Month: March 2024

March 21st: Jack Dorsey Sent The First Public Tweet

What Happened On March 21st? On this date in 2006, Twitter cofounder, Jack Dorsey's ignited the public face of what today is known as "X." In a short, unassuming message, "just setting up my twttr," Dorsey's tweet paved the way for generations, where at least 500 million tweets are sent everyday. The early 2000s, more so in 2006, was huge for social media and changed the way that people shared information and connected with the world. While Twitter was taking its first steps, another platform, Facebook, was experiencing a quick upcoming. Founded in 2004, Facebook had already established itself as…

Mar

2024

By Dr. Charles E. Whitman, Jr., Historian at Large

March 20th: 177,194 Troops Invaded Iraq, Led By The US

What Happened On March 20th? The beginning of a highly controversial chapter started on this day in 2003: the US led the invasion of Iraq. A coalition comprised of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Poland, under the banner of "Operation Iraqi Freedom," the four nations launched a swift military campaign to topple the regime of Saddam Hussein. While the initial invasion was a rapid success, the aftermath proved to be far more complex and protracted. The primary justification for the invasion was an alleged presence of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in Iraq. However, even after extensive searches…

Mar

2024

By Professor Mei X. Chen, M.A., Literature Scholar

March 19th: NASA’s Curiosity Rover “Unearthed” Water On Mars

Science & Industry

What Happened On March 19th? 2013 was a year for science as fatal disease smallpox was eradicated completely, while NASA made their moves on Mars. And, on March 19, 2013, NASA's rover, Curiosity, analyzed rock powder and meticulously drilled from the Martian surface, revealing the presence of hydrated minerals. This became a tantalizing clue, igniting hope that microbial life on the Red Planet could have existed or could still exist. The announcement was made at a prestigious planetary science conference, where scientists all over world were taken by surprise and excitement! The specific minerals identified were clay minerals, known to…

Mar

2024

March 18th: 100-Foot Wave Destroyed Mining Town Of Yungay

What Happened On March 18th? On March 18th of 1971, the coast of the Peruvian Andes was shattered. A monstrous wave, a megatsunami, exceeding 100 feet (30 meters) in height, roared out of the turquoise waters of Lake Yanahuani. Starting with a colossal rock avalanche which fell 1,300 feet from Mount Huascarán, a massive wave was triggered and surged towards the mining town of Yungay, just over a mile away. The consequences were devastating as Yungay was utterly obliterated, leaving behind an estimated 500 to 700 victims. Similar to how the Sanriku tsunami began 38 years prior, a powerful earthquake…

Mar

2024

March 17th: 68.7% Of White South Africans Voted To End Apartheid

What Happened On March 17th? On this day in 1992, a referendum held exclusively for white voters delivered a resounding verdict: 68.7% voted in favor of dismantling apartheid, the system of racial segregation that existed in South Africa for nearly five decades. Apartheid had been a deeply entrenched system, and the vote exposed the divisions within white South Africa. While a clear majority supported reform, still, a minority (31.3%) remained opposed because of their harbored fears about their personal future in a post-apartheid society. The referendum was a gamble by then-South African President F.W. de Klerk. A leader who had…

Mar

2024

By Dr. Charles E. Whitman, Jr., Historian at Large

March 16th: Saddam Hussein Poisoned Over 5,000 Civilians To Death

What Happened On March 16th? On March 16, 1988, a horrific massacre of the Kurdish people was deemed as one of the most inhumane ever. An estimated 5,000 civilians were lost due to a brutal chemical attack on the town of Halabja, situated in Iraqi Kurdistan. This act of barbarity, orchestrated by the regime of Saddam Hussein, scared people and nations all over the world. The Halabja attack occurred during the brutal Anfal Campaign, a series of genocidal attacks launched by the Iraqi regime against the Kurdish population in the closing stages of the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988). The Kurds, who…

Mar

2024

By Professor Mei X. Chen, M.A., Literature Scholar

March 15th: “Symbolics” Became The First Registered Internet Domain

Science & Industry

What Happened On March 15th? In 1985, technology would begin to shift gears. On March 15th, the internet as we know it was born, with the registration of the world's first domain name: Symbolics.com. Although the news did not exactly "exhilarate" people, this first registration laid the foundation for the vast and interconnected web today. Symbolics.com belonged to Symbolics Inc., a computer systems company at the forefront of artificial intelligence research. This company, heavily involved in symbolic manipulation (a core concept in AI), chose a domain name that perfectly reflected their innovative work. While Symbolics.com is widely recognized as the…

Mar

2024

By Professor Mei X. Chen, M.A., Literature Scholar

March 14th: Stephen Hawking Died At Age 76

Science & Industry

What Happened On March 14th? Today in the year 2018, Stephen Hawking passed away. The brilliant physicist, who defied a devastating diagnosis to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos, passed away peacefully at his Cambridge, England home at the age of 76. Of course now, Hawking's character is up for debate after being named on flight logs to Epstein's Island. Before we get into that, his life story demonstrated extraordinary resilience. Diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the young age of 21, doctors gave him a mere two years to live. However, Hawking refused to accept this prognosis. He…

Mar

2024

March 13th: Thousands Of Jews Murdered In Kraków

What Happened On March 13th? On March 13th, 1943, the city of Kraków in Poland was forever stained in history, as the Nazi party began its brutal and inhumane liquidation of the Jewish ghetto. Established in 1941, the Kraków Ghetto became a prison for over 16,000 Jews, in a city previously inhabited by 3,000 people. Despite the harsh reality, a semblance of community and cultural life had been persevered within its walls. Underground newspapers circulated, schools functioned secretly, and even theaters staged clandestine performances. However, people began to whisper about an upcoming doom in early 1943. Just one year and…

Mar

2024

By Dr. Charles E. Whitman, Jr., Historian at Large

March 12th: Hitler & Nazi Party Invaded Austria