Fun On this date in history...

If I may...

ALSO ON MARCH 5th:
In 1770, five Americans were fatally shot by British troops in an event later known as the Boston Massacre; it would contribute to the outbreak of the Revolutionary War five years later.

In 1868, the Senate was organized into a Court of Impeachment to decide charges against President Andrew Johnson, who was later acquitted.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared a “bank holiday”, closing all U.S. banks and freezing all financial transactions.
In 1943, the Universal Horror movie “Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man”, starring Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney, Jr., was released in the U.S.

Also in 1943, the first flight of Gloster Meteor jet aircraft in the United Kingdom took place.

In 1946, British statesman Winston Churchill coined the phrase “Iron Curtain” in his speech at Westminster College, Missouri.

In 1953, Soviet dictator Josef Stalin died at Kuntsevo Dacha at age 74.

Also in 1953, composer/musician Sergei Prokofiev died in Moscow at age 61.

In 1954, the Universal Horror movie “Creature from the Black Lagoon” was released in the U.S.

In 1955, Elvis Presley made his TV debut on the regional show "The Louisiana Hayride." Reportedly, no video of the appearance survives, so it’s unknown how high up the camera was focused.

Also in 1955, actor/author/magician Penn Jillette was born in Greenfield, MA. MSTies and other viewers of Comedy Central remember him as the all-but-inescapable voice of the channel.

In 1960, Elvis Presley was discharged from the Army.

In 1963, country singers Patsy Cline, Cowboy Copas and Hawkshaw Hawkins were killed when their small plane crashed near Camden, TN. They were returning to Nashville following a benefit concert.

In 1968, PFC Reed Schweighofer was killed in action in Dinh Tuong Province, South Vietnam at age 23. He is still sorely missed by his family.

In 1970, the disaster movie “Airport” was released in the U.S.

In 1975, actress Jolene Blalock was born in San Diego, CA. Her assignment to NX-01 would come later.

In 1977, John Williams began conducting the London Symphony Orchestra for the music score for “Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope”. The music was recorded at Anvil Studios in Denham, England.

In 1979, filming began on “Star Wars: Episode 5- The Empire Strikes Back” near Finse, Norway.

In 1982, actor/comedian/singer John Belushi was found dead of a drug overdose at the Chateau Marmont in Hollywood at age 33.

Also in 1982, the Soviet space probe Venera 14 landed on Venus.

In 1989, actor Jake Lloyd was born. Unfortunately, the unwarranted abuse over his role in “Phantom Menace” would follow a few years later.

In 1994, a jury in Pensacola, Florida, convicted anti-abortion activist Michael F. Griffin of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Dr. David Gunn; Griffin was immediately sentenced to life in prison.

In 2005, filming was completed for “These Are the Voyages…”, the controversial series finale of “Star Trek: Enterprise”.

 

If I may...

ON MARCH 6th:
In 1820, the Missouri Compromise was signed into law by President James Monroe. The compromise allowed Missouri to enter the Union as a slave state, brought Maine into the Union as a free state, and made the rest of the northern part of the Louisiana Purchase territory slavery-free.

In 1834, the city of York in Upper Canada was incorporated as Toronto.

In 1836, the Alamo in San Antonio, TX, fell to Mexican forces after a 13-day siege. The 187 Texas volunteers, including frontiersman Davy Crockett and Colonel Jim Bowie, defending the Alamo were killed.

In 1853, Verdi's opera "La Traviata" premiered in Venice, Italy.

In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Dred Scott v. Sandford that Scott, a slave, was not an American citizen and could not sue for his freedom in federal court.

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 & Co.

In 1906, actor/comedian Lou Costello was born in Paterson, NJ.

In 1923, actor/announcer/TV host Ed McMahon was born in Detroit, MI.

In 1927, pilot/engineer/astronaut Gordon Cooper, one of the Mercury Seven astronauts, was born in Shawnee, OK.

In 1931, actor/stuntman/director Hal Needham was born in Memphis, TN. Feel free to drive a black Trans Am in celebration.

Also in 1931, the documentary/dramatization series “The March of Time” premiered over CBS Radio.

In 1933, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak, wounded in an attempt on Roosevelt's life the previous month, died at a Miami hospital at age 59.

In 1935, retired Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., died in Washington at age 93.

In 1937, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova, pilot of Vostok 6 and the first woman in space, was born in Bolshoye Masslennikovo, Russia.

In 1944, U.S. heavy bombers staged the first full-scale American raid on Berlin during World War II.

In 1951, the trial of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg on charges of espionage began.

In 1953, Georgy Malenkov was named premier of the Soviet Union a day after the death of Josef Stalin.

In 1958, actor Eddie Deezen was born in Cumberland, MD.

In 1964, the Nation of Islam’s Elijah Muhammad officially gave boxing champion Cassius Clay the name Muhammad Ali.

In 1965, actress Margaret Dumont, best-remembered for playing the foil in Marx Brothers comedies, died in Hollywood at age 82.

In 1967, the daughter of Josef Stalin, Svetlana Alliluyeva, appeared at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi and declared her intention to defect to the West.

In 1970, a bomb being built inside a Greenwich Village townhouse by the radical Weathermen accidentally went off, destroying the house and killing three group members.

In 1981, Walter Cronkite gave his final broadcast as anchor for the "CBS Evening News."

In 1983, the first United States Football League games were played.

In 1984, in the United Kingdom, a walkout at Cortonwood Colliery in Brampton Bierlow signaled the start of a coal miner’s strike lasting yearly a year, involving the majority of the country's miners.

In 1987, the British ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsizes in approximately 90 seconds, causing 193 deaths.

In 1999, recording began on the first “Doctor Who” audio serial produced by Big Finish Productions. It was “The Sirens of Time”, featuring the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors.

In 2002, writer/producer Donald Wilson, recognized as one of the co-creators of “Doctor Who”, died Gloucestershire, England at age 91.

In 2016, actress/First Lady Nancy Reagan died in Bel Air, CA at age 94.

In 2017, actor/author/TV host/film historian Robert Osborne, best-known for his work on Turner Classic Movies, died in New York City at age 84.

 

If I may...

ON MARCH 7th:
In 1793, during the French Revolutionary Wars, France declared war on Spain.

In 1850, in a three-hour speech to the U.S. Senate, Daniel Webster of Massachusetts endorsed the Compromise of 1850 as a means of preserving the Union.

In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell received a patent for his telephone.

In 1912, Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen arrived in Hobart, Australia, where he dispatched telegrams announcing his success in leading the first expedition to the South Pole the previous December.

In 1926, the first successful trans-Atlantic radio-telephone conversations took place between New York and London.

In 1931, writer Brian Hayles, creator of the Ice Warriors for “Doctor Who”, was born in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.

In 1936, Adolf Hitler ordered his troops to march into the Rhineland, thereby breaking the Treaty of Versailles and the Locarno Pact.

In 1945, during World War II, American troops seized the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine River at Remagen.

In 1951, during the Korean War, U.N. troops led by Gen. Matthew Ridgway began an assault against Chinese forces as part of Operation Ripper.

In 1951, the sci-fi comedy “Abbott & Costello Meet the Invisible Man” was released.

In 1955, the first TV production of the musical "Peter Pan" starring Mary Martin aired on NBC-TV.

In 1965, a march by civil rights demonstrators was violently broken up at the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, by state troopers and a sheriff's posse in what came to be known as "Bloody Sunday."

In 1973, the revisionist mystery movie “The Long Goodbye”, based on the novel by Raymond Chandler, was released in the U.S. It starred Elliot Gould as Phillip Marlowe, and was directed by Robert Altman.

In 1975, the U.S. Senate revised its filibuster rule, allowing 60 senators to limit debate in most cases, instead of the previously required two-thirds of senators present.

Also in 1975, the series finale of “The Odd Couple”, titled “Felix Remarries”, was broadcast on ABC-TV.

In 1983, the original version of The Nashville Network (later called Spike) made its debut.

In 1986, the fantasy movie “Highlander”, starring Christopher Lambert, Clancy Brown and Sean Connery, was released in the U.S. And, as it turned out, there wasn’t only one.

In 1994, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a parody that pokes fun at an original work can be considered "fair use." (The ruling concerned a parody of the Roy Orbison song "Oh, Pretty Woman" by the rap group 2 Live Crew.)

In 1995, Jim Mallon, Michael J. Nelson, Kevin Murphy and Trace Beaulieu were honored at a symposium at the Los Angeles branch of the Museum of Television & Radio. The MSTed shorts “Why Study Industrial Arts?”, “Last Clear Chance” and “A Date with Your Family” were shown, and the ‘bots also put in an appearance.

In 1999, filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, died in St. Albins, Hertfordshire, England, at age 70.

In 2007, the British House of Commons voted to make the upper chamber, the House of Lords, 100% elected.

In 2010, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Director, for her movie “The Hurt Locker.

 

8 March

1910 The Aéro-Club de France issued Pilote-Aviateur license # 36 to Mme. de Laroche (née Elise Raymonde Deroche, but also known as Raymonde de Laroche, and Baroness de Laroche) making her the first woman to become licensed as a airplane pilot.

1949 Bill Odom lands his single engine Beech Bonanza private plane in Teterboro NJ after flying nonstop 36 hours 1 minute from Honolulu.

https://www.thisdayinaviation.com/

 

If I may...

ALSO ON MARCH 8th:

In 1702, England's Queen Anne acceded to the throne upon the death of King William III.

In 1817, the New York Stock Exchange was founded.

In 1854, U.S. Commodore Matthew C. Perry made his second landing in Japan; within a month, he concluded a treaty with the Japanese.

In 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclad CSS Virginia rammed and sank the USS Cumberland and heavily damaged the USS Congress, both frigates, off Newport News, VA.

In 1874, Millard Fillmore, 13th president of the United States, died in Buffalo, NY at age 74.

In 1917, Russia's "February Revolution" (referring to the Old Style calendar) began in Petrograd; the result was the abdication of the Russian monarchy in favor of a provisional government.

Also in 1917, the U.S. Senate voted to limit filibusters by adopting the cloture rule.

In 1921, actor Alan Hale, Jr. was born in Los Angeles. It would be several years before he’d be associated with a certain uncharted desert isle.

In 1930, William Howard Taft, 27th President of the U.S. and former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, died in Washington, D.C. at age 72.

In 1943, Michael Grade, later Controller of BBC 1 and then BBC Chairman, was born in London. His tenure as the former was somewhat controversial, in the eyes of Whovians.

In 1944, two days after an initial strike, U.S. heavy bombers resumed raiding Berlin during World War II.

In 1945, actor/director/singer/musician/Monkee Micky Dolenz was born in Los Angeles.

In 1949, Mildred Gillars ("Axis Sally") was condemned to prison for treason.

In 1962, The Beatles made their TV debut on the BBC program "Teenager's Turn." They performed a cover of Roy Orbison's "Dream Baby."

In 1964, the movie “The Last Man on Earth”, starring Vincent Price and based on Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend, was released in the U.S..

In 1965, the United States landed its first combat troops in South Vietnam as 3,500 Marines arrived to defend the U.S. air base at Da Nang.

In 1967, the Rankin-Bass animated movie “Mad Monster Party?”, featuring the voice of Boris Karloff, premiered in New York City.

In 1971, Joe Frazier defeated Muhammad Ali by decision in what was billed as "The Fight of the Century" at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Also in 1971, actor/comedian/filmmaker Harold Lloyd died in Beverly Hills at age 77.

In 1972, the movie “Tales from the Crypt”, featuring Peter Cushing and Sir Ralph Richardson, premiered in New York City.

In 1975, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “Genesis of the Daleks” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of Davros, played in this serial by Michael Wisher.

In 1978, the first radio episode of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”, written by Douglas Adams, was broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

In 1979, technology firm Philips demonstrated a prototype compact disc player during a press conference in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

In 1983, in a speech to the National Association of Evangelicals convention in Orlando, Florida, President Ronald Reagan referred to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire."

In 1999, baseball Hall-of-Famer Joe DiMaggio died in Hollywood, FL at age 84.

In 2014, Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, carrying a total of 239 people, disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Its exact fate remains a mystery.

In 2016, composer/producer/arranger/musician Sir George Martin, CBE, best known for his work with the Beatles, died in Wiltshire, England at age 90.

In 2017, The Azure Window in Gozo, Malta, a limestone natural arch that was one of the country’s major tourist attractions, collapsed after a severe storm.

 

If I may...

ON MARCH 9th:

In 1661, Cardinal Jules Mazarin, the chief minister of France, died, leaving King Louis XIV in full control.

In 1796, the future emperor of the French, Napoleon Bonaparte, married Josephine de Beauharnais. (The couple later divorced.)

In 1841, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in the United States v. The Amistad case that captive Africans who had seized control of the ship carrying them had been taken into slavery illegally.

In 1862, during the Civil War, the ironclads USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimac) clashed for five hours to a draw at Hampton Roads, Virginia.

In 1916, Mexican raiders led by Pancho Villa attacked Columbus, New Mexico, killing 18 Americans.

In 1918, author Mickey Spillane, creator of Mike Hammer, was born in Brooklyn.

In 1926, TV host Joe Franklin, “The King of Nostalgia”, was born in the Bronx.

In 1933, Congress, called into special session by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, began its "hundred days" of enacting New Deal legislation.

In 1934, cosmonaut Yuri Gargarin, the first human in space, was born in Klushino, Russia.

In 1935, the animated cartoon character Porky Pig first appeared in the Warner Bros. animated short "I Haven't Got a Hat."

In 1940, actor Raul Julia was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

In 1944, Japanese troops counter-attacked American forces on Hill 700 in Bougainville in a battle that would last five days.

In 1945, during World War II, U.S. B-29 bombers launched incendiary bomb attacks against Tokyo, resulting in an estimated 100,000 deaths.

In 1954, CBS newsman Edward R. Murrow critically reviewed Wisconsin Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy's anti-communism campaign on "See It Now."

In 1955, on “Disneyland”, the episode” Man in Space” was broadcast on ABC-TV. The first of three programs on the future of space travel, it featured comments from rocket scientists Wernher von Braun and Willy Ley.

In 1959, the Barbie doll made its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York.

In 1964, the U.S. Supreme Court, in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, raised the standard for public officials to prove they'd been libeled in their official capacity by news organizations.

In 1965, the Rev. James Reeb, a white minister from Boston who'd gone to Selma, AL, to show support for civil rights marchers, was attacked by a group of white men and struck on the head; he died two days later at age 38.

In 1977, about a dozen armed Hanafi Muslims invaded three buildings in Washington, D.C., killing one person and taking more than 130 hostages. (The siege ended two days later.)

In 1978, the Italian-made sci-fi adventure “Star Crash”, starring Caroline Munro and Christopher Plummer, was released in the U.S. Jonah & the ‘bots would riff on it years later.

In 1979, actor Oscar Isaac was born in Guatemala. He’d later play one hell of a pilot in the GFFA.

In 1981, Dan Rather made his debut as principal anchorman of "The CBS Evening News."

In 1984, the comedy/fantasy movie “Splash”, starring Tom Hanks, Darryl Hannah, John Candy and Eugene Levy, was released in the U.S. It was the first movie released by the Touchstone arm of Walt Disney Productions.

In 1990, Dr. Antonia Novello was sworn in as surgeon general, becoming the first woman and the first Hispanic to hold the job.

In 1996, actor/comedian George Burns died in Beverly Hills at age 100.

In 1997, writer Terry Nation died in Los Angeles at age 66. He’s best-known for his work on “Doctor Who”, as well as creating the series “Blake’s 7” and “The Survivors”.

In 1998, Rebel Dawn, the last book of A.C. Crispin’s “Han Solo Trilogy”, was published by Bantam Spectra.

In 2005, Dan Rather signed off for the last time as principal anchorman of "The CBS Evening News."

In 2011, NASA Space Shuttle Discovery completed its final mission, STS-133, and was formally decommissioned.

 

10 March 1967: Captain Max C. Brestel, United States Air Force, a pilot assigned to the 354th Tactical Fighter Squadron, 355th Tactical Fighter Wing at Takhli Royal Thai Air Force Base, was flying a Republic F-105D-31-RE Thunderchief fighter-bomber, serial number 62-4284. His call sign was “Kangaroo 03.” During an attack on the Thai Nguyen Steel Mill, the single most heavily-defended target in North Vietnam, Captain Brestel engaged and shot down two enemy MiG-17 fighters.

 

If I may...

ALSO ON MARCH 10th:

In 1629, King Charles I of England dissolved Parliament, beginning the eleven-year period known as the Personal Rule.

In 1785, Thomas Jefferson was appointed America's minister to France, succeeding Benjamin Franklin.

In 1804, in St. Louis, MO, a formal ceremony was conducted to transfer ownership of the Louisiana Territory from France to the United States.

In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln assigned Ulysses S. Grant, who had just received his commission as lieutenant-general, to the command of the Armies of the United States.

In 1922, Mahatma Gandhi was arrested in India, tried for sedition, and sentenced to six years in prison, only to be released after nearly two years for an appendicitis operation.

In 1926, the Borough of South Plainfield, NJ was created when NJ Governor A. Henry Moore signed legislation to separate the area from neighboring Piscataway Township. Sometime later, both your humble correspondent and his Dad would be employed by said borough.

In 1933, the severe Long Beach earthquake affected the Greater Los Angeles area, leaving 115–120 people dead, and causing an estimated $40 million in damage.

In 1940, actor/producer/martial artist Chuck Norris, who can do just about anything, was born in Ryan, OK.

In 1952, Fulgencio Batista led a successful coup in Cuba and appointed himself as the "provisional president".

In 1959, the Tennessee Williams play "Sweet Bird of Youth," starring Paul Newman and Geraldine Page, opened at Broadway's Martin Beck Theatre.

In 1965, Neil Simon's play "The Odd Couple," starring Walter Matthau and Art Carney, opened on Broadway at the Plymouth Theater.

In 1969, in Memphis, TN, James Earl Ray pleaded guilty to assassinating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (He later unsuccessfully attempted to retract his plea.)

In 1972, the sci-fi movie “Silent Running”, starring Bruce Dern and directed by Douglas Trumbull, was released in the U.S.

In 1975, actor Yee Jee Tso was born in Canada. One of his characters would later sign hospital admitting documents for a shooting victim called John Smith in San Francisco.

Also in 1975, “The Rocky Horror Show” opened on Broadway at the Belasco Theater. It starred Tim Curry, Richard O’Brien and Meat Loaf, and would run for 45 performances.

In 1977, astronomers discovered rings around the planet Uranus. There will be a brief pause while you get all the rude jokes out of your system.

Also in 1977, A&M Records in Britain signed the Sex Pistols in a ceremony outside Buckingham Palace, two months after EMI nulled its contract with the band. A&M ended its association with the band on March 16th.

In 1978, following two TV-movies broadcast in 1977, the sci-fi series “The Incredible Hulk”, starring Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno, premiered on CBS.

In 1985, Konstantin U. Chernenko, who was the Soviet Union's leader for 13 months, died in Moscow at age 73; he was succeeded by Mikhail Gorbachev.

In 2006, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter arrived at the planet Mars.

In 2016, production designer Sir Kenneth Hugo “Ken” Adam, OBE, best-known for his work on the James Bond series, died in London at age 95.

In 2017, the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye of South Korea in response to a major political scandal was unanimously upheld by the country's Constitutional Court, ending her presidency.

In 2019, an Ethiopian Arlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 with 149 passengers and eight crew members onboard crashed en route to Nairobi, Kenya, killing all on board.

 

If I may...

ON MARCH 11th:
In 1708, Queen Anne withheld Royal Assent from the Scottish Militia Bill, the last time (to date) a British monarch has vetoed legislation.

In 1824, The U.S. Department of War created the Bureau of Indian Affairs. It would later be transferred to the Department of the Interior.

In 1851, the first performance of “Rigoletto” by Giuseppe Verdi took place in Venice.

In 1861, the Constitution of the Confederate States of America was adopted.

In 1865, during the Civil War, Union forces under General William T. Sherman occupied Fayetteville, North Carolina.

In 1882, the Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association was formed in Princeton, NJ.

In 1895, actor/comedian/Stooge Shemp Howard was born in Manhattan.

Wunnerful, wunnerful! In 1903, musician/bandleader Lawrence Welk was born in Strasburg, ND.

In 1918, the first case of Spanish flu occurred, marking the start of a devastating worldwide pandemic.

In 1941, U.S President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Lend-Lease Act into law, allowing American-built war supplies to be shipped to the Allies on loan.

In 1950, producer/director/writer Jerry Zucker was born in Milwaukee, WI. He’d later be one-third of the creative team that gave us “Airplane!”, “Top Secret!” and “Police Squad!”.

In 1952, author Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England. He’d later impress on the public the importance of towels and where to find them.

In 1956, voice actor Rob Paulsen was born in Detroit, MI. His many characters include two of the Ninja Turtles, Yakko Warner and Pinky. Narf!

In 1959, the drama “A Raisin in the Sun”, starring Ruby Dee and Sidney Poitier, opened on Broadway at the Ethel Barrymore Theater.

In 1963, actress Alex Kingston was born in Epsom, Surrey, England. Her trips on a certain TARDIS would come along later.

In 1967, actor/singer John Barrowman was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His alleged involvement with the so-called Torchwood organization is still classified.

In 1971, the science fiction movie “THX-1138” was released in the U.S. Its director would go on to have a fairly successful career.

In 1978, on “Doctor Who”, part six of “The Invasion of Time” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Louise Jameson as Leela.

In 1985, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected to the position of General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, making Gorbachev the USSR's de facto, and last, head of state.

In 1990, Lithuania declared itself independent from the Soviet Union.

In 1993, Janet Reno was confirmed by the U.S. Senate and sworn in the next day, becoming the first female U.S. Attorney General.

In 1994, filming began for “All Good Things…”, the final episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”.

In 1997, musician/singer/songwriter/Beatle Paul McCartney was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II.

In 2004, simultaneous explosions on rush hour trains in Madrid, Spain, killed 192 people. A later investigation found that the attacks were directed by an al-Qaeda terrorist cell.

In 2010, a federal appeals court in San Francisco upheld the use of the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance and "In God We Trust" on U.S. currency.

In 2011, an earthquake measuring 9.0 in magnitude struck 130 km (81 mi) east of Sendayi, Japan, triggering a tsunami killing thousands of people.

In 2013, Cartoon Network announced the cancellation of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”.

In 2016, at least 21 people were killed by flooding and mudslides in and around Sao Paulo, Brazil, following heavy rain.

 

Didn't know the Madrid bombing and Japan Tsunami happened on the same day years apart... what a crap day.

 

12 March 1967: McDonnel-Douglas delivered the 2000th F-4 Phantom II jet fighter to the US Air Force. It would be lost in combat over Vietnam on 19 September of the same year. Lt George McKinney wrote this about what he remembered from the back seat that day:

“In the hail of AAA over the target seven miles north of Hanoi on that day was a ‘Golden BB’ which opened a three-foot hole in the Phantom II’s right wing, froze the right spoiler full up, immediately drained two of the three hydraulic systems and generally turned the day to crap! I mumbled an egress heading (and a few dozen prayers) while ‘Boots’ used every increment of incredible aviation instincts, honed by countless hours at the edge of the envelope, to keep the F-4 airborne and headed away from the ‘Hanoi Hilton.’ Doing so required full manual depression of the left rudder pedal, and holding the stick within one inch of the left limit of travel.

“Despite the physical exertion, coupled with the precise touch necessary to remain airborne as the Black River receded behind the crippled Phantom II and rescue became at least a possibility, ‘Boots” managed to announce to the world on ‘Guard’ channel that they had so many warning lights lit up that it ‘looks like we’ve won a free game at the arcade.’ “

The crew ejected and were rescued by helicopter. Both were awarded Distinguished Flying Crosses.

www.thisdayinaviation.com

 

If I may...

ALSO ON MARCH 12th:

In 1664, England's King Charles II granted an area of land on the East Coast of present-day North America known as New Netherland to his brother James, the Duke of York.

In 1894, Coca-Cola was bottled and sold for the first time in Vicksburg, MS, by local soda fountain operator Joseph Biedenharn.

In 1912, The Girl Guides (later renamed the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A.) were founded in the United States.

In 1923, astronaut Walter M. Schirra, who flew in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs, was born in Hackensack, NJ

In 1933, Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the nation for the first time as President of the U.S. in the first of his “fireside chats”.

In 1933, actress Barbara Feldon was born in Butler, PA. Her later work for U.N.C.L.E., and the circumstances of her transfer to CONTROL, remain classified.

In 1938, German troops occupied and absorbed Austria.

In 1941, the Frank Capra comedy/drama “Meet John Doe”, starring Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck and Walter Brennan, premiered in New York City and Los Angeles.

In 1946, voice actor Frank Welker was born in Denver, CO. I don’t have enough space to list all of the voice roles he’s done; let’s just say there are a whole, big lot of them.

In 1952, actor/TV host Rich Koz was not born in Berwyn. He was born in Park Ridge, IL. There’s still time to throw rubber chickens to celebrate.

In 1961, the first winter ascent of the North Face of the Eiger in the Bernese Alps began. No sanction is known to have been attempted during the ascent.

In 1969, Paul McCartney and Linda Eastman were married in a civil ceremony in London.

In 1971, the movie “The Andromeda Strain”, based on Michael Crichton’s novel, was released in the U.S.

In 1984, Britain’s National Union of Mineworkers formally began a nationwide strike in response to proposed mine closures.

In 1987, the musical “Les Miserables” opened on Broadway at The Broadway Theatre.

In 1993, snow began to fall across the eastern portion of the US with tornadoes, thunder snow storms, high winds and record low temperatures. The storm, later called the Storm of the Century, lasted for 30 hours.

In 1994, The Church of England ordained its first female priests.

In 1999, the spoof “Doctor Who and the Curse of the Fatal Death”, starring Rowan Atkinson, Julia Salalha and Jonathan Price, was broadcast on BBC 1 as part of the Red Nose Day charity telethon.

In 1999, former Warsaw Pact members the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland joined NATO.

In 2000, 2000, at the Vatican in Rome, Pope John Paul II formally asked forgiveness for the various persecution sins committed by the Catholic Church over the last two millennium.

In 2003, Elizabeth Smart, the 15-year-old girl who'd vanished from her bedroom nine months earlier, was found alive in a Salt Lake City suburb with two drifters, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee, who are currently serving prison terms for kidnapping her.

In 2009, financier Bernard Madoff pleaded guilty in New York to scamming $18 billion in a Ponzi scheme, the largest such fraud in Wall Street history.

In 2011, a reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant melted and exploded, releasing radioactivity into the atmosphere a day after a massive earthquake in Japan.

In 2013, the Papal Conclave to elect a successor to Pope Benedict XVI, began.

In 2014, in New York City, a gas explosion East Harlem killed eight people and injured 70 others.

 

13 March 1928. Eileen Vollick received the first pilot's license issued to a woman in Canada.

The government inspector had arrived and the cadets waited anxiously. Before a license can be issued, the pilot must make four landings, from a height of 1,500 feet, within 150 feet of a spot designated on the ground, one landing from 5,000 feet with the motor shut off, five figure 8 (eight) turns between two designated marks, and a 175-miles cross-country flight. The day previous to the tests I had the extreme pleasure of taking Captain G. B. Holmes, Government Inspector, for a flight, and he gave me great credit for the able manner in which I handled the plane. On March 13, 1928, (lucky day for me) along with ten other cadets of the Elliot Flying School, I successfully passed the Government Civil Aviation examination, making three three-point landings on the ice with skiis, in place of wheels, to the utmost satisfaction of Captain Holmes, and the hearty congratulations of my instructors, and fellow students.

They give credit, these loyal air-men, for having an iron nerve, and skill of an old war time pilot, “nerve” is a natural gift from God. “Skill,” I owe to my instructors, I have had three of whom I cannot speak too highly, Pilots Earl Jellison, Lennard Tripp, and Richard Turner whose invaluable assiduous instruction and help, enabled me to earn the proud title of “Canada’s First Licensed Woman Pilot” and made my dreams come true.

 

If I may...

ALSO ON MARCH 13th:

In 1639, Harvard College (later Harvard University) was named after clergyman John Harvard.

In 1781, astronomer William Herschel discovered the planet Uranus.

In 1862, the U.S. Federal government forbade all Union army officers from returning fugitive slaves, thus effectively annulling the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and setting the stage for the Emancipation Proclamation.

In 1901, Benjamin Harrison, the 23rd President of the United States, died in Indianapolis, IN at age 67.

In 1911, author L. Ron Hubbard, founder of Scientology was born in Tilden, NE. Some prominent people in Hollywood are no doubt celebrating this.

In 1914, Medal of Honor recipient Edward ‘Butch” O’Hare, the U.S. Navy’s first flying ace, was born in St. Louis, MO.

In 1921, cartoonist Al Jaffee, best-known for his work on “Mad Magazine”, was born in Savannah, GA.

In 1925, the Tennessee General Assembly approved a bill prohibiting the teaching of the theory of evolution. (Gov. Austin Peay signed the measure on March 21.)

In 1942, the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps began training dogs for the newly-established War Dog Program, better-known as the “K-9 Corps”.

Also in 1942, the Universal Horror movie “The Ghost of Frankenstein”, starring Lon Chaney, Jr. and Bela Lugosi, was released.

In 1943, German forces liquidated the Jewish ghetto in Krakow.

In 1947, the Lerner and Loewe musical "Brigadoon," about a Scottish village which magically reappears once every hundred years, opened on Broadway at the Ziegfeld Theater.

Also 1947, the drama film "The Best Years of Our Lives" was named Best Picture at the Academy Awards. It received a total of nine Oscars, including Best Actor (Frederic March), Best Director (William Wyler), Best Supporting Actor (Harold Russel), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Robert Sherwood).

In 1954, actress/comedienne Robin Duke was born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. She’d later serve as a cast member on both “SCTV” and “Saturday Night Live”, respectively.

In 1956, the John Ford Western “The Searchers”, starring John Wayne, was released in the U.S.

In 1965, musician Eric Clapton left the Yardbirds (though some sources list this as occurring on March 25th).

In 1969, the crew of Apollo 9 returned to Earth following a successful mission including the first space-based tests of the Lunar Module.

In 1975, the first Chili's restaurant was opened in Dallas, TX by entrepreneur Larry Lavine.

In 1980, Ford Motor Chairman Henry Ford II announced he was stepping down, the same day a jury in Winamac, Indiana, found the company not guilty of reckless homicide in the fiery deaths of three young women in a Ford Pinto.

In 1991, The U.S. Department of Justice announced that Exxon had agreed to pay $1 billion for the clean-up of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in Alaska.

In 1995, two Americans working for U.S. defense contractors in Kuwait, David Daliberti and William Barloon, were seized by Iraq after they strayed across the border; sentenced to eight years in prison, both were freed the following July.

In 1996, in Dunblane, Scotland, 16 primary school children and one teacher were shot dead by a gunman who then committed suicide.

In 2005, Robert Iger was named to succeed Michael Eisner as chief executive of The Walt Disney Co.

In 2006, a statement attributed to actor/singer/songwriter Isaac Hayes announced that he was quitting the cast of "South Park," saying he could not tolerate the show's take on religion. (There has been some dispute regarding the statement’s attribution.)

In 2013, Pope Francis was elected, in the papal conclave, as the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church.

 

If I may...

ON MARCH 14th:

In 1743, a memorial service was held at Faneuil Hall in Boston honoring Peter Faneuil, who had donated the building bearing his name.

In 1794, Eli Whitney received a patent for his cotton gin, an invention that revolutionized America's cotton industry.

In 1885, the Gilbert and Sullivan comic opera "The Mikado" premiered at the Savoy Theatre in London.

In 1900, Congress ratified the Gold Standard Act.

In 1903, the Hay-Herrain Treaty, granting the U.S. the right to build the Panama Canal, was ratified by the U.S. Senate. The Colombian Senate would later reject the treaty.

In 1912, musician/bandleader Les Brown, leader of the Band of Renown, was born in Reinerton, PA.

In 1914, actor/songwriter Bill Owen was born in Acton, London. He’s best-known for playing Compo on “Last of the Summer Wine”, one of my Mom & Dad’s favorite Brit-coms.

In 1920, cartoonist Hank Ketcham, creator of Dennis the Menace, was born in Seattle, WA.

In 1923, President Warren G. Harding became the first chief executive to file an income tax return, paying a levy of $17,990 on his $75,000 salary.

In 1928, astronaut/pilot Frank Borman, Command Pilot of Gemini 7 and Commander of Apollo 8, was born in Gary, IN.

In 1934, astronaut/pilot Eugene Cernan, pilot of Gemini 9A, LM Pilot of Apollo 10, and Commander of Apollo 17, was born in Bellwood, IL.

In 1939, the republic of Czechoslovakia was dissolved, opening the way for Nazi occupation of Czech areas and the separation of Slovakia.

In 1943, Aaron Copland's "Fanfare for the Common Man" premiered in New York.

In 1950, the Federal Bureau of Investigation instituted the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list in an effort to publicize particularly dangerous fugitives.

In 1951, during the Korean War, United Nations forces recaptured Seoul.

In 1958, the RIAA awarded its first official Gold Record to Perry Como for his smash-hit single “Catch a Falling Star.”

In 1964, a jury in Dallas found Jack Ruby guilty of murdering Lee Harvey Oswald, the accused assassin of President John F. Kennedy, and sentenced him to death. (Both the conviction and death sentence were overturned, but Ruby died before he could be retried.)

In 1967, the body of President John F. Kennedy was moved from a temporary grave to a permanent memorial site at Arlington National Cemetery.

Also in 1967, The AFL and the NFL held the first common draft. The first player chosen was Bubba Smith, a defensive lineman from Michigan State. (The leagues would merge in 1970.)

In 1972, Carole King won the album of the year Grammy for "Tapestry," record of the year for "It's Too Late" and song of the year for "You've Got A Friend." She also won a fourth Grammy that year, for female pop vocal performance for "Tapestry."

In 1975, "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," a sendup of the legend of King Arthur, had its world premiere in Los Angeles.

Also in 1975, Academy Award-winning actress Susan Hayward died in Los Angeles at age 57.

In 1980, a LOT Polish Airlines jet crashed while attempting to land in Warsaw, killing all 87 people aboard, including 22 members of a U.S. amateur boxing team.

In 1990, the Soviet Congress of People's Deputies held a secret ballot that elected Mikhail S. Gorbachev to a new, powerful presidency.

In 1991, a British court overturned the convictions of the "Birmingham Six," who had spent 16 years in prison for a 1974 Irish Republican Army bombing, and ordered them released.

In 1995, Astronaut Norman Thagard became the first American astronaut to ride to space on board a Russian launch vehicle.

In 1996, Best Brains, Inc. formally announced that broadcasts of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” on Comedy Central would be discontinued.

In 1997, the Special Edition version of “Star Wars: Episode VI- Return of the Jedi” was released in the U.S.

In 1998, on “Mystery Science Theater 3000”, the premiere episode for the ninth season, featuring the movie “The Projected Man”, premiered on the Sci-Fi Channel. It was the first episode set at Castle Forrester.

In 2005, a judge in San Francisco ruled that California's ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional. (A state appeals court later reversed the decision).

In 2010, actor Peter Graves died in Los Angeles at age 83.

In 2018, physicist/author Stephen Hawking died in Cambridge, England at age 76.

 

15 March 1957
US Navy blimp ZPG-2 landed in Key West, Florida, after circumnavigating the North Atlantic nonstop and unrefueled. Snow Bird had traveled 9,448 miles (15,205 kilometers) without landing or refueling. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) lists this as “the longest recorded airship flight.” This exceeded the distance record set by Graf Zeppelin, flying from Friedrichshaven, Germany, to Tokyo, Japan, (11,247 kilometers) 15–19 August 1929. From takeoff at NAS South Weymouth to landing at NAS Key West, the total duration of the flight was 264 hours, 14 minutes.

 

If I may...

ALSO ON MARCH 15th:

In 44 B.C., Julius Caesar, Dictator of the Roman Republic, was stabbed to death by Marcus Junius Brutus, Gaius Cassius Longinus, Decimus Junius Brutus and several other Roman senators on the Ides of March.

In 270, Greek bishop and Christian Saint Nikolaos of Myra, better-known as St. Nicholas, was born in Patara in what is now Turkey.

In 1767, Andrew Jackson, the 7th President of the U.S., was born in Waxhaw, SC.

In 1783, in an emotional speech in Newburgh, NY, George Washington asked his officers not to support a proposed uprising by the Continental Army against the U.S. Congress. The plea was successful and the threatened coup d’etat never took place.

In 1820, Maine became the 23rd U.S. state.

In 1869, The Cincinnati Red Stockings played their first game. They were the first professional baseball team.

In 1906, Rolls-Royce, Ltd. was incorporated.

In 1913, President Woodrow Wilson met with about 100 reporters for the first formal presidential press conference.

Ooh! Ooh! In 1914, actor Joe E. Ross was born in New York City. He’d later be assigned to Car 54.

In 1917, Tsar Nicolas II of Russia abdicated the Russian throne, ending the 304-year Romanov dynasty.

In 1932, astronaut Alan L. Bean, LM pilot for Apollo 12 and commander of Skylab 3, was born in Wheeler, TX.

In 1935, the Busby Berkeley movie musical "Gold Diggers of 1935" was released by Warner Bros.

In 1939, the German occupation of Czechoslovakia was completed.

In 1945, "Going My Way" won the Academy Award for best picture of 1944, and its star, Bing Crosby, was named best actor; Ingrid Bergman was named best actress for "Gaslight."

In 1956, “Colonel” Tom Parker became Elvis Presley’s manager.

Also in 1956, the sci-fi movie “Forbidden Planet” was released. It starred Leslie Neilsen, Anne Francis and Walter Pidgeon, but Robby stole the movie.

In addition in 1956, the musical “My Fair Lady”, starring Rex Harrison and Julie Andrews, debuted on Broadway at the Mark Hellinger Theatre.

In 1964, actress Elizabeth Taylor married actor Richard Burton in Montreal; it was her fifth marriage, his second.

In 1967, the kaiju movie “Daikaiju kuchusen: Gamera tai Gyaosu” was released in Japan. Later re-titled “Gamera vs. Gaos”, the English-dubbed version would be inflicted upon Joel & the ‘bots.

Also in 1967, the Hammer Horror movie “Frankenstein Created Woman”, starring Peter Cushing and Susan Denberg, was released in the U.S.

In 1972, the drama film “The Godfather” premiered in New York City.

In 1975, Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis died near Paris at age 69.

In 1985, the first Internet domain name, symbolics.com, was registered.

In 1990, Iraq executed London-based journalist Farzad Bazoft, whom it had accused of spying.

Also in 1990, Mikhail Grobachev was elected as the first President of the Soviet Union.

In 2005, former WorldCom chief Bernard Ebbers was convicted in New York on charges including fraud and conspiracy connected to the company’s bankruptcy. (He would later be sentenced to 25 years in Federal prison.)

In 2016, producer/screenwriter/voice artist Sylvia Anderson died in Bray, Berkshire, England at age 88.

In 2018, U.S. broadcaster iHeartMedia, owner of hundreds of radio stations, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

In 2019, at least 50 people were killed and dozens others injured during two attacks on mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.

 

If I may...

ON MARCH 16th:

In 1751, James Madison, 4th President of the U.S., was born in Port Conway, VA.

In 1906, comedian Henny Youngman, “The King of the One Liners”, was born in Liverpool.

In 1915, the Federal Trade Commission, created in 1914, began operations.

In 1920, actor Leo McKern was born in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Years later, he’d face off against Patrick McGoohan in the Village, then face off against prosecutors at the Old Bailey.

In 1926, rocketry pioneer Robert H. Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket, at Auburn, MA.

Also in 1926, comedian/actor/filmmaker Jerry Lewis was born in Newark, NJ.

In 1932, astronaut/pilot/physicist Walter Cunningham, LM pilot for Apollo 7, was born in Creston IA.

In 1945, the Sherlock Holmes movie “The House of Fear”, starring Basil Rathbone was Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson, was released in the U.S. It was loosely based on the Arthur Conan Doyle story, “The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips” and it was one of my Dad’s favorites.

In 1964, Paul Hornung and Alex Karras were reinstated to the NFL after an 11-month suspension for betting on football games.

In 1965, peace activist Alice Herz, age 82, set herself ablaze on a Detroit street corner to protest the Vietnam War; she died 10 days later.

In 1965, the theatrical cut of the Western “Major Dundee” premiered in New York City. It starred Charlton Heston and Richard Harris, and was directed by Sam Peckinpah.

In 1966, the flight of Gemini 8, crewed by Neil Armstrong and David R. Scott, took place. It featured the first space docking (with an Agena target vehicle), but had to make an emergency landing following a serious thruster malfunction.

In 1968, in the My Lai Massacre, between 347 and 500 Vietnamese villagers were killed by American troops.

In 1968, on “Doctor Who”, part one of “Fury from the Deep” was broadcast over BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of the original model of the sonic screwdriver, back when all it did was turn screws.

In 1969, the musical "1776," opened on Broadway at the 46th Street Theater.

In 1970, singer/songwriter Tammi Terrell died of a brain tumor in Philadelphia at age 24. The tumor was diagnosed three years earlier when she collapsed during a concert.

In 1971, Simon and Garfunkel were the first winners of the so-called "Triple Crown" of the Grammys. "Bridge Over Troubled Water" was named song and record of the year, and the album by the same name won album of the year. It was also the first year the Grammys were televised live.

In 1973, the Amicus horror movie “Vault of Horror”, featuring Terry-Thomas, Curt Jurgens and Tom Baker, was released in the U.S.

In 1973, the suspense/black comedy movie “Theater of Blood”, starring Vincent Price and Diana Rigg, was released in Toronto, Canada.

In 1974, the Grand Ole Opry moved from the Ryman Auditorium to a new facility at the Opryland complex.

In 1976, British Prime Minister Harold Wilson resigned, citing personal reasons.

In 1979, the drama “The China Syndrome”, starring Jack Lemmon, Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas, was released in the U.S.

In 1982, on “Doctor Who”, part four of “Earthshock” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Matthew Waterhouse as Adric.

In 1983, on “Doctor Who”, part two of “The King’s Demons” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the first appearance of short-lived companion Kamelien.

In 1984, on “Doctor Who”, part four of “The Caves of Androzani” was broadcast on BBC 1. It featured the last regular appearance of Peter Davison as the Doctor, and introduced Colin Baker in the role.

Also in 1984, William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut, Lebanon, was kidnapped by Islamic terrorists. (He’d later die in captivity.)

In 1985, Associated Press newsman Terry Anderson was taken hostage in Beirut. (He was released on December 4, 1991.)

In 1988, the Kurdish town of Halabja in Iraq was attacked with a mix of poison gas and nerve agents on the orders of Saddam Hussein, killing 5000 people and injuring about 10000 people.

Also in 1988, in connection with the Iran-Contra affair, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North and Vice Admiral John Poindexter were indicted on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

In 1991, seven members of Reba McEntire's band and her road manager were killed when their plane crashed after taking off from an airport in San Diego.

In 1995, Mississippi formally ratified the Thirteenth Amendment, becoming the last state to approve the abolition of slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment was officially ratified in 1865.

In 2005, actor Robert Blake was acquitted of murdering his wife, Bonny Lee Bakley. He was later found liable in a civil court and ordered to pay her children $30 million.