Two things today:
1903: Orville Wright pilots the first heavier-than-air flight at Kitty Hawk
1989: The Simpsons premiere on Fox with “Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire” .
I’ll let you think about which is more significant.
35 years ago today (1991, for those who don’t want to do math), the Persian Gulf War started.
On this day (January 24) in 1972, locals in Guam captured Japanese soldier Shoichi Yokoi, who had been hiding since America captured the island in 1944.
If you don’t want to do the math, this is 28 years, y’all.
40 years ago today the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded.
161 years ago today (Jan 31st, 1865), the 13th Amendment was passed, barring slavery.
February 7th, 1964, the Beatles land at JFK.
February 8, 1587: Mary, Queen of Scots was beheaded in the Great Hall of Fotheringhay Castle, two months after her conviction of treason for participating in a plot to kill Queen Elizabeth of England .
February 8, 1986: Spud Webb, at 5 feet, 4 inches tall, defeats Atlanta Hawks teammate Dominique Wilkins to win the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
30 years ago today*, Microprose released Civilization II, very likely the one computer game I spent the most time playing ever.
*technically, February 29th, 1996.
March 25, 1911: a hundred and fifteen years ago: The Triangle Shirtwaist fire.
25 March was National Medal of Honor Day.
It is celebrated every 25 March since 1991, after George HW Bush signed Public Law 101-564.
The first six Medals of Honor were awarded on 25 March 1863 to honor the Andrews Raiders who, on 12 April 1862, set a train car on fire to try to ignite a covered railway bridge and thwart Confederate pursuit during the Civil War.
The medals were awarded (again, 25 March 1863) by Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton.
After the award ceremony the six raiders were taken to the White House to meet President Abraham Lincoln, which then became a tradition for all Medal of Honor recipients.
All Medal of Honor recipients here:
➜ https://www.cmohs.org/recipients ■