TODAY HISTORY LESSON: MARCH 19
1279 A Mongolian victory at the naval Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China
1644 200 members of Peking imperial family and court commit suicide in loyalty to the Emperor
1687 The French explorer La Salle is murdered by his own men while searching for the mouth of the Mississippi, along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.
1702 On the death of William III of Orange, Anne Stuart, sister of Mary, succeeds to the throne of England, Scotland and Ireland.
1748 English Naturalization Act passes granting Jews right to colonize US
1831 The first bank robbery in America was reported. The City Bank of New York City lost $245,000 in the robbery.
1853 During the Taiping Rebellion in China, the rebels captured Nanking and renamed it T’en-ching (Heavenly Capital).
1879 Jim Currie opens fire on the actors Maurice Barrymore and Ben Porter near Marshall, Texas. His shots wound Barrymore and kill Porter.
1900 U.S. President McKinley asserted that there was a need for free trade with Puerto Rico.
1908 The state of Maryland barred Christian Scientists from practicing without medical diplomas.
1911 The first International Women’s Day is observed by over 1 million people in several European countries
1915 Pluto photographed for 1st time (although unknown at the time)
1917 The Adamson Act, eight hour day for railroad workers, is ruled constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court.
1918 Congress authorizes Daylight Savings Time.
1920 US Senate rejects Treaty of Versailles for 2nd time refusing to ratify League of Nations’ covenant (maintaining isolation policy)
1928 “Amos & Andy” debuts on radio (NBC Blue Network-WMAQ Chicago)
1931 The state of Nevada legalizes gambling.
1942 FDR orders men between 45 & 64 to register for non military duty
1945 Adolf Hitler orders a scorched-earth policy for his retreating German armies in the west and east.
1968 Howard University students seize administration building
1969 Chicago 8 indicted in aftermath of Chicago Democratic convention
1975 Pennsylvania is 1st state to allow girls to compete with boys in High School sports
1979 House of Representatives begins live TV broadcasts via C-SPAN
1987 PTL leader Jim Bakker resigns after sex scandal with Jessica Hahn
1988 Two British soldiers were killed by mourners at a funeral in Belfast, North Ireland. The soldiers were shot to death after being dragged from a car and beaten.
1995 5 die by poison gas in Japanese subway
1996 Sarajevo became a united city again after four years when Moslem-Croat authorities took control of the last district held by Serbs.
2002 Operation Anaconda, the largest U.S.-led ground offensive since the Gulf War, ended in eastern Afghanistan. During the operation, which began on March 2, it was reported that at least 500 Taliban and al Qaeda fighters were killed. Eleven allied troops were killed during the same operation.
2003 U.S. President George W. Bush announced that U.S. forces had launched a strike against “targets of military opportunity” in Iraq. The attack, using cruise missiles and precision-guided bombs, were aimed at Iraqi leaders thought to be near Baghdad.
REFERENCE: history.net, onthisday.com, thepeopleshistory.com, timeanddate.com, scopesys.com, on-this-day.com
