This Day in History

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<em class="date">Feb 23, 1945: U.S. flag raised on Iwo Jima </h2>During the bloody Battle for Iwo Jima, U.S. Marines from the 3rd Platoon, E Company, 2nd Battalion, 28th Regiment of the 5th Division take the crest of Mount Suribachi, the island's highest peak and most strategic position, and raise the U.S. flag. Marine photographer Louis Lowery was with them and recorded the event. American soldiers fighting for control of Suribachi's slopes cheered the raising of the flag, and several hours later more Marines headed up to the crest with a larger flag. Joe Rosenthal, a photographer with the Associated Press, met them along the way and recorded the raising of the second flag along with a Marine still photographer and a motion-picture cameraman.

 

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<em class="date">Feb 24, 1836: Alamo defenders call for help </h2>On this day in 1836, in San Antonio, Texas, Colonel William Travis issues a call for help on behalf of the Texan troops defending the Alamo, an old Spanish mission and fortress under attack by the Mexican army.

 

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<em class="date">Feb 25, 1964: Clay knocks out Liston </h2>On February 25, 1964, 22-year-old Cassius Clay shocks the odds-makers by dethroning world heavyweight boxing champ Sonny Liston in a seventh-round technical knockout. The dreaded Liston, who had twice demolished former champ Floyd Patterson in one round, was an 8-to-1 favorite. However, Clay predicted victory, boasting that he would &quot;float like a butterfly, sting like a bee&quot; and knock out Liston in the eighth round. The fleet-footed and loquacious youngster needed less time to make good on his claim--Liston, complaining of an injured shoulder, failed to answer the seventh-round bell. A few moments later, a new heavyweight champion was proclaimed.

 

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<em class="date">Feb 26, 1919: Two national parks preserved, 10 years apart </h2>On this day in history, two national parks were established in the United States

 

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<em class="date">Feb 27, 1827: New Orleanians take to the streets for Mardi Gras </h2>On this day in 1827, a group of masked and costumed students dance through the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana, marking the beginning of the city's famous Mardi Gras celebrations.

 

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<em class="date">Feb 28, 1953: Watson and Crick discover chemical structure of DNA </h2>On this day in 1953, Cambridge University scientists James D. Watson and Frances H.C. Crick announce that they have determined the double-helix structure of DNA, the molecule containing human genes.

 

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<em class="date">Feb 29, 1940: McDaniel wins Oscar </h2>On February 29, 1940, Gone with the Wind is honored with eight Oscars by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. An epic Southern romance set during the hard times of the Civil War, the movie swept the prestigious Best Picture, Director, Screenplay, Cinematography, Art Direction, Film Editing, and Actress categories. However, the most momentous award that night undoubtedly went to Hattie McDaniel for her portrayal of &quot;Mammy,&quot; a housemaid and former slave. McDaniel, who won the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award, was the first African American actress or actor ever to be honored with an Oscar.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 1, 1932: Lindbergh baby kidnapped </h2>On this day in 1932, in a crime that captured the attention of the entire nation, Charles Lindbergh III, the 20-month-old son of aviation hero Charles Lindbergh, is kidnapped from the family's new mansion in Hopewell, New Jersey. Lindbergh, who became an international celebrity when he flew the first solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean in 1927, and his wife Anne discovered a ransom note demanding $50,000 in their son's empty room. The kidnapper used a ladder to climb up to the open second-floor window and left muddy footprints in the room.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 2, 1904: Dr. Seuss born </h2>On this day in 1904, Theodor Geisel, better known to the world as Dr. Seuss, the author and illustrator of such beloved children's books as &quot;The Cat in the Hat&quot; and &quot;Green Eggs and Ham,&quot; is born in Springfield, Massachusetts. Geisel, who used his middle name (which was also his mother's maiden name) as his pen name, wrote 48 books--including some for adults--that have sold well over 200 million copies and been translated into multiple languages. Dr. Seuss books are known for their whimsical rhymes and quirky characters, which have names like the Lorax and the Sneetches and live in places like Hooterville.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 3, 1887: Helen Keller meets her miracle worker </h2>On this day in 1887, Anne Sullivan begins teaching six-year-old Helen Keller, who lost her sight and hearing after a severe illness at the age of 19 months. Under Sullivan's tutelage, including her pioneering &quot;touch teaching&quot; techniques, the previously uncontrollable Keller flourished, eventually graduating from college and becoming an international lecturer and activist. Sullivan, later dubbed &quot;the miracle worker,&quot; remained Keller's interpreter and constant companion until the older woman's death in 1936.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 4, 1933: FDR inaugurated </h2>On March 4, 1933, at the height of the Great Depression, Franklin Delano Roosevelt is inaugurated as the 32nd president of the United States. In his famous inaugural address, delivered outside the east wing of the U.S. Capitol, Roosevelt outlined his &quot;New Deal&quot;--an expansion of the federal government as an instrument of employment opportunity and welfare--and told Americans that &quot;the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.&quot; Although it was a rainy day in Washington, and gusts of rain blew over Roosevelt as he spoke, he delivered a speech that radiated optimism and competence, and a broad majority of Americans united behind their new president and his radical economic proposals to lead the nation out of the Great Depression.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 5, 1963: Hula-Hoop patented </h2>On this day in 1963, the Hula-Hoop, a hip-swiveling toy that became a huge fad across America when it was first marketed by Wham-O in 1958, is patented by the company's co-founder, Arthur &quot;Spud&quot; Melin. An estimated 25 million Hula-Hoops were sold in its first four months of production alone.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 6, 1899: Bayer patents aspirin </h2>On this day in 1899, the Imperial Patent Office in Berlin registers Aspirin, the brand name for acetylsalicylic acid, on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer &amp; Co.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 7, 1876: Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone </h2>On this day in 1876, 29-year-old Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for his revolutionary new invention--the telephone.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 8, 1917: February Revolution begins </h2>In Russia, the February Revolution (known as such because of Russia's use of the Julian calendar) begins when riots and strikes over the scarcity of food erupt in Petrograd. One week later, centuries of czarist rule in Russia ended with the abdication of Nicholas II, and Russia took a dramatic step closer toward communist revolution.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 9, 1959: Barbie makes her debut </h2>On this day in 1959, the first Barbie doll goes on display at the American Toy Fair in New York City.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 10, 1959: Rebellion in Tibet </h2>On this day in 1959, Tibetans band together in revolt, surrounding the summer palace of the Dalai Lama in defiance of Chinese occupation forces.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 11, 1997: Paul McCartney knighted </h2>On this day in 1997, Paul McCartney, a former member of the most successful rock band in history, The Beatles, was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his &quot;services to music.&quot; The 54-year-old lad from Liverpool became Sir Paul in a centuries-old ceremony of pomp and solemnity at Buckingham Palace in central London. Fans waited outside in a scene reminiscent of Beatlemania of the 1960s. Crowds screamed as McCartney swept through the gates in his chauffeur-driven limousine and he answered with a thumbs-up.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 12, 1933: FDR gives first fireside chat </h2>On this day in 1933, eight days after his inauguration, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gives his first national radio address or &quot;fireside chat,&quot; broadcast directly from the White House.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 13, 1942: U.S. Army launches K-9 Corps </h2>On this day in 1942, the Quartermaster Corps (QMC) of the United States Army begins training dogs for the newly established War Dog Program, or &quot;K-9 Corps.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 14, 1879: Albert Einstein born </h2>On March 14, 1879, Albert Einstein is 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.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 15, 1965: Johnson calls for equal voting rights </h2>On this day in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson addressed a joint session of Congress to urge the passage of legislation guaranteeing voting rights for all.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 16, 1802: U.S. Military Academy established </h2>The United States Military Academy--the first military school in the United States--is founded by Congress for the purpose of educating and training young men in the theory and practice of military science. Located at West Point, New York, the U.S. Military Academy is often simply known as West Point.

 

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<em class="date-loc">St. Patrick's Day is celebrated on March 17, the saint's religious feast day and the anniversary of his death in the fifth century. The Irish have observed this day as a religious holiday for over 1,000 years. On St. Patrick's Day, which falls during the Christian season of Lent, Irish families would traditionally attend church in the morning and celebrate in the afternoon. Lenten prohibitions against the consumption of meat were waived and people would dance, drink and feast--on the traditional meal of Irish bacon and cabbage.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 18, 1852: Wells and Fargo start shipping and banking company </h2>On this day in 1852, in New York City, Henry Wells and William G. Fargo join with several other investors to launch their namesake business.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 19, 2003: War in Iraq begins </h2>On this day in 2003, the United States, along with coalition forces primarily from the United Kingdom, initiates war on Iraq. Just after explosions began to rock Baghdad, Iraq's capital, U.S. President George W. Bush announced in a televised address, &quot;At this hour, American and coalition forces are in the early stages of military operations to disarm Iraq, to free its people and to defend the world from grave danger.&quot; President Bush and his advisors built much of their case for war on the idea that Iraq, under dictator Saddam Hussein, possessed or was in the process of building weapons of mass destruction.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 20, 1965: LBJ sends federal troops to Alabama </h2>On this day in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson notifies Alabama's Governor George Wallace that he will use federal authority to call up the Alabama National Guard in order to supervise a planned civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 21, 1871: Stanley begins search for Livingstone </h2>On this day in 1871, journalist Henry Morton Stanley begins his famous search through Africa for the missing British explorer Dr. David Livingstone.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 22, 1765: Stamp Act imposed on American colonies </h2>In an effort to raise funds to pay off debts and defend the vast new American territories won from the French in the Seven Years' War (1756-1763), the British government passes the Stamp Act on this day in 1765. The legislation levied a direct tax on all materials printed for commercial and legal use in the colonies, from newspapers and pamphlets to playing cards and dice.

 

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<em class="date">Mar 23, 1839: OK enters national vernacular </h2>On this day in 1839, the initials &quot;O.K.&quot; are first published in The Boston Morning Post. Meant as an abbreviation for &quot;oll correct,&quot; a popular slang misspelling of &quot;all correct&quot; at the time, OK steadily made its way into the everyday speech of Americans.