Blog Calendar – March 17

2024 CE: Rio de Janeiro posts record heat index of 62.3 C (144.1 F) – i.e. taking into account humidity, highest in Brazil in a decade (actual temperature 42 C) *
2024 CE: After suppressing and murdering opponents, President Vladimir Putin claims a post-Soviet record election victory, with 87.8% of the vote. The six year term will make him Russia’s longest-serving leader in over 200 years. *
2024 CE: “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” documentary detailing the toxic nature of some Nickelodeon shows, especially under Dan Schneider during the 1990s, early 2000s, premieres *
2022 CE: Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari apologies for recent fuel shortages and power outages, including the failure of the national electricity grid and an increase in adulterated fuel *
2022 CE: Claude Giroux, NHL Philadelphia Flyers longest-serving captain, becomes only 2nd player in franchise history to play 1,000th game for the team, joining Bobby Clarke *
2021 CE: America’s Cup, Auckland: Emirates Team New Zealand beats Italian yacht Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli by 46s in race 10 for a 7-3 series victory and retain the cup *
2020 CE: UEFA announces the postponement of its flagship national team football competition, UEFA EURO 2020, due to be played in June / July due to the COVID-19 emergency *
2020 CE: Golden Raspberry Film Awards (Razzies): Musical “Cats” wins six awards including worst film *
2020 CE: European Union announces a 30-day ban on entering its 26 countries for almost all travelers as it struggles to contain COVID-19 *
2020 CE: Chad begins repaying a $100 million debt to Angola with cattle, as more than 1,000 cows arrive in Luanda *
2019 CE: Zimbabwe declares a state of emergency after Cyclone Idai tears through eastern Zimbabwe killing at least 259 *
2019 CE: US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announces her presidential bid *
2019 CE: Flash flooding and a landslides kills at least 73 and injures about 60 in Sentani and Jayapura, Papua, eastern Indonesia *
2019 CE: Facebook removes 1.5 million videos of the Christchurch mosque shootings in first 24 hrs after the attack, although only 1.2 million blocked at upload *
2019 CE: Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrives in the US for face-to-face meetings with Donald Trump *
2018 CE: China’s National People’s Congress appoints Wang Qishan as vice-president *
2018 CE: Africa’s only female head of state, Mauritian President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim confirms she is resigning amid an expenses scandal *
2017 CE: Live-action remake “Beauty and the Beast” directed by Bill Condon and starring Emma Watson opens *
2016 CE: Brazilian federal judge blocks swearing-in of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as Chief of Staff to President Dilma Rousseff, as part of “Car Wash” controversy *
2016 CE: Archaeologists announce the discovery of an 2,500 year old iron age warrior king burial ground, with 75 graves in Pocklington, Northern England *
2014 CE: The Republic of Crimea is declared *
2014 CE: Sia releases her single “Chandelier” with a music video featuring Maddie Ziegler *
2013 CE: Toyo Ito wins the 2013 Pritzker Architecture Prize *
2013 CE: Stacy Lewis wins the RR Donnelley LPGA Founders Cup and becomes the number one ranked woman golfer in the world *
2013 CE: Pope Francis delivers his first Angelus prayer and blessing *
2013 CE: 10 people are killed by a car bombing in Basra, Iraq *
2012 CE: MESSENGER spacecraft begins its extended mission *
2012 CE: Bolton Wanderer footballer Fabrice Muamba collapses and is rushed to hospital during a live football match against Tottenham Hotspur *
2008 CE: The popular online game for children, Fantage, is launched *
2008 CE: Governor Eliot Spitzer of New York resigns after scandal involving a high-end prostitute; David Paterson becomes acting governor *
2004 CE: Unrest in Kosovo results in more than 22 killed, 200 wounded, and the destruction of 35 Serb Orthodox shrines in Kosovo and two mosques in Belgrade and Nis. *
2003 CE: British Cabinet Minister Robin Cook, resigns over government plans for the war with Iraq. *
2001 CE: OPEC decides to cut output by 4% or 1 million barrels per day, effective April 1 *
2000 CE: The 800+ deaths of members of the Ugandan cult Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God is considered to be a mass murder and suicide orchestrated by leaders of the cult *
1997 CE: CNN begin Spanish broadcasts *
1996 CE: ICC Men’s Cricket ODI World Cup, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Pakistan: Sri Lanka upsets Australia by 7 wickets for their first title; Player of the Match: Aravinda de Silva (SL) 107 no (124), 3/42 & 2 catches *
1995 CE: US approves 1st chicken pox vaccine, Varivax by Merck & Co *
1995 CE: Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams visits the White House in Washington, D.C *
1995 CE: British pound hits 2.4545 to Dutch guilder (record) *
1994 CE: It is announced there is no smoking in Cleveland Indians new ballpark *
1994 CE: Iran transport aircraft crashes in Azerbaijan (32 killed) *
1993 CE: 86 killed by bomb attack in Calcutta *
1992 CE: South African referendum of white voters on an end to apartheid, over two-thirds vote for an end to the system *
1992 CE: South African President F. W. de Klerk wins a white only referendum *
1992 CE: Russian manned space craft TM-14, launches into orbit *
1992 CE: Islamic Jihad car bombing of Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina kills 29 *
1991 CE: New Jersey raises turnpike tolls 70% *
1991 CE: John Robin Baitz’ “Substance of Fire” premieres in NYC *
1991 CE: Irish Lesbians & Gays march in St. Patrick’s Day parade *
1991 CE: 9 of 15 Soviet reps officially approve new union treaty *
1990 CE: PBA National Championship Won by Jim Pencak *
1989 CE: Dorothy Cudahy is 1st female grand marshal of St. Patrick Day Parade *
1988 CE: Then highest scoring NCAA basketball game to date; Loyola-Marymont 119, Wyoming 115 *
1988 CE: Iran says Iraq uses poison gas *
1987 CE: IBM releases PC-DOS version 3.3 *
1986 CE: Haemers gang robs gold transport in Belgium of 35 million BF *
1985 CE: Matti Nykanen of Finland set a world ski jump record of 623′ *
1983 CE: 70th hat trick in NHL New York Islander franchise history, scored by Mike Bossy *
1981 CE: FC Lisse, Dutch soccer team forms *
1979 CE: Worlds Ladies’ Figure Skating Champ in Vienna won by Linda Fratianne *
1979 CE: The Penmanshiel Tunnel in Berwickshire, Scotland, collapses during engineering works, killing two workers *
1979 CE: Men’s Figure Skating Champ in Vienna won by Vladimir Kovalev (USSR) *
1979 CE: Ice Pairs Championship at Vienna won by Tai Babilonia & R Gardner USA *
1979 CE: Ice Dance Championship at Vienna won by N Linichuk & G Karponosov USSR *
1978 CE: Reds don green uniforms for St Patricks Day *
1978 CE: Amoco Cadiz tanker spills 1.6 mil gallons of oil off French coast *
1977 CE: Australia wins cricket Centenary Test by 45 runs, same result as 1877 *
1976 CE: US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site *
1976 CE: Malikov skates world record 1000m (1:15.76) *
1976 CE: Boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter is retried in the US after being convicted of murder in 1967 (sentence is upheld but overturned 1985) *
1976 CE: 4 Catholic civilians (including 2 children) are killed an twelve wounded when the Ulster Volunteer Force explode a car bomb at Hillcrest Bar, Dungannon *
1975 CE: Valeri Muratov skates world record 1000m (1:16.92) *
1973 CE: St. Patrick’s Day marchers carry 14 coffins commemorating Bloody Sunday *
1973 CE: Shah of Iran Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and a consortium of Western firms led by British Petroleum agree to the formal nationalization of Iran’s oil industry in return for an assured 20-year supply of Iranian oil *
1973 CE: Queen Elizabeth II opens new London Bridge *
1972 CE: Ringo Starr releases single “Back off Boogaloo” in the UK *
1971 CE: Government of Trygve Bratteli takes office in Norway *
1970 CE: US casts their 1st UN Security Council veto (Support England) *
1970 CE: Peter O’Malley becomes CEO of LA Dodgers *
1969 CE: Golda Meir becomes Israel’s 4th Prime Minister, the first and only female to hold the office *
1968 CE: Bee Gees make their US TV debut on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” performing “To Love Somebody” and “Words” *
1968 CE: 2-tiered gold price negotiated in Washington, D.C. by US & 6 European nations *
1967 CE: British harpist Shiela Bromberg plays with string section for the Sgt. Pepper track “She’s Leaving Home”, becomes the first female to perform on a Beatles recording *
1966 CE: US submarine locates missing hydrogen bomb on the Mediterranean sea floor *
1966 CE: South Africa’s government bans Defense & Aid Fund *
1965 CE: Beatles announce their second film is titled “8 Arms to Hold You” ; later changed to “Help!” *
1963 CE: Eruptions of Mount Agung on Bali, kills 1,900 Balinese *
1963 CE: Elizabeth Ann Seton of NY beatified (canonized in 1975) *
1961 CE: South Africa leaves British Commonwealth *
1961 CE: NY DA arrests professional gamblers who implicate Seton Hall players *
1961 CE: Jaguar head William Lyons debuts the first E-Type model at the Geneva International Motor Show, creating a sensation *
1960 CE: WSLA (now WAKA) TV channel 8 in Selma, AL (CBS) begins broadcasting *
1960 CE: US President Eisenhower forms anti-Castro-exile army under the CIA *
1960 CE: One of the first French New Wave films, “Breathless”, directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg is released in France *
1959 CE: Australia & USSR restore diplomatic relations *
1958 CE: US Navy launches Vanguard 1 into orbit (2nd US), measures Earth shape *
1957 CE: Presidential plane crashes on Mt. Manunggal in Cebu, Philippines killing 25 including Filipino President Ramon Magsaysay *
1957 CE: Dutch ban on Sunday driving lifted *
1956 CE: 8th Emmy Awards: “The Ed Sullivan Show”, “The Phil Silvers Show”. Phil Silvers & Lucille Ball win *
1955 CE: After Maurice Richard (Ice Hocky player) is suspended for the remainder of the season, riots break out in Montreal. 37 people are injured and over 100 are arrested. The following morning, Richard goes on the radio to ask citizens to stop vandalizing the city. *
1953 CE: WWLP TV channel 22 in Springfield, MA (NBC) begins broadcasting *
1953 CE: WBAY TV channel 2 in Green Bay, WI (CBS) begins broadcasting *
1953 CE: US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site *
1953 CE: Bill Veeck says he will sell his 80% of St Louis Browns for $2,475M *
1951 CE: Test cricket debut of great English fast bowler Brian Statham, England v NZ at Christchurch; goes on to play 70 Tests, 252 wickets @ 24.84 *
1951 CE: New Dutch government of Willem Drees takes power *
1950 CE: Element 98 (Californium) announced *
1950 CE: Belgian government of Gaston Eyskens resigns due to constitutional crisis *
1947 CE: English historian Arnold J. Toynbee appears on the front cover of Time magazine *
1945 CE: Allied ships bomb North-Sumatra *
1944 CE: Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupts after months of volcanic unrest, destroying several towns near the volcano *
1943 CE: Physician Willem J. Kolff performs the world’s first ‘hemodialysis’ using his artificial kidney machine, however the treatment is unsuccessful and the patient dies, in the Netherlands *
1943 CE: F. Hugh Herbert’s “Kiss & Tell” premieres in NYC *
1943 CE: Aldemarin (Ned) & Fort Cedar Lake (US) torpedoed & sinks *
1942 CE: US General Douglas MacArthur arrives in Australia to become supreme commander *
1942 CE: Bełżec Concentration Camp opens with the transport of 30,000 Polish Jews from Lublin *
1939 CE: Battle of Nanchang between the Kuomintang and the Japanese breaks out during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945) *
1938 CE: The Italian Air Force, in support of Francisco Franco, bombs Barcelona during the Spanish Civil War *
1935 CE: KSO-AM in Des Moines Iowa call sign is given to KWCR *
1934 CE: Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss, Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini, and Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Gömbös sign Donau Pact (Protocols of Rome) guaranteeing Austrian independence *
1932 CE: Montreal Canadiens center Howie Morenz registers his 334th career point with an assist in a 10-4 win v NY Americans *
1932 CE: German police raid Adolf Hitler’s Nazi headquarters *
1930 CE: Construction begins of the Empire State Building, the world’s 1st skyscraper of 100+ stories, on 5th Avenue in New York City *
1929 CE: Spanish dictator Primo de Rivera closes university of Madrid *
1929 CE: General Motors acquires German auto manufacturer Adam Opel *
1927 CE: US government doesn’t sign League of Nations disarmament treaty *
1926 CE: Spain & Brazil prevent Germany joining League of Nations *
1926 CE: Dutch Calvinists oust Rev J G Geelkerken over Genesis 3 *
1924 CE: Sweden & USSR exchange diplomats *
1924 CE: Netherlands & USSR begin talks over USSR recognition *
1924 CE: Eugene O’Neill’s play “Welded” premieres in NYC *
1921 CE: Vladimir Lenin proclaims the New Economic Policy to help the country recover from Russian Civil War *
1921 CE: The Second Republic of Poland adopts the March Constitution *
1921 CE: Sailors revolt in Kronstadt (thousands die) *
1921 CE: NY gangster Albert Anastasia is convicted of murdering longshoreman George Turino *
1921 CE: Dr Marie Stopes opens Britain’s 1st birth control clinic in London *
1919 CE: Dutch steel workers strike for 8 hr day & minimum wages *
1917 CE: Delta Phi Epsilon is founded at New York University Law School *
1917 CE: 1st exclusively women’s bowling tournament begins in St Louis, Missouri *
1913 CE: Uruguayan Air Force is founded *
1912 CE: Camp Fire Girls organization announced by Mrs Luther Halsey Gulick *
1908 CE: Canadian champion Tommy Burns KOs Irish challenger Jem Roche in 1:28s of the 1st round at the Theatre Royal, Dublin *
1906 CE: Stanley Cup, Dey’s Arena, Ottawa, ON: ECAHA playoff: Montreal Wanderers lose, 9-3 to Ottawa HC but win challenge series, 12-10 on aggregate *
1905 CE: Albert Einstein finishes his scientific paper detailing his quantum theory of light, a foundation of modern physics *
1901 CE: At a show in Paris, 71 of Vincent van Gogh’s paintings cause a sensation 11 years after his death *
1900 CE: American modern dancer Isadora Duncan gives her first Europen performance in London, England *
1898 CE: John Philip Holland achieves a successful test run for the first modern submarine off Staten Island *
1897 CE: British boxer Bob Fitzsimmons KOs American champion ‘Gentleman’ Jim Corbett *
1894 CE: US & China sign treaty preventing Chinese laborers from entering US *
1893 CE: Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup (Stanley Cup): Montreal Hockey Club claim inaugural trophy after finishing top of final Amateur Hockey Association of Canada standings with a 7–1–0 record *
1891 CE: British Steamer “Utopia” sinks off Gibraltar killing 574 *
1886 CE: Carrollton Massacre (Mississippi) 20 African Americans killed *
1884 CE: John Joseph Montgomery makes 1st glider flight at Otay, California *
1877 CE: Australia’s English born all-rounder Billy Midwinter completes Test cricket’s first 5-wicket haul, 5-78 in the first ever Test match v England in Melbourne *
1876 CE: General Crook destroy Cheyennes & Oglala-Sioux Indian camps *
1876 CE: British high jump champion Marshall Jones Brooks clears 1.83m at Oxford, England for unofficial world record *
1871 CE: National Association of Professional Base-Ball players organized *
1870 CE: Mass legislature authorizes incorporation of Wellesley Female Seminary *
1868 CE: Postage stamp canceling machine patent issued *
1863 CE: Battle of Kelly’s Ford, Virginia with 211 causalities *
1861 CE: Italy is unified into a single kingdom under Victor Emmanuel II *
1860 CE: Japanese Embassy arrives in San Francisco to sign a Treaty of Friendship *
1854 CE: 1st park land purchased by a US city in Worcester, Massachusetts *
1845 CE: The rubber band is patented by Stephen Perry of London *
1845 CE: Bristol man Henry Jones patents self-raising flour *
1842 CE: Treaty of 1842: Wyandotte (Huron) Indian nation cedes 114,000 acres of land in Ohio and Michigan to US, in exchange for 148,000 acres west of the Mississippi *
1833 CE: Phoenix Society forms (NY) *
1829 CE: Final performance by famous clown Joseph Grimaldi *
1824 CE: Britain & Netherlands sign a trade agreement *
1804 CE: Friedrich Schiller’s play “Wilhelm Tell” premieres *
1800 CE: British warship HMS Queen Charlotte catches fire off the Tuscan Archipelago; 700 die *
1778 CE: Britain declares war on France *
1776 CE: British forces evacuate Boston to Nova Scotia during Revolutionary War *
1775 CE: Transylvania Land Company, headed by Richard Henderson, buys most of Kentucky through treaty signed with Cherokee chiefs at Sycamore Shoals on the Watauga River (later declared illegal) *
1762 CE: First Saint Patrick’s Day parade is held in NYC *
1757 CE: Prince Mas Saïd of Mataram surrenders to Mangkubumi in Java *
1756 CE: St. Patrick’s Day is first celebrated in NYC *
1737 CE: Charitable Irish Society of Boston organizes the first observance of Saint Patrick’s Day in the Thirteen Colonies *
1722 CE: William IV Prince of Orange appointed mayor of Drente *
1600 CE: First recorded Saint Patrick’s Day celebration in America *
1580 CE: Prince William I of Orange welcomed in Amsterdam *
1537 CE: French troops invade Flanders *
1526 CE: French King Francis I freed from Spain *
1452 CE: Battle of Los Alporchones (Spain) *
1337 CE: Edward the Black Prince is made Duke of Cornwall *
1190 CE: Crusades complete the massacre of Jews in York, England *
455 CE: Senator Petronius Maximus proclaimed Emperor of the Roman Empire *
432 CE: St. Patrick was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken to Ireland *
180 CE: Marcus Aurelius dies; his son, Commodus, succeeds him as emperor *
45 BCE: Julius Caesar’s last victory *

Courtesy: https://www.onthisday.com/today/events.php