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March 28th
0193 - The post of Roman Emperor went to profilgate Senator Didius Julianus, after he promised soldiers of the Praetorian Guard the most money in an unofficial auction. 1380 - Besieged by the Genoese fleet after 100 years fo warfare, the Venetians turned the tables on their enemy on this day, by employing gunpowder for the first time in Europe. 1384 - It is believed that on this day, Richard II condemned the eating of cats, though this may be a reference to the 'big cats', the nobles who stalked the court during the boy king's reign. 1483 - Born this day, Santi Raphael, artist. Died in 1520. 1774 - Britain passed the Coercive Act against Massachusetts. 1775 - Samuel Johnson said of poet Thomas Gray: 'He was dull company, dull in his closet, dull everywhere..... dull in a new way, which made people think him great.' 1797 - Nathaniel Briggs, of New Hampshire, patented a device we commonly call the washing machine. Back then, however, there was a whole different way of speaking and of spelling to describe this wonderful invention. 'This device is an improvement in washing cloaths'. That's correct - Cloaths. 1800 - The Irish parliamment passed the Act of Union with England. 1811 - Born this day, Saint John Neumann, first male saint of the US. Died in 1860. 1814 - On this date in 1814, the funeral of Joseph-Ignace Guillotin, the inventor and namesake of the infamous execution device, took place outside of Paris, France. Guillotin had what he felt were the purest motives for inventing the guillotine and was deeply distressed at how his reputation had become besmirched in the aftermath. Before he died he said, "How true it is that it is difficult to benefit mankind without some unpleasantness resulting for oneself." Guillotin had bestowed the deadly contraption on the French as a 'philanthropic gesture' for the systematic criminal-justice reform that was taking place in 1789. The machine was intended to show the intellectual and social progress of the Revolution. It was expensive to build at a time when cost-effectiveness was a serious issue, but it was supposed to have overriding benefits, particularly its efficiency. The guillotine was first used on January 24, 1792, when Nicolas Pelletier was put to death for armed robbery and assault in Place de Greve. The newspapers reported that the guillotine was not an immediate sensation. The crowds seemed to miss the gallows at first. But it quickly caught on with the public and many thought it brought dignity back to the executioner. However, the prestige of the guillotine precipitously fell due to its frequent use in the French Terror following the Revolution. It became the focal point of the awful political executions and was so closely identified with the terrible abuses of the time that it was perceived as partially responsible for the excesses itself. Still, it was used sporadically in France even during the 20th century, until its last use in 1977. In 1981, France outlawed capital punishment entirely. 1849 - Frederick William IV of Prussia was elected Emperor of the Germans by the German National Assembly. 1854 - Britain and France declared war on Russia in the Crimean War. 1865 - Outdoor advertising legislation was enacted in New York State. The law banned 'painting on stones, rocks and trees'. Of course, it didn't say anything about painting on buildings, bridges, subway cars, etc. 1868 - Died this day, The Earl of Cardigan (James Thomas Brudenell), 7th Earl of, born in 1797, English cavalry officer, son of the 6th Earl of Cardigan, whom he succeeded to the title in 1837. He was MP for Marlborough (1818-29) and North Northamptonshire (1832). In 1824 he joined the army as a cornet, and in 1830 bought himself a command in the 15th Hussars as a lieutenant-colonel. His fiery temper brought him into conflict with fellow officers, and he was forced to resign in 1833. From 1836 to 1847 he commanded the 11th Hussars, on which he lavished his own money to make it a crack squadron; after a duel with one of his officers in 1841 he was acquitted on a legal technicality by the House of Lords. Appointed major-general in 1847, he commanded the light cavalry brigade ('the Six Hundred') in the Crimea War, and led it to destruction with the fatal charge (the charge of the light brigade) against enemy guns at Balaclava (1854). Received home as a hero, he was appointed inspector-general of the cavalry (1855-60). The knitted woollen jacket he wore against the cold of a Crimean winter is named after him. 1885 - The US Salvation Army was officially organised. 1891 - Born this day, Paul Whiteman, in Denver, Colarado, US jazz bandleader. Died in 1967. 1891 - The first world championship for amateur weightlifters was held in London. 1899 - Born this day, August Busch, beer magnate, St. Louis Cardinals owner. Died in 1989. 1903 - Born this day, Rudolf Serkin, concert pianist. Died in 1991. 1907 - Born this day, [Irving] Swifty Lazar, Hollywood talent agent. Died in 1993. 1909 - Born this day, Nelson Algren, novelist, author of A Walk On The Wild Side. 1910 - The first seaplane took off from the waters of Martinques, France. 1912 - Born this day, Frank Lovejoy, actor. Died in 1962. 1914 - Born this day, Edward Muskie, US Senator, Secretary of State. Died in 1996. 1915 - Born this day, Jay Livingston, composer. 1919 - Born this day, [Victor John Angelo] Vic Raschi, baseball. Died in 1988. 1920 - Douglan Elton Ullman wed Gladys Smith in Hollywood. The couple were better known as screen sweethearts Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks. Their marriage has been described as 'Hollywood's first royal wedding'. 1921 - Born this day, Dirk Bogarde [Derek van Den Bogaerde], actor. Died in 1999. 1922 - Bradley A. Fiske, of Washington DC, patented a microfilm reading device. 1923 - Born this day, Thad Jones, musician, trumpeter, cornetist, flugelhorner, bandleader, composer. Died in 1986. 1924 - Born this day, Freddie Bartholomew [Llewellyn], actor. Died in 1992. 1928 - Born this day, Zbignew Brzezinski, political leader. 1930 - The cities of Constantinople and Angora changed names to Istanbul and Ankara, Turkey. 1930 - Born this day, Eric Dixon, musician, saxophonist. 1930 - Born this day, Bill Anthony, jazz musician, bassist. 1933 - The German Reichstag confered dictatorial powers to Adolph Hitler. 1933 - Born this day, Frank Hughes Murkowski, US Senator. 1934 - Born this day, Johnny Burnette, in Memphis, Tennessee. Was a member of The Rock 'n' Roll Trio. They recorded, Train Kept A-Rollin' and You're Sixteen. Father of Rocky Burnette. Died 1 January 1964, drowned because of a boating accident. 1935 - Born this day, Michael Parkinson, chat show host, TV personality, radio presenter. 1939 - Madrid surrendered to Franco to end the Spanish Civil War. 1939 - Adolf Hitler denounced Germany's 1934 non-aggression pact with Poland. 1939 - Hal Kemp and his orchestra recorded Three Little Fishies for Victor Records. 1940 - Born this day, Kevin Loughery, basketball. 1941 - Born this day, Charlie McCoy, Area Code 615, 1970 theme for the BBC's The Old Grey Whistle Test, Stone Fox Chase. 1941 - Born this day, Jim Turner, American football. 1941 - In World War II (WWII), the Italian navy was defeated in the Battle of Cape Matapan. 1941 - Died this day, Virginia Woolf, aged 59, author, distinguished feminist essayist, critic, and a central figure of the Bloomsbury group, committed suicide, her suicide note read - 'I feel certain that I'm going mad again. I feel we can't go thru another of those terrible times. And I shan't recover this time. I begin to hear voices'. On this day near Rodmell, in Sussex, England. She left a note for her husband, Leonard, and for her sister, Vanessa. Then, Virginia walked to the River Ouse, put a large stone in her pocket, and drowned herself. Children found her body 18 days later. Virginia Woolf was born Adeline Virginia Stephen on 25 January 1882, in London. She was educated at home by her father, Sir Leslie Stephen, the author of the Dictionary of English Biography, and she read extensively. Her mother, Julia Duckworth Stephen, was a nurse, who published a book on nursing. Her mother died in 1895, which was the catalyst for Virginia's first mental breakdown. Virginia's sister, Stella, died in 1897; and her father died in 1904. She married Leonard Wolf in 1912. Leonard was a journalist. In 1917 the Woolfs founded Hogarth Press, which became a successful publishing house, printing the early works of authors such as Forster, Katherine Mansfield, and T.S. Eliot, and introducing the works of Sigmund Freud. Except for the first printing of Woolf's first novel, The Voyage Out (1915), Hogarth Press also published all of her works. Virginia Woolf became one of the most prominent literary figures of the early 20th century, with novels like Night And Day (1919), Jacob's Room (1922) was based upon the life and death of her brother Toby, Mrs. Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927), Orlando (1928), A Room Of One's Own (1929), The Waves (1931), and Three Guineas (1938). The brilliant writer had suffered several nervous breakdowns through out her life, and after the Germans invaded Paris during World War II (WWII), Woolf and her husband, who was Jewish and a socialist, discussed killing themselves with different methods. It was after her London home, with all of their belongings, was bombed, that she fell into a great depression, and on this date, took her walking stick and down to the Ouse River. She forced a large stone into her coat pocket and entered the water. 1941 - Louella Parsons hosted Hollywood Premiere for the first time on CBS Radio. The gossip columnist introduced famous guests who appeared in dramatised stories. 1942 - The drydock at St Nazaire in France was destroyed in a combined raid by the British navy, army and airforce. 1942 - Born this day, Jerry Sloan, basketball. 1942 - Born this day, Neil Kinnock, former Labour Party leader, MP. 1943 - Born this day, Richard Eyre, theatre and film director. 1943 - Born this day, Conchata Ferrell, actress. 1943 - Born this day, Richard Stilgoe, TV presenter. 1944 - Radio station WQXR in New York banned singing commercials from its broadcast schedules. 1944 - Born this day, Rick Barry, basketball. 1944 - Born this day, Ken Howard, actor. 1945 - Born this day, Chuck Portz, musician, bassist, The Turtles, 1967 US No.1 single Happy Together, 1967 UK No.4 single She'd Rather Be With Me. 1947 - Born this day, Barry Miles, musician, keyboardist. 1948 - Born this day, Sam Lacey, basketball. 1948 - Born this day, John Evans, Jethro Tull, 1969 UK No.3 and US No.11 single Living In The Past. 1948 - Born this day, Milan Williams, keyboards, brass, guitar, The Commodores, 1978 UK and US No.1 single Three Times A Lady. 1948 - Born this day, Dianne Wiest, Academy Award-winning actress. 1948 - Born this day, Matthew Corbett, TV host, (former friend of Sooty). 1949 - Born this day, Ronnie Ray Smith, Olympic gold medalist, sprinter. 1949 - Born this day, Sally Carr, singer, Middle Of The Road, 1971 UK No.1 single Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep. 1954 - Born this day, [Nell] Reba McEntire, country singer, has sold over 30 million albums during her career. 1957 - Born this day, Beverley Callard, actress (Liz McDonald-Coronation Street). 1957 - Ral Donner first saw Elvis Presley onstage at Chicago's International Ampitheatre. 1958 - Eddie Cochran recorded Summertime Blues. 1959 - 11 days after an uprising began in Tibet, China dissolved the country's government and installed an autonomous authority under the Panchen Lama. 1960 - Two anti-payola bills were introduced in Congress by Representative Emmanuel Celler of New York. He blamed payola for the 'cacophonous music called rock and roll' and claimed that rock and roll would never have achieved popularity, 'especially among teenagers', if not for the push provided by payola. 1960 - Brenda Lee recorded I'm Sorry. 1961 - Born this day, Byron Scott, basketball. 1962 - Born this day, Geo Grimes, Danny Wilson, 1988 UK No.3 single Mary's Prayer. 1963 - The Birds with Tippi Hedren was released. 1963 - Sonny Werblin announced that the team, the New York Titans of the American Football League was changing names. Instead of Titans, the team would be known as the New York Jets. 1964 - Stay Awhile by Dusty Springfield entered the Billboard charts, it eventually reached No.38. 1964 - The pirate radio station, Radio Caroline, began broadcasting from the North Sea aboard the ship Mi Amigo. The first pirate station off the coast of Britain. (from the former Danish ferry Fredericia). 1964 - Madame Tussaud's, in London, unveiled the wax works images of The Beatles, the first pop stars to be honoured. 1965 - Born this day, Steve Turner, guitar, Mudhoney, 1991 UK No.60 single Let It Slide. 1966 - The Avengers debuted in the US. 1966 - Gary Lewis recorded Green Grass. 1967 - Raymond Burr starred in a TV movie titled Ironside. The show about a wheelchair-bound detective became very popular as a weekly series in the spring of 1967. Burr, known to millions as determined lawyer, Perry Mason (a past TV hit), played the part of Robert Ironside in the new show. He was joined by characters, Detective Sgt. Ed Brown (Don Galloway), Eve Whitfield (Barbara Anderson), Mark Sanger (Don Mitchell) and Commissioner Dennis Randall (Gene Lyons). 1967 - Van Morrison recorded Brown Eyed Girl. 1967 - United Nations (UN) Secretary General U Thant made public proposals for bringing about peace in Vietnam; President Lyndon Johnson accepted them. 1968 - Born this day, Nasser Hussain, England cricket captain. 1968 - The Bee Gees kicked off a 24 date UK tour at London’s Royal Albert Hall. 1969 - Died this day, Dwight D. Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States and one of the most highly regarded American generals of World War II (WWII), in Washington, DC, at the age of seventy-eight. Born in Denison, Texas in 1890, Eisenhower graduated from the United States Military Academy in 1915, and steadily rose in the ranks of the US army between the wars. After the American entrance into World War II (WWII), he was appointed commanding general of the European theatre of operations, and oversaw US troops massing in Great Britain. In January 1944 he was appointed supreme Allied commander of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of northwestern Europe. Although Eisenhower left much of the specific planning for the actual Allied landing in the hands of his capable staff, such as British Field Marshall Montgomery, he served as a brilliant organiser and administrator both before and after the successful invasion. In November 1952, 'Ike' won a resounding victory in the presidential elections, and, in 1956, he was re-elected in a landslide. In 1961, he retired to his Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, farm with his wife, Mamie Doud Eisenhower. He was buried on a family plot in Abilene, Kansas. 1969 - Born this day, James Atkin, EMF, 1990 UK No.3 and 1991 US No.1 single Unbelievable. 1969 - Extensive anti-Soviet demonstrations were held in Prague. 1969 - Joe Cocker played his first American concert. He entertained fans at Billy Graham's Fillmore East in New York City. 1970 - A magnitude 7.1 earthquake destroyed more than 200 Turkish villages, killing 1,300 people. 1970 - Simon and Garfunkel started a three week run on the UK at No.1 with the single Bridge Over Troubled Water. It was the duo’s only UK No.1. 1972 - Elvis Presley recorded Burning Love. 1973 - Marlon Brando rejected his Oscar for The Godfather, sending Indian actress Sacheen Littlefeather to the Academy Awards platform to describe the plight of American Indians. 1974 - Romanian Communist Party leader Nicolae Ceausescu was elected to the newly created post of president of the Socialist Republic of Romania. 1974 - The group, Blue Swede, received a gold record for the single Hooked on a Feeling. As payback for tormenting listeners worldwide with the introduction of 'ooga-chocka, ooga-chocka', when the group played their gold record, they heard the original B.J. Thomas version of Hooked on a Feeling. 1974 - A streaker (i.e. someone running around naked), ran onto the set of The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson. The clever NBC censors decided to blackout the lower half of the TV screen on the videotape to prevent an 'X' rating. The streaker was arrested, but released, for 'lack of evidence', said Johnny. 1974 - Died this day, blues artist Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup, of a stroke at the age of 69. Crudup wrote Elvis' hit That's All Right (Mama). 1976 - Francis Rossi, Rick Parfitt and Alan Lancaster were arrested after an incident at Vienna Airport, all three were released on bail. 1976 - Genesis began their first North American tour since Peter Gabriel left the band, appearing in Buffalo, New York, with Phil Collins taking over as lead singer. 1977 - Faye Dunaway won the Best Actress Oscar for her part in Network. 1979 - Extensive re-evaluation of the safety of nuclear power-generating operations in the US began in earnest. The re-evaluations were prompted by a series of accidents that began at 4am at Three Mile Island. Failures in equipment brought the nuclear power plant close to a uranium core meltdown. The fear of extensive radiation contamination spread throughout the rural Pennsylvania area and the state capital of Harrisburg, just ten miles away. 1979 - Prime Minister James Callaghan, after a 'Winter of Discontent' lost a vote of confidence in the Commons and called the General Election which brought Mrs Thatcher to power. 1981 - Born this day, Julia Stiles, actress. 1981 - Blondie started a two week run at No.1 on the US singles chart with Rapture, the groups fourth US No.1, and a No.5 hit in the UK. 1981 - Elton John's version of The Beatles I Saw Her Standing There was released as a tribute to John Lennon. 1981 - Shakin' Stevens had his first UK No.1 single with This Ole House. 1981 - The group, Blondie, featuring Debbie Harry, received a gold record for the tune Rapture. At the time, the pop-rock hit was perched at the top of the pop music charts. Blondie had eight charted hits, four of them were million sellers, beginning with their first release Heart of Glass in 1979. Four of the eight hits were No.1's on the charts, as well. 1982 - In El Salvador, the first free elections for 50 years were held to elect a new constituent assembly. Five right-wing parties jointly won 60 percent of the vote and agreed to form a government of national unity. 1982 - David Crosby of the Byrds and Crosby, Stills and Nash, was arrested after crashing his car on the San Diego Highway, police also found cocaine and a pistol in his car. 1984 - British Council Cultural Affairs Attache Kenneth Whitty was shot dead in Athens. 1984 - Nissan chose Washington, near Sunderland, for the site of a new car plant. 1985 - Devan Nair resigned as president of Singapore on health grounds. 1985 - Roger Waters, of Pink Floyd, made radio history. His Radio City Music Hall concert in New York was broadcast live using a new, high-tech, sound system called 'holophonics'. It is said to have recreated the stage experience in amazing detail. 1985 - Bill Cosby broke more records with The Cosby Show on NBC-TV. The program was the highest-rated program of any network series since 1983. It was also the first show in over a decade to take the top Nielsen Ratings away from the Academy Awards presentation (seen on the same night). The Cosby Show became the highest-rated series since 1978 when Mork and Mindy starring Robin Williams and Pam Dawber premiered on ABC. 1986 - More than 6,000 radio stations of all format varieties (even Muzak) played We are the World simultaneously at 10.15am EST. The promotion became part of the biggest, participatory event in history by linking a human chain of millions of people from sea to sea. Ken Kragen was the promotion genius behind the plan that raised millions of dollars and created awareness for the African famine relief project. 1987 - Mel and Kim were at No.1 on the UK singles chart Respectable. 1990 - Customs officers intercepted a cargo of electrical detonators for nuclear weapons bound for Iraq. 1991 - Tens of thousands of Soviet radicals defied a Kremlin ban and circumvented a huge police and army presence to stage rallies in support of radical Russian leader Boris Yeltsin. 1992 - Over $100,000 worth of damage was caused at The Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre, California, when Ozzy Osbourne invited the first two rows of the audience on stage, several others took up the offer and the band were forced to exit the stage. 1993 - Somalia's feuding warlords reached agreement to establish the first semblance of government since they wrecked the country in fighting to succeed dictator Mohamed Siad Barre. 1994 - Russia signed an agreement with Kazakhstan to rent Baikonur launchpad, springboard of the former Soviet Union's space program. 1994 - About 60 people were killed in Johannesburg and surrounding townships when Inkatha supporters marched in support of the Zulu Monarch ahead of the April elections. 1995 - Country singer Lyle Lovett and actress Julia Roberts announced they were separating after 21 months of marriage. 1995 - Died this day, Jimmy McShane, singer, Baltimora, of Aids. Had the 1985 UK No.3 single Tarzan Boy. 1996 - Israel's official inquiry into the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin concluded that security agencies ignored ample intelligence information that a Jewish militant might try to kill the prime minister. 1998 - Lucy Lawless, the athletic beauty of TV's syndicated Xena: Warrior Princess, married Rob Tapert, and executive producer of her hit series, in Santa Monica, California. It was her second marriage, his first. 1999 - Mr Oizo went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Flat Beat. 2000 - Car buyers were offered the chance to beat high prices in the UK and purchase new vehicles direct from Europe via the internet, with the help of the Consumers' Association. 2001 - The artist formerly known as both Puffy and Puff Daddy told MTV he now wanted to be known as P. Diddy. 2001 - It was reported that singer-songwriter James Taylor and his wife Caroline Smedvig were expecting twin boys, carried by a surrogate mother who was a family friend. 2002 - A juvenile defendant on trial for the murder of London schoolboy Damilola Taylor walked free from the Old Bailey. 2003 - Up to 120,000 extra US troops were sent to Iraq as the coalition prepared for a drawn-out siege of Baghdad. 2004 - Died this day, Sir Peter Ustinov, the multifaceted entertainer, globetrotting humanitarian and lively raconteur, at the age of 82. The actor and writer, who entertained and delighted generations of audiences, died in Switzerland. The cause of death was heart failure. |
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.