March the Second
This day in history:
3/2/1819 - Territory of Arkansas organized
Later to be settled by my ancestors -- some of them hiding from the law.
3/2/1836 - Republic of Texas declares independence from Mexico
Remember the rental car company!
3/2/1867 - Congress abolishes peonage in New Mexico
Don't be embarrassed, I didn't know either. I had to look it up. It means forced servitude to pay off a debt. Now be honest, what were you thinking it meant?
3/2/1867 - Jesse James-gang robs bank in Savannah MO, 1 dead
3/2/1867 - US Congress creates the Department of Education
3/2/1867 - US Congress passed the 1st Reconstruction Act
Three crimes in one day. The DOE has allowed the NEA to cripple education in this nation to the point that homeschooling is growing at a rapid pace. As for the Reconstruction Act, it was unconstitutional, yet forced on the South at gunpoint (literally). When the Southern states fought Reconstruction, the Union compromised, and allowed Jim Crow laws to remain -- pretty much making the Civil War meaningless.
3/2/1877 - Rutherford B Hayes (R) declared President despite Samuel J Tilden (D) winning the popular vote, but is 1 electoral vote shy of victory
Man, can you imagine that? That's like a million-to-one thing isn't it. Kinda like having the same woman be both the mother and wife of a US President, that could never happen twice either, I bet.
3/2/1927 - Babe Ruth becomes highest paid baseball player ($70,000 per year)
I think the concession guys get more than that now-a-days.
3/2/1969 - 1st test flight of the supersonic Concorde
Allowing airplanes to make trans-atlantic flights in a matter of a few hours. Airport crew began working feverishly to make up for this by lengthening the time passengers would need to wait in line before they boarded.
3/2/1974 - 1st class postage raised from 8¢ to 10¢
What's really sad is that I remember this. I'm getting old, I guess.
3/2/1974 - Grand jury concludes President Nixon is involved in Watergate cover-up
Unfortunately for Nixon, he couldn't claim “it was just about sex” and get away with it.
I wonder if he'll mention this tonight. Impress your co-workers today by knowing this.3/2/1977 - Jay Leno makes his debut appearance on the Tonight Show with host Johnny Carson
3/2/1983 - Phillips & Sony introduce Compact Disc recordings
A passing fad. It'll never take off. Trust me.
Seriously, I can still remember the sound effects demos guys in college got when their parent bought them a CD player. The bit with the attack helicopter freaked out half the dorm once the volume was cranked up.
3/2/1985 - US approves screening test for AIDS
This would be the test developed by Robert Gallo (who gets a royalty on every one administered) based on his still unproven claim that the HIV virus causes AIDS. Read more at http://www.duesberg.com/ and at http://www.virusmyth.net/aids/controversy.htm .
Posted by Jack Lewis at March 2, 2005 10:09 AM