March 1st Today in History

Today’s Important Historical Events

1642 Georgeana (York) in Maine becomes the 1st incorporated American city

1780 Pennsylvania becomes 1st US state to abolish slavery (for newborns only)

1847 Michigan becomes 1st English-speaking jurisdiction to abolish the death penalty (except for treason against the state)

1869 US Postage stamps showing scenes issued for 1st time. These pictorials showed a post horse and rider, a locomotive, a shield, an eagle and a ship, the Adriatic.

1872 Yellowstone becomes the world’s 1st national park

1954 US explodes Castle Bravo, a 15 megaton hydrogen bomb at Bikini Atoll, which accidentally became the most powerful nuclear device ever detonated by the US

Today’s Historical Events

752 BC Romulus, first king of Rome, celebrates the first Roman triumph after his victory over the Caeninenses, following the Rape of the Sabine Women

86 BC Lucius Cornelius Sulla, at the head of a Roman Republic army, enters Athens, removing the tyrant Aristion who was supported by troops of Mithridates VI of Pontus

293 Roman emperor Maximianus introduces tetrarchy (rule of four people) elevating Galerius and Constantius Chlorus to Caesar

317 Crispus and Constantine II, sons of Roman Emperor Constantine I, and Licinius the younger, son of Emperor Licinius, raised to rank of Caesar

492 Gelasius I elected Catholic Pope; in office until his d eath in 496

492 St Felix III ends his reign as Catholic Pope

705 John VII begins his reign as Catholic Pope

743 The Roman Council at Estinnes decrees that Christian slaves may not be owned by Jews, fearing that the slaves may convert to Judaism

Today’s Historical Events in Flim and TV

1864 Louis Ducos du Hauron patents movie machine (never built)

1928 Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra record “Ol’ Man River” for Victor Records featuring Bing Crosby

1941 Captain America created by cartoonists Joe Simon and Jack Kirby is first published by Timely Comics (premiere issue released on December 20, 1940)

1953 After an all-night movie and dinner session with his top advisers, Joseph Stalin suffers a stroke and collapses. He dies four days later.

1953 KAUZ TV channel 6 in Wichita Falls, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting

1953 KTNT (now KSTW) TV channel 11 in Tacoma-Seattle, WA (IND) begins

1953 WFBG TV (later WTAJ) channel 10 in Altoona, PA (CBS) begins broadcasting

1953 WJZ-AM in NYC becomes WABC; WJZ-TV in Baltimore final transmission

Today’s Historical Events in Music

1956 “Crazy Arms” single released by Ray Price – his 1st no.1 (Billboard Song of the Year 1956)

1957 “Ziegfeld Follies of 1957” opens at Winter Garden NYC for 123 performances

1961 Cellist Jacqueline du Prés debut in Wigmore Hall

1968 Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice‘s musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” first performed as a 15-minute pop cantata at Colet Court School in London

1969 “Red, White, & Maddox” closes at Cort Theater NYC after 41 performances

1969 After 88 weeks, the Beatles’ album “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” drops off the charts

1969 Jim Morrison allegedly exposes himself on stage at the Dinner Key Auditorium in Miami, Florida

1973 Pink Floyd release their album “Dark Side of the Moon”, since sold over 45 million copies

Today’s Historical Events in Sports

1843 5th Grand National: Tom Olliver aboard 12/1 Vanguard wins; first year race run as a handicap

1848 10th Grand National: Capt. Josey Little aboard 12/1 Chandler wins; race marred by fatal falls of 3 competitors

1854 16th Grand National: John Tasker wins aboard race favourite Bourton at 4/1

1903 Major League Baseball Rules Committee rule that pitcher’s mound must not be more than 15 inches higher than the baselines or home plate

1910 National Baseball Commission prohibits giving mementos to players on winning World Series teams; decision later reversed, making way for traditional winners’ watches, rings, and stickpins

1919 Future Hockey Hall of Fame center Newsy Lalonde sets a playoff record with 5 goals in the Canadiens’ 6-3 win over Ottawa in NHL Championship Game 3 in Montreal

1921 Spin bowler Arthur Mailey takes 5 for 119 (record 36 wickets for series) to lead Australia to a 9 wicket 5th Test win over England in Sydney; first ever, 5-0 Ashes cricket series win for Australia

1934 Italian boxer Primo Carnera beats American challenger Tommy Loughran by unanimous points decision at Madison Square Garden, NYC for the NYSAC and NBA heavyweight titles