Official "This Day In History" thread

[Dr Sardonicus]

March 18

37 Roman Senate annuls Tiberius' will and proclaims Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus Germanicus (aka Caligula = Little Boots) emperor

1781 French astronomer Charles Messier rediscovers global cluster M92

1899 Phoebe, a moon of Saturn is discovered by William Pickering

1920 Greece adopts the Gregorian calendar

1925 Great Tri-State Tornado: Monstrous F5 (over 300MPH) tornado roars 219 miles across southeast Missouri, southern Illinois, and southwest Indiana; kills 695, injures over 2000, and destroys 15,000 homes

1937 Gas explosion in school in New London, Texas: 294 die

[Dr Sardonicus]

March 23

1839 1st recorded use of "OK" [oll korrect] (Boston's Morning Post)

1879 War of the Pacific fought between Chile and the joints forces of Bolivia and Peru. Chile successfully takes over Arica and Tarapacá, leaving Bolivia a landlocked country.

1903 The Wright brothers 1st file a patent for a flying machine, which is granted 3 years later

[Dr Sardonicus]

March 27

1964 The Great Alaska Earthquake (esimated 9.2 magnitude) and resulting tsunami kill 139 people in the largest US earthquake and second largest ever recorded

Also called the "Good Friday Earthquake," since March 27, 1964 was Good Friday. A news report of the time showed movie footage of the water emptying from Valdez Harbor. The ground shook for between 4 and 5 minutes.

The Great Alaska Earthquake is by far the largest ever recorded in North America. The Cascadia Earthquake of January 1700 might possibly be comparable. It is believed to have been the cause of the "orphan tsunami" recorded in Japan at the time.

The great Chile earthquake of May 22, 1960 (estimated 9.5 "moment-momentum" magnitude) is the only larger earthquake recorded. The ground shook for over 10 minutes.


1980 Mount St Helens becomes active after 123 years

[tServo]

April 15, 2013

Ten years ago, two bombs were detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.
Three people were killed and scores injured.
Two brothers of Chechen descent did the bombings.
The elder brother was killed in a shoot out in Watertown, a small town adjacent to Boston.
The younger brother was captured about a day after the shoot out hiding in a boat in some guy's back yard.
Although he was convicted and sentenced to die, his case is still bouncing around in the courts as he
uses his appeals.
What I wonder is, who is paying for all his appeals? Groups opposed to the death penalty?

If you get Netflix there is an excellent documentary,"American Manhunt".
The part near the end is particularly interesting wrt a reporter who went to their home country and tried to
track down how the eldest brother became radicalized.

[kriesel]

Originally Posted by tServo

March 15, 2013

Actually April. https://www.history.com/topics/21st-...athon-bombings The older brother's cause of death was determined to include getting run over by the younger brother fleeing their shootout with law enforcement in a previously stolen SUV.

[tServo]

Originally Posted by kriesel

Actually April. https://www.history.com/topics/21st-...athon-bombings The older brother's cause of death was determined to include getting run over by the younger brother fleeing their shootout with law enforcement in a previously stolen SUV.

Ooops, month corrected.
Also correct on the cause of death of the older brother.

[storm5510]

May 3, 1999. Moore OK. The strongest EF5 tornado ever measured since records began. Winds inside the storm were 300 MPH or more, (483 Km/h). Areas in the path of the storm were basically wiped away.

[Dr Sardonicus]

June 17

1775 "Battle of Bunker Hill" (actually Breed's Hill), Boston

This was the first major battle in the American colonies' War of Independence. The British won the battle, and took control of Charlestown Peninsula.

However, the outnumbered Americans repelled the first two British advances up the hill, and only failed to stop the third advance because they ran out of ammunition. Legend has it that the American battlefield commander, Colonel William Prescott, knowing that ammunition was running low, gave the order to his men, "Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes." This would have been suicidal if taken literally (the enemy would have to be about ten feet away), but the meaning was, do not fire until the enemy was within accurate shooting range - 75 to 100 yards for the flintlock muskets they were using.

Despite losing the battle, the Americans inflicted a large number of casualties on the British, and proved that they could stand up to British regular troops in battle. As a result, the battle prompted a surge in new recruits.

News of the battle was apparently the final impetus prompting King George III to declare the colonies in "open and avowed rebellion," and to order his military to crush the rebellion, and all his subjects to assist in the effort:

A Proclamation, by The King, for Suppressing Rebellion and Sedition

King George III

August 23, 1775

George R.

Whereas many of our subjects in divers parts of our Colonies and Plantations in North America, misled by dangerous and ill designing men, and forgetting the allegiance which they owe to the power that has protected and supported them; after various disorderly acts committed in disturbance of the publick peace, to the obstruction of lawful commerce, and to the oppression of our loyal subjects carrying on the same; have at length proceeded to open and avowed rebellion, by arraying themselves in a hostile manner, to withstand the execution of the law, and traitorously preparing, ordering and levying war against us: And whereas, there is reason to apprehend that such rebellion hath been much promoted and encouraged by the traitorous correspondence, counsels and comfort of divers wicked and desperate persons within this Realm: To the end therefore, that none of our subjects may neglect or violate their duty through ignorance thereof, or through any doubt of the protection which the law will afford to their loyalty and zeal, we have thought fit, by and with the advice of our Privy Council, to issue our Royal Proclamation, hereby declaring, that not only all our Officers, civil and military, are obliged to exert their utmost endeavours to suppress such rebellion, and to bring the traitors to justice, but that all our subjects of this Realm, and the dominions thereunto belonging, are bound by law to be aiding and assisting in the suppression of such rebellion, and to disclose and make known all traitorous conspiracies and attempts against us, our crown and dignity; and we do accordingly strictly charge and command all our Officers, as well civil as military, and all others our obedient and loyal subjects, to use their utmost endeavours to withstand and suppress such rebellion, and to disclose and make known all treasons and traitorous conspiracies which they shall know to be against us, our crown and dignity; and for that purpose, that they transmit to one of our principal Secretaries of State, or other proper officer, due and full information of all persons who shall be found carrying on correspondence with, or in any manner or degree aiding or abetting the persons now in open arms and rebellion against our Government, within any of our Colonies and Plantations in North America, in order to bring to condign punishment the authors, perpetrators, and abetters of such traitorous designs.

Given at our Court at St. James’s the twenty-third day of August, one thousand seven hundred and seventy-five, in the fifteenth year of our reign.

GOD save the KING.