   1951 - U.N. forces recaptured Seoul for the second time during the Korean War.   1954 - The Viet Minh launched an assault on Dien Bien Phu in Saigon.   1958 - The U.S. government suspended arms shipments to the Batista government of Cuba.   1964 - A Dallas jury found Jack Ruby guilty of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald.   1967 - John F. Kennedy's body was moved from a temporary grave to a permanent one.   1976 - Egypt formally abrogated the 1971 Treaty Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union.   1978 - An Israeli force of 22,000 invaded south Lebanon. The PLO bases were hit.   1979 - The Census Bureau reported that 95% of all Americans were married or would get married.   1979 - Near Peking, China, at least 200 people died when a Trident aircraft crashed into a factory.   1980 - A Polish airliner crashed while making an emergency landing near Warsaw. 87 people were killed. A 14-man U.S. boxing team was aboard the plane.   1981 - Three Pakistani airline hijackers surrendered in Syria after they had exchanged 100 passengers and crewmen for 54 Pakistani prisoners.   1983 - OPEC agreed to cut its oil prices by 15% for the first time in its 23-year history.     1989 - Imported assault guns were banned in the U.S. under President George H.W. Bush.   1991 - The "Birmingham Six," imprisoned for 16 years for their alleged part in an IRA pub bombing, were set free after a court agreed that the police fabricated evidence.   1991 - Bolivian interior minister Guillermo Capobianco resigned after U.S. officials accused him of receiving money from drug traffickers.   1995 - American astronaut Norman Thagard became the first American to enter space aboard a Russian rocket.   1996 - U.S. President Bill Clinton committed $100 million for an anti-terrorism pact with Israel to track down and root out Islamic militants.   1998 - An earthquake left 10,000 homeless in southeastern Iran.   2002 - A Scottish appeals court upheld the conviction of a Libyan intelligence agent for the 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103. A five-judge court ruled unanimously that Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi was guilty of bringing down the plane over Lockerbie, Scotland.   2003 - Robert Blake was released from jail on $1.5 million bail. Blake had been jailed for the murder of his wife Bonny Lee Bakley.

1743 The first town meeting was held in Boston, Massachusetts, at Faneuil Hall. 1794 The cotton gin was patented by Eli Whitney. 1939 The Republic of Czechoslovakia was dissolved, soon to be occupied by the Nazis. 1950 The FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list made its debut. 1958 Perry Como's single "Catch a Falling Star" became the first RIAA gold record. 1964 Jack Ruby was found guilty of the murder of Lee Harvey Oswald, alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy. 1990 The Soviet Congress voted Mikhail Gorbachev into the newly-created and powerful position of president.

The following links are to web sites that were used to complete this blog entry:

http://www.historyorb.com/today/events.php

http://on-this-day.com/onthisday/thedays/alldays/mar14.htm

http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history

http://www.infoplease.com/dayinhistory