1952: British WWII Code Breaker Alan Turing Goes on Trial for Homosexuality
On March 31, 1952, Alan Turing, computer technology pioneer and breaker of the Nazi Enigma code, was put on trial for homosexual acts. Found...
1989: Exxon Valdez Wreck Causes Massive Oil Spill
On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, causing 11 million gallons of oil to...
1993: Feds Raid Branch Davidian Compound in Waco
On February 28, 1993, federal agents tried to arrest David Koresh at his Waco, Texas, compound. A gunfight ensued, killing 10 and beginning a...
1949: “Axis Sally” Convicted of Treason
On March 10, 1949, a jury found American-born Nazi propagandist Mildred E. Gillars, the radio broadcaster known as “Axis Sally,” guilty of treason.
“Axis Sally”...
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...
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...
Test future On This Day event
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1960: Earthquake Kills Thousands in Morocco
On February 29, 1960, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Agadir, Morocco. The 15-second event killed thousands and leveled parts of the city.
It was a...
1773: American Patriots Carry Out Boston Tea Party
On Dec. 16, 1773, members of the Sons of Liberty boarded British ships in Boston Harbor and destroyed their cargo of tea, taking another...
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...
