1857: Supreme Court Rules Against Dred Scott
On March 6, 1857, the Supreme Court ruled against Dred Scott, a slave who sued for freedom after spending time in free territory. 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...
1991: “Birmingham Six” Freed After 16 Years in Prison
On March 14, 1991, six men wrongfully accused of carrying out Irish Republican Army (IRA) bombing attacks on two Birmingham pubs were released after...
On This Day: Charles Whitman Carries Out Sniper Attack From University of Texas Tower
Charles Whitman had been a model citizen before the rampage. One of the youngest Boy Scouts ever to earn Eagle Scout honors, he joined...
1964: Kitty Genovese Killed
On March 13, 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered in Queens, New York. An article that said 38 people ignored her screams during the attack...
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...
1737: First St. Patrick’s Day Celebrated in America
On March 17, 1737, Boston became the first American city to celebrate the feast day of St. Patrick, Ireland’s patron saint.
St. Patrick’s Day Comes...
1990: Nelson Mandela Released From Prison
On February 11, 1990, South African President Frederik Willem de Klerk freed anti-apartheid activist Nelson Mandela. Mandela had spent 27 years in prison.
Mandela Goes...
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...
1974: Heiress Patty Hearst Kidnapped
On February 4, 1974, members of the Symbionese Liberation Army kidnapped Patty Hearst, 19, granddaughter of newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst. After months of...
