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March 9th
1562 - Kissing in public was banned in Naples, contravention being punishable by death. 1796 - Napoleon Bonaparte married society beauty Josephine de Beauharnais. 1862 - On this date in 1862, during the American Civil War, the CSS Virginia, a captured and rebuilt Union steam frigate formerly known as the Merrimac, engaged the USS Monitor in the first battle between iron-fortified naval vessels in history. The Confederate navy's addition of iron plates to the captured USS Merrimac steam frigate temporarily made it an unstoppable force in the disputed waters of the Civil War. After seeing the Merrimac in action, the Union navy constructed its own ironclad, the USS Monitor. On 8 March 1862, the Virginia attacked a Union squadron of wooden-hulled vessels in Hampton Roads off the Virginia coast. The USS Congress, a frigate, and the USS Cumberland, a sailing sloop, were easily sunk by the Virginia, which suffered no noticeable damage. Late that night, the USS Monitor arrived in the area. With its deck nearly at the water level, the Monitor had an unassuming appearance, but it was a formidable match for the Confederate ironclad. On 9 March, the two vessels engaged each other, and both the Monitor and the Virginia suffered direct hits that failed to penetrate their iron shells. Finally, after four hours, a cannon blast from the Virginia hit the Monitor's pilothouse, temporarily blinding the ship's captain, Union Lieutenant John L. Worden. The Virginia was thus allowed to escape to Norfolk, Virginia, and the Battle of the Ironclads ended in a draw. Two months later, the Virginia was trapped in Norfolk by advancing Union forces, and its Confederate crew blew up the fearful vessel rather than allow it to fall into Union hands. 1881 - Born this day, Ernest Bevin, Labour MP, politician and statesman (Foreign Secretary). 1902 - Born this day, Edward Durell Stone, architect, (designed Kennedy Center, US Embassy-New Delhi). Died 6 August 1978 aged 76. 1917 - The Russian Revolution began. 1925 - Born this day, Billy Ford, singer, Billy & Lillie (La Dee Dah). 1933 - Born this day, Lloyd Price (Stagger Lee). 1934 - Born this day, Yuri Gagarin, Russian astronaut. 1937 - The Road To Wigan Pier, George Orwell's famous examination of life during the Depression in the north of England, was published. 1940 - Born this day, Raul Julia, actor (Addams Family). 1942 - Born this day, Mark Lindsay, lead singer of Paul Revere & the Raiders. 1971 US No.1 single Indian Reservation, plus 14 other US Top 30 hit singles. 1943 - Born this day, Bobby Fischer, chess player. 1944 - Born this day, Trevor Burton, The Move, 1969 UK No.1 single Blackberry Way. 1945 - Born this day, Robert Calvert, singer, poet, Hawkwind, and solo, 1972 UK No.3 single Silver Machine. Died 14 August 1988. 1945 - Born this day, Ron Wilson, drummer, The Surfaris, 1963 US No.2 and UK No.3 single Wipe Out. Died 19 May 1989. 1945 - Born this day, Robin Trower, guitar, Procol Harum, 1967 UK No.1 single and US No.5 A Whiter Shade Of Pale, and three top 20 solo albums. 1946 - Born this day, Jim Cregan, guitar, Family, Cockney Rebel, 1975 UK No.1 single Make Me Smile, Come Up And See Me, also worked with Rod Stewart. 1948 - Born this day, Chris Thompson, vocals, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, 1976 UK No.6 single Blinded By The Light, and a US No.1 in 1977. 1948 - Born this day, Jeffrey Osborne, soul singer, 1984 UK No.11 and US No.29 single On The Wings Of Love. 1949 - Born this day, Jimmy Fadden, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, 1971 US No.9 single Mr Bojangles. 1949 - Born this day, Neil Hamilton, former Tory MP. 1950 - Died this day, Timothy Evens, after being found guilty of murdering his wife and baby, he was hanged on this day. (Subsequently found to be not guilty.) 1951 - Born this day, Frank Rodriguez, ? & The Mysterians, 1966 US No.1 and UK No.37 single 96 Tears. It was a UK No.17 hit for The Stranglers in 1990. 1952 - Born this day, Bill Beaumont, broadcaster and former rugby player. 1956 - Archbishop Makarios, the leader of the Greek Cypriot community, was deported from his Cyprus home and sent into exile in the Seychelles. The news brought riots throughout the island and EOKA terrorists threatened a bombing campaign. Governor Sir John Harding said, 'Makarios was an inspiration to EOKA'. 1956 - Born this day, David Willets, Tory politician. 1958 - Born this day, Martin Fry, singer, ABC, 1982 UK No.4 and 1983 US No.18 The Look Of Love, plus nine other UK top 40 singles. 1960 - Can-Can with Frank Sinatra and Juliet Prowse was released. 1960 - Born this day, Linda Fiorentino, actress. 1961 - Russia sent Laika, the first dog into space, into orbit in Sputnik 9. 1963 - Appearing at the East Ham Granada, London, were Tommy Roe, Chris Montez and bottom of the bill The Beatles. 1964 - Born this day, Juliette Binoche, French actress. 1964 - The very first Ford Mustang rolled off an assembly line at the Ford plant in Michigan. The cars were so popular so quickly that Ford had to build them at two additional plants in New Jersey and California, just to meet the demand. 1966 - The Beach Boys recorded God Only Knows. 1967 - Appearing at the Skyline Ballroom, Hull, Yorkshire, The Small Faces, Family and The Strollers. 1967 - Svetlana Allilueva, Joseph Stalin's daughter, defected to the West. 1968 - Bob Dylan started a ten week run at No.1 on the UK chart with his ninth album John Wesley Harding. A US No.2 in the same year. 1968 - Born this day, Robert Sledge, drums, Ben Folds Five, 1997 UK No.26 single Battle Of Who Could Care Less. 1969 - On this day Department S was first shown, introducing Peter Wyngarde as the exotic Jason King. 1969 - CBS-TV canceled the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. 1970 - Born this day, Martin Johnson, rugby union player. 1972 - A George McGovern presidential fundraiser starred Carly Simon, James Taylor, Barbra Streisand and Cass Elliot. 1973 - In a referendum boycotted by most Catholics, Northern Ireland voted in favour of staying in the UK by a majority of 90 to 1. 1973 - Black Sabbath kicked off an 8-date sold out UK tour at Green’s Playhouse, Glasgow. 1974 - Alvin Stardust was at No.1 in the UK with the single Jealous Mind. Alvin now works behind a bar in the UK TV series The Grimlys. 1976 - Keith Moon collapsed onstage at the start of a Who concert in the Boston Garden. 1977 - The Jacksons CBS show was aired for the last time on US TV finishing at the bottom of the ratings. 1978 - The Eagles began recording I Can't Tell You Why. 1979 - Eddie & The Hot Rods released a new album Thriller, featuring special guest Linda McCartney on backing vocals. 1981 - John Lambe, the M5 rapist who admitted 16 attacks, received 12 life sentences. 1981 - Robert Plant played a secret gig at Keele University, England with his new band The Honey Drippers. 1985 - Dead Or Alive were at No.1 on the UK singles chart with You Spin Me Round (Like A Record). 1985 - Mick Jagger released his solo single Just Another Night, which made No.12 in the US and No.32 on the UK charts. 1985 - REO Speedwagon started a three week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Can't Fight This Feeling, it made No.16 in the UK. 1987 - Born this day, Lil Bow Wow [Shad Moss], US rapper, 2001 UK No.6 single Bow Wow, That's My Name. 1990 - Talks began on the reunification of Germany, in Berlin. 1991 - Chris Rea scored his second UK No.1 album with Auberge the follow up to The Road To Hell, his 11th LP release. 1991 - Mariah Carey started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Someday, her third US No.1 and a No.38 hit in the UK. 1991 - Should I Stay Or Should I Go gave The Clash their only UK No.1 single after the track was used for a Levi's TV advertisement. The track was first released in 1982. 1996 - Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher walked off stage during a gig at the Vernon Valley Gorge ski resort in New Jersey because his hands were too cold to play. 1996 - Take That scored their eighth and last UK No.1 single with their version of The Bee Gees song How Deep Is Your Love. It stayed at the top for three weeks. 1997 - The Spice Girls went back to No.1 on the UK album chart with Spice Girls. 1997 - Notorious BIG was gunned down and killed as he left a party at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Born Christopher Wallace the rapper was pronounced dead on arrival at Cedars Sinai Hospital. 1999 - Died this day, guitarist Mike Anthony, from a heart attack aged 68. Worked with Harry Nilsson, The 5th Dimension, Screamin' Jay Hawkins. 2000 - Mohamed Al Fayed agreed to pay the widow of Tiny Rowland more than 1.4 million after giving up his court battle over gemstones 'stolen' during break-ins at the former Lonrho head's safety deposit box at Harrods. 2001 - A blue plaque in honour of Labour statesman Ernest Bevin was unveiled by Foreign Secretary Robin Cook. It marks the block in South Molton Street, London, where he lived as TGWU boss in the 1930s. Bevin was born on 9 March 1881, the illegitimate son of a Somerset midwife. He retired as Foreign Secretary on his 70th birthday due to ill health. Mr Cook said: 'He is remembered not for the summits and the glitz and glamour but for his commitment to a foreign policy for the people'. 2002 - A 200-strong unit of British commandos was on standby on an assault ship off Pakistan, poised to move to the Afghan frontline. 2003 - Andrew Reed, Parliamentary Private Secretary to Margaret Beckett, quit his post - the first Government resignation over the Iraq crisis. |
Trivia
Trivia - petty details or considerations, matters or things that are very unimportant, inconsequential, or nonessential; trifles; trivialities.
Trivial - of very little importance or value; insignificant: "Don't bother me with trivial matters." Trivially - unimportant, nugatory, slight, immaterial, inconsequential, frivolous, trifling.