U.S. History

What Happened On March 30th? Just a few months after John Lennon was shot, a similar attempt was made on March 30th, 1981. What began as a seemingly ordinary day in Washington D.C. soon took a turn with a single act of violence. President Ronald Reagan, a beloved figure with a booming voice and sunny disposition, was shot outside the Washington Hilton Hotel. The nation watched in stunned disbelief as their leader narrowly escaped a potential tragedy. Who Was The Gunman? The man behind the shooting was John Hinckley Jr., a 25-year-old with a troubled past. Obsessed with actress Jodie Foster, Hinckley had moved to California to stalk her. After failing to impress her, he fixated on President Reagan, believing that an assassination attempt would win him Foster's admiration. Hinckley...

What Happened On March 25th? Around 4:40 P.M. on Saturday of March 25th, 1911, it seemed like an ordinary workday for over 500 garment workers. At the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory in New York City, workers (mostly young immigrant women) were working here in this ten-story skyscraper. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire wasn't just a tragic accident; it was a preventable disaster fueled by greed and neglect. The Asch Building, where the Triangle factory operated, had numerous safety violations. Stairwells were crammed with boxes, exits were locked to prevent theft, and fire escapes were flimsy and inadequate for the numbers amount of workers crammed into the upper floors. Large quantities of fabric scraps, highly flammable celluloid used for shirtwaist collars, and locked wood...

What Happened On March 23rd? An unforgettable revolution took place within the walls of the House of Burgesses on March 23rd, 1775. Today, Patrick Henry set the hearts of colonists ablaze with a yearning for independence. Just a month before the start of the American Revolution, tensions were almost at its peak between the colonists in America and the British. Henry's address was a highly crafted response to a cunning move by Royal Governor Dunmore. Dunmore, smelling rebellion in the air, proposed disbanding the colonial militia – essentially stripping the colonists of their means of self-defense. This disbandment reminded Henry of those lost in the Boston Massacre 5 years prior, and he was not going to let this stand. Henry saw this as a blatant attempt to neuter Virginia's resista...

What Happened On March 10th? Japan has been prone to natural disasters in the past, but March 10th, 1945 in Tokyo was unlike anything else the country has seen. The Japanese capital was swarmed by a man-made inferno – the single most destructive bombing raid every to exist. Codenamed Operation Meetinghouse, the attack by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) permanently scarred the city and its people. With over 279 "B-29 Superfortress" bombers, the mightiest aircraft of the era, incendiary bombs were dropped from above. These bombs were unordinary, as they were filled with napalm, a jellied gasoline that clung to surfaces and burned fiercely. Still rattled and furious from the devastation of Pearl Harbor four years prior, America wanted to both take revenge and put a cap on ...

What Happened On March 5th? In the heart of Boston on March 5th, 1770, British soldiers faced ever-growing resentment from the colonists. Stationed in the city since 1768 enforcing the unpopular Parliamentary acts, the soldiers carried out a bloody confrontation against the colonists. This is known as the Boston Massacre, which eventually paved a path for the Bill of Rights. While the Stamp Act and Townshend Acts fueled the colonists' resentment towards the British Parliament, the Lobster Back Riot further strained relations. Upset with increasing tax costs, colonists physically clashed with the soldiers and called them "lobster backs" because of the red cloaks the soldiers would wear. Evidence suggests some colonists may have initiated physical...

What Happened On March 3rd? Still a prominent issue today, tensions between the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and the city's Black community started to increase on March 3rd of the year 1991. On this day, amateur videographer George Holliday captured footage of Los Angeles police officers brutally beating Rodney King, an unarmed Black man, following a high-speed chase where King was intoxicated. The grainy, 89-second video showed King being repeatedly struck with batons, kicked, and tased by multiple officers, even after he appeared subdued. The sheer brutality of the incident, filmed from across the street, was undeniable. The footage quickly spread throughout America, first through local news channels and then onto the national and international stage, creating outrage and disgust...

What Happened On March 1st? The evening of March 1st, 1932, began like any other in the quiet New Jersey home of Charles Lindbergh, the celebrated American aviator. However, it would soon turn into a day etched in history as the day his son, Charles Jr., just 20 months old, was kidnapped from his nursery. Five years prior in 1927, Charles Lindbergh meticulously planned and prepared his monoplane, the "Spirit of St. Louis." He attempted the daring solo transatlantic flight, a feat never attempted before, inspiring solo explorers such as Ellen MacArthur. After 33 hours, he finally touched down at Le Bourget Field in Paris. His successful solo flight across the Atlantic, a distance of over 3,600 miles, earned him instant international fame, which drew attention to the family name... Then, Cha...

What Happened On February 26th? In Lower Manhattan on this day in 1993, a deafening explosion ripped through an average New York morning, a preliminary event to the tragedy which would occur 8 years later. Islamist militants were attempting to target the iconic World Trade Center, specifically the parking garage beneath the North Tower. A car bomb, planted by a group of extremists, detonated, leaving a crater several stories deep and spewing smoke into the sky. Panic erupted as thousands fled the towering inferno, and all surroundings transformed into a scene of confusion and fear. Amidst the chaos, emergency services rushed in as soon as they could, but it was too late. Even though over a thousand of people were injured and needed medical assistance, only six lives were lost in the attack...

What Happened On February 24th? The day that the first U.S. president was tried for impeachment initiated a clash between the executive and legislative branches of government. The events which led to eventual Johnson's eventual impeachment were rooted in the aftermath of the Civil War and during the tumultuous period of Reconstruction. On February 24, 1868, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to impeach President Johnson, making him the first president in American history to face such action. The impeachment was primarily driven by the intense political divisions of the time, as well as Johnson's contentious approach to Reconstruction following the Civil War. Johnson, a Democrat from Tennessee, had ascended to the presidency following the assassination of President Abrah...

What Happened On February 17th? Jeffrey Dahmer, often referred to as the Milwaukee Cannibal or the Milwaukee Monster, was a notorious American serial killer and sex offender who committed the murder and dismemberment of seventeen young men between 1978 and 1991. Dahmer's gruesome spree of violence shocked the entire world, leading to his eventual arrest and conviction. His case brought to light serious discussions on criminal psychology and the effectiveness of law enforcement. Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to life imprisonment on February 17th of 1992. This came after a nation-wide trial, revealing the horrifying details of his crimes. Dahmer was convicted of 15 of the 17 murders he had committed in Wisconsin and was not tried for the murder he committed in Ohio or the suspected murder i...