1983: Reagan Delivers “Star Wars” Speech

On March 23, 1983, President Ronald Reagan proposed the development of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), a space and ground-based defense system to intercept...

1960: Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-ins Begin

On February 1, 1960, four black college students refused to leave a lunch counter where they were denied service, sparking a wave of sit-in...

1937: Gas Leak Causes New London School Explosion

On March 18, 1937, the worst school disaster in American history occurred when a gas explosion killed nearly 300 schoolchildren in Texas. Gas Explosion Destroys...

1993: Car Bomb Explodes Beneath World Trade Center

On February 26, 1993, Islamic terrorists detonated a car bomb in the World Trade Center’s basement garage, killing six and injuring more than 1,000. Explosion...

1898: USS Maine Explodes in Havana Harbor

On February 15, 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine blew up in Havana Harbor, escalating tensions with Spain and contributing to the outbreak of the...

1970: Rhodesia Declares Itself a Republic

On March 2, 1970, Prime Minister Ian Smith severed Rhodesia’s remaining ties with Britain in an attempt to protect white minority rule. It would...

1970: Jury Convicts Five of Chicago Seven

On February 18, 1970, five members of the “Chicago Seven” were found guilty of inciting riots at the 1968 Democratic Convention. Trial Illustrates Cultural Divide...

1997: Bodies of Heaven’s Gate Cult Members Discovered After Mass Suicide

On March 26, 1997, police found the bodies of 39 Heaven’s Gate members who had committed suicide believing that the Hale-Bopp comet was a...

1981: John Hinckley Shoots President Reagan and James Brady

On March 30, 1981, President Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest by John Hinckley Jr., a college dropout hoping to impress actress Jodie...