| 809:
|
Death of Harun al-Rashid
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| 1084:
|
Holy Roman Emperor-to-be Henry IV enters Rome, chases out the Pope, and consecrates "Clement III" as Pope
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| 1208:
|
The Pope places England under Interdict
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| 1241:
|
Mongols under Kaidu take Cracow, Poland
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| 1267:
|
Louis IX, King of France, takes the Cross for the 7th Crusade
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| 1381:
|
Death of St. Catherine of Sweden
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| 1401:
|
Timur sacks Damascus
|
| 1455:
|
Death of Pope Nicholas V
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| 1490:
|
George Agricola "Father of Minerology" born
|
| 1495:
|
Columbus leaves Isabella, Espanola to capture Indians for slaves
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| 1558:
|
Coronation of Ferdinand I as Holy Roman Emperor
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| 1580:
|
First bombs (grenades) thrown, in Holland
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| 1582:
|
A summary of the witch-trials of St. Osyth's, England, is published, listing 13 witches
|
| 1603:
|
Scottish king James VI became King James I of England
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| 1603:
|
Death of Elizabeth I, Queen of England
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| 1638:
|
Rhode Island purchased from the Indians for 40 fathoms of beads
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| 1644:
|
Roger Williams gains a charter for the Rhode Island colony
|
| 1765:
|
Britain enacted the Quartering Act, requiring American colonists to provide temporary housing to British soldiers
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| 1792:
|
Benjamin West became the first American artist to be selected president of the Royal Academy in London
|
| 1808:
|
The Spanish mezzo Maria Malibran was born. born
|
| 1834:
|
Artist and poet William Morris born
|
| 1855:
|
Financier Andrew Mellon born
|
| 1874:
|
Escape artist, the great Houdini & magician Harry Houdini in Budapest, Hungary. born
|
| 1880:
|
The first "hail insurance company" was incorporated in Connecticut. It was known as Tobacco Growers' Mutual Insurance Company. It was for the protection of tobacco crops
|
| 1882:
|
German scientist Robert Koch announced in Berlin that he had discovered the bacillus responsible for tuberculosis
|
| 1883:
|
Long-distance telephone service was inaugurated between Chicago and New York
|
| 1887:
|
Actor Fatty (Roscoe) Arbuckle Mabel and Fatty Keystone Comedies with Charlie Chaplin born
|
| 1898:
|
The first U.S. automobile was sold. Mining engineer Robert Allison paid $1,000 for a Winton
|
| 1901:
|
Pioneer film animator Ub Iwerks, whose artistry helped Walt Disney to realize his vision born
|
| 1902:
|
Republican presidential candidate Thomas Dewey born
|
| 1905:
|
Jules Verne dies in Amiens at 76 years old
|
| 1909:
|
Bank robber Clyde Barrow. He died on May 23, 1934. The 1967 movie, "Bonnie & Clyde," recounted the life story of the two minor desperados of the 1930s. born
|
| 1925:
|
Actor Norman Fell (3's Company) born
|
| 1930:
|
Actor Steve McQueen in Beech Grove, Indiana. McQueen was nominated for best actor in 1966 for "The Sand Pebbles." born
|
| 1932:
|
Actor William Smith born
|
| 1932:
|
A New York radio station (WABC) broadcast a variety program from a moving train in Maryland
|
| 1934:
|
The United States granted the Philippine Islands independence, effective July 4th, 1946
|
| 1940:
|
Fashion and costume designer Bob Mackie born
|
| 1941:
|
Glenn Miller began work on his first motion picture for 20th Century Fox. The film was "Sun Valley Serenade."
|
| 1944:
|
Actor R. Lee Ermey born
|
| 1944:
|
In occupied Rome, the Nazis executed more than 300 civilians in reprisal for an attack by Italian partisans the day before that killed 32 German soldiers
|
| 1944:
|
The greatest mass escape of World War II occurred at Stalag Luft III when 76 allied airmen tunneled out. Only three made it home
|
| 1945:
|
Movie director Curtis Hanson ("L.A. Confidential") born
|
| 1948:
|
Rock musician Lee Oskar born
|
| 1949:
|
Singer-songwriter Nick Lowe born
|
| 1949:
|
Walter Huston and son John became the first father-and-son team to win Oscars as actor and director of "Treasure of Sierra Madre."
|
| 1951:
|
Rock musician Dougie Thomson (Supertramp) born
|
| 1953:
|
Comedian-actor Louie Anderson born
|
| 1954:
|
Actress Donna Pescow born
|
| 1954:
|
Actor Robert Carradine born
|
| 1955:
|
The Tennessee Williams play "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" opened on Broadway. It starred Barbara Bel Geddes as "Maggie," Ben Gazarra as "Brick" and Burl Ives as "Big Daddy."
|
| 1955:
|
First oil drill seagoing rig placed in service
|
| 1958:
|
Rock-and-roll singer Elvis Presley was inducted into the Army in Memphis, Tennessee. Thousands of fans wept the following day when his hair was cut by James Peterson at Fort Chaffee, Arkansas
|
| 1960:
|
Indy "500" driver Scott Pruett born
|
| 1960:
|
Actress Kelly LeBrock born
|
| 1960:
|
A U.S. appeals court ruled that the novel, Lady Chatterly's Lover, was not obscene and could be sent through the mail
|
| 1961:
|
Rhythm-and-blues DJ Rodney "Kool Kollie" Terry (Ghostdown DJs) born
|
| 1964:
|
Actress Annabella Sciorra born
|
| 1970:
|
Actress Lara Flynn Boyle born
|
| 1970:
|
Rapper P.A. Pasemaster Mase (De La Soul) born
|
| 1974:
|
Actress Alyson Hannigan ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer") born
|
| 1976:
|
Argentine President Isabel Peron, widow of strongman ruler Juan Peron, was arrested in a military coup. General Jorge Videla was named president
|
| 1980:
|
One of El Salvador's most respected Roman Catholic Church leaders, Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero, was shot to death by gunmen as he celebrated Mass in San Salvador
|
| 1981:
|
"Nightline" with Ted Koppel premiers
|
| 1985:
|
As hundreds of South African police kept watch from a distance, thousands of black mourners attended the funeral of six blacks killed in rioting
|
| 1986:
|
U.S. and Libyan forces clashed in the Gulf of Sidra in the Mediterranean. Libya fired missiles that missed U.S. aircraft; the U.S. retaliated, hitting two Libyan patrol boats and a missile battery
|
| 1986:
|
"Out of Africa" won seven Oscars, including best picture, at the 58th annual Academy Awards
|
| 1987:
|
French Premier Jacques Chirac signed a contract with Walt Disney Productions for the creation of a Disneyland amusement park, the first in Europe
|
| 1988:
|
Former national security aides Oliver L. North and John M. Poindexter and businessmen Richard V. Secord and Albert Hakim pleaded innocent to Iran-Contra charges. (North and Poindexter were convicted, but had their convictions thrown out; Secord and Hakim received probation after each pleaded guilty to a single count under a plea bargain.)
|
| 1989:
|
The Exxon Valdez hit a reef in the Gulf of Alaska (Prince William Sound), spilling 11 million gallons of crude oil in the largest oil tanker spill in U.S
|
| 1990:
|
Soviet military vehicles rumbled through the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius as lawmakers in the breakaway Baltic republic voted to transfer their power to foreign soil if they were attacked or arrested
|
| 1991:
|
General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the American commander of Operation Desert Storm, told reporters in Saudi Arabia the United States was closer to establishing a permanent headquarters on Arab soil
|
| 1991:
|
In Kuwait, banks reopened for the first time since Iraqi troops had shut them down the previous December
|
| 1992:
|
Democrat Jerry Brown upset front-runner Bill Clinton in the Connecticut presidential primary
|
| 1992:
|
The space shuttle "Atlantis" blasted off with seven astronauts on the first shuttle mission devoted to the environment
|
| 1993:
|
Ezer Weizman was elected Israel's seventh president
|
| 1993:
|
A cab driver believed to have organized the World Trade Center bombing was flown back to the United States from Egypt
|
| 1993:
|
The Chicago Symphony offered something unusual followed by a couple of old favorites. Myung Whun Chung conducted the CSO in "Metaboles" by Dutilleux. The rest of the show was Mendelssohn's "Scottish" and Saint-Saens "Organ" Symphonies
|
| 1993:
|
Actress Kim Bassinger was ordered to pay the producers of "Boxing Helena" $8.92 million after backing out of a verbal agreement to appear in the film. (The award was later overturned.)
|
| 1994:
|
President Clinton held a news conference in which he acknowledged he had overstated the loss in his Whitewater land investment and promised to release late 1970s tax returns to answer questions on the land deal
|
| 1995:
|
The House of Representatives passed, 234-199, a welfare reform package calling for the most profound changes in social programs since the New Deal; President Clinton criticized the bill, saying it was "weak on work and tough on children."
|
| 1995:
|
For the first time in 20 years, no British soldiers were patrolling the streets of Belfast, Northern Ireland
|
| 1996:
|
NASA astronaut Shannon Lucid transferred from the space shuttle "Atlantis" to the Russian space station "Mir," beginning a five-month stay
|
| 1996:
|
Stargazers across the country scanned the skies in hopes of seeing Hyakutake, the brightest comet to pass by the Earth in two decades
|
| 1997:
|
Vice President Gore arrived in China for the highest-level US visit in eight years
|
| 1997:
|
At the 69th Annual Academy Awards, "The English Patient" won best picture and director (Anthony Minghella); Geoffrey Rush won best actor for "Shine," and Frances McDormand best actress for "Fargo."
|
| 1998:
|
Two students, ages 13 and eleven, dressed in camouflage opened fire on dozens of schoolmates at an Arkansas middle school Tuesday, killing four girls and one teacher in what police said was a carefully planned ambush. Nine other girls and one other teacher were also wounded in the attack shortly after midday at the Westside Middle School, in a quiet rural area just west of Jonesboro, Arkansas. (Mitchell Johnson and Andrew Golden were pronounced delinquent in juvenile court the following August.)
|
| 1998:
|
Rep. John Conyers, a Democratic critic of independent counsel Kenneth Starr, accused House Republicans Tuesday of putting together an impeachment strategy against President Clinton behind closed doors. "The Republican leadership is now planning to surreptitiously commence to staff for an impeachment investigation without any notice to Congress, to the Democrats on the Judiciary Committee, or to the American people," Conyers said in a speech on the House floor
|
| 1998:
|
Azteca, a California dairy company, voluntarily recalled several types of cheese sold in the Los Angeles area after inspectors found a potentially lethal germ ( Listeria monocytogenes bacteria) in a random sample
|
| 1999:
|
Thirty-nine people were killed when fire erupted in the Mont Blanc tunnel in France and burned for two days
|
| 1999:
|
The National Transportation Safety Board concluded that Boeing 737 rudder problems caused two fatal airline crashes and nearly triggered a third
|
| 2000:
|
A federal judge awarded former hostage Terry Anderson $ 341million from Iran, holding Iranian agents responsible for Anderson's nearly seven years of captivity in Lebanon
|
| 2000:
|
Sig Mickelson, the first president of CBS News, died in San Diego at age 86
|
| 2005:
|
Bush, Martin, Fox hold summit, sign SPP accord
|
| 2005:
|
Explosion at Texas refinery kills 14, injures more than 100
|
| 2005:
|
Ground broken on Northpoint development in Cambridge, Massachusetts
|
| 2005:
|
Iraqi, American forces raid insurgent training camp, killing 85
|
| 2005:
|
Woman finds human finger in bowl of chili at Wendy's restaurant
|
| 2005:
|
John Couey confessed to police in 1991 to molesting his stepdaughter; Never prosecuted
|
| 2005:
|
Arab summit comes to an end
|
| 2005:
|
New company to research artificial brain
|
| 2005:
|
New figures released on Irish income distribution
|
| 2005:
|
PBS cancels 'Wall $treet Week' after 35 years
|
| 2005:
|
Entrepreneur's RFID chip implant to open doors, start car
|
| 2005:
|
Akayev flees Kyrgyzstan as protesters seize control of Bishkek
|
| 2005:
|
Sony's PlayStation Portable is launched in North America
|
| 2005:
|
Canada set to rule on U.S. Army refugee
|
| 2006:
|
Correspondence of late Greek Orthodox leader of Americas to be published
|
| 2006:
|
Virologists discover why H5N1 doesn't spread easily between humans
|
| 2006:
|
Explosion in French college
|
| 2006:
|
BNP lose council seat in Keighley
|
| 2006:
|
Lawsuit accuses Chicago priest of molesting 13-year-old boy
|
| 2006:
|
Journal Nature study 'fatally flawed', says Britannica
|
| 2006:
|
Over five hundred hispanic students protest immigration laws in Los Angeles
|
| 2006:
|
University suspends lecturer accused of racism
|
| 2006:
|
Benedict XVI Elevates 15 to Cardinal
|
| 2006:
|
Violence, arrests end Minsk, Belarus protests
|
| 2006:
|
Mishap destroys SpaceX Falcon 1 after maiden launch
|
| 2006:
|
U.S. court adds limit to police searches
|
| 2006:
|
Bush declares immunity from Patriot Act oversight
|
| 2006:
|
42 West Papuan asylum seekers get temporary Australian visas
|
| 2007:
|
Labor retains power in NSW, earning fourth consecutive term
|
| 2007:
|
Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation CEO resigns
|
| 2007:
|
Cricket World Cup: England vs Kenya
|
| 2007:
|
NHL: Penguins defeat Thrashers, catch Devils
|
| 2007:
|
Cricket World Cup: Australia vs South Africa
|
| 2007:
|
Muslims told not to wear veils when they vote in Quebec
|
| 2007:
|
NCAA Basketball: UCLA defeats Kansas, Ohio State holds off Memphis
|
| 2008:
|
China: 'the Dalai Lama is scheming to take the Beijing Olympics hostage'
|
| 2008:
|
United States military death toll in Iraq reaches 4,000
|
| 2008:
|
Mugabe: A vote for MDC is a wasted vote
|
| 2008:
|
Al-Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, calls for 'strikes against Jewish and American interests'
|
| 2008:
|
National Hockey League news: March 24, 2008
|
| 2008:
|
George and Laura Bush introduce White House egg roll
|
| 2009:
|
"Twilight" DVD sells 3 million copies in first day
|
| 2009:
|
World's cheapest car launched in India, will go on sale in April
|
| 2009:
|
TV late night show host David Letterman marries girlfriend of 23 years
|
| 2009:
|
Youth charged with murdering Northern-Irish police officer
|
| 2009:
|
Obama considers 'comprehensive' exit strategy from Afghanistan
|
| 2009:
|
EPA proposes using Clean Air Act to fight global warming
|
| 2009:
|
Kangaroos escape in France
|
| 2009:
|
IDF soldiers' account of Gaza incursion sparks new war crimes investigations
|
| 2009:
|
Japanese ship escapes after pirates open fire in Somalia
|
| 2009:
|
Fargo, North Dakota, prepares for record flooding
|
| 2010:
|
US and Russia to sign new arms control treaty
|
| 2010:
|
Body of child killed in tsunami identified by Chilean police
|
| 2010:
|
Security threats directed at US Democrats
|
| 2010:
|
Alistair Darling unveils UK's Budget
|
| 2010:
|
American actor Robert Culp dies at 79
|
| 2011:
|
English actress Elizabeth Taylor dies at age 79
|
| 2011:
|
Detroit’s population drops by one-fourth in the last decade
|
| 2011:
|
UK police find body of missing woman and search for another; suspect in custody
|
| 2011:
|
Tamil Nadu Elections: DMK, AIADMK promise freebies
|
| 2011:
|
Magnitude 6.8 earthquake strikes northeastern Myanmar
|
| 2011:
|
More than a dozen reported dead after Syrian protests
|
| 2011:
|
Libyan city of Misrata reported to be secure after Gaddafi forces retreat
|
| 2012:
|
Paralympic swim world records tumble at Australian championships
|
| 2012:
|
News briefs: March 24, 2012
|
| 2012:
|
Japan beats Aussie Spirit in first two games of series
|
History
Icons
Aviator, stunt performer, magician, and escape artist, Harry Houdini born Ehrich Weiss in Budapest, Hungary
Legendary film actor Steve McQueen born in Beech Grove, Indiana
Emmy nominated film and television actress, Lara Flynn Boyle born in Davenport, Iowa
Movie and television actress Alyson Hannigan born in Washington, DC
Super Bowl MVP quarterback Peyton Manning born in New Orleans, Louisiana