What Happened On
Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka
Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka
Right of Blacks to Own Slaves
March 8, 1655
Anthony Johnson was an Angolan colonist, one of the original indentured "20 and odd negroes" brought to Jamestown in 1619. By 1623, Johnson had completed his indenture and became a "free Negro". He then acquired land and began raising livestock, eventually becoming prosperous enough to import five indentured servants as slaves. One of Johnson's slaves, John Casor, sued him arguing that he had been imported as a seven to eight year indentured servant and was being forced by Johnson to serve past his term of indentured servitude. He was then freed and went to work for Robert Parker as an indentured servant. Johnson then sued Parker for Casor's services, claiming Casor was his slave for life. Johnson won and Casor was then returned to Johnson. This also sustained the right of free blacks to own slaves. Casor remained in servitude for the rest of his life.
This also made Casor the first person of African descent in the Thirteen Colonies to be declared a slave for life as the result of a civil suit.
Note: African John Punch, who was the first man documented as a slave in the Virginia Colony, in 1640 was sentenced to life in servitude for attempting to escape his indenture.
Photo Credit: Laurent ERRERA
Photo Credit: Laurent ERRERA
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 Disaster
March 8, 2014
The aircraft disappears from air traffic controllers' radar screens. Malaysian military radar continued to track the aircraft as it deviated westwards from its planned flight path and crossed the Malay Peninsula. It left the range of Malaysian military radar while over the Andaman Sea, 200 nautical miles (370 km) north-west of Penang in north-western Malaysia. The aircraft and its 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers then disappeared. No distress signal or message was sent. Various pieces of debris from the crash have washed ashore in the years following the accident.
First Use of an Artificial Heart on a Human
March 8, 1952
A 41-year-old male was kept alive for 80 minutes.
Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka
Photo Credit: André Karwath aka Aka
Slavery
March 8, 1775
The first article proposing the emancipation of African slaves in America and the abolition of slavery is published. Titled "African Slavery in America," is published anonymously. However, many historians believe its author was Thomas Paine.
Birthdays
Alan Hale, Jr. (Alan Hale MacKahan)
Born March 8, 1921 d. 1990
American actor. Known for playing the Skipper Jonas Grumby on TV's Gilligan's Island (1964-67). Hale's career included over 200 film and television roles. He also co-owned the restaurant Alan Hale's Lobster Barrel.
Film: The Crawling Hand (1963, Sheriff Townsend) and Hang 'Em High (1968, Matt Stone).
Aidan Quinn
Born March 8, 1959
American actor. Film: Desperately Seeking Susan (1985), Stakeout (1987), and Benny & Joon (1993).
Randy Meisner
Born March 8, 1946 d. 2023
American singer, with The Eagles. Music: Take It Easy (1972) and Hotel California (1976, #1).
Micky Dolenz (George Michael Dolenz Jr.)
Born March 8, 1945
American drummer, actor. One of The Monkees (1966-68). Music: Last Train to Clarksville (1966) and I'm a Believer (1966). TV: Circus Boy (1956-58, Corky).
Lynn Redgrave
Born March 8, 1943 d. 2010
British actress. Film: Georgy Girl (1966, Georgy). TV: Weight-Watcher advertisements. She is the only person to have been nominated for all of the 'Big Four' American entertainment awards (Grammy, Emmy, Oscar, and Tony) without winning any of them.
Cyd Charisse (Tula Ellice Finklea)
Born March 8, 1922 d. 2008
American dancer, actress. Film: Singin' in the Rain (1952).
Priscilla Lawson (Priscilla Shortridge)
Born March 8, 1914 d. 1958
American actress. Film: Flash Gordon movie serials (1936, Princess Aura the daughter of Ming the Merciless). She was Miss Miami Beach (1935).
Louise Beavers
Born March 8, 1902 d. 1962
American actress, one of TV's first black stars. She was the second actress to portray Beulah on the TV series (Beulah, 1952-53).
Howard Hathaway Aiken
Born March 8, 1900 d. 1973
American engineer, builder of the second digital computer (Mark I, 1944).
Otto Hahn
Born March 8, 1879 d. 1968
German chemist, co-discovered, with Fritz Strassman, nuclear fission (1938) for which he won the Nobel Prize. He also discovered the element protactinium and is credited with being the first person to split an atom.
Kenneth Grahame
Born March 8, 1859 d. 1932
English author. Writings: The Wind in the Willows (1908).
Karl Ferdinand von Graefe
Born March 8, 1787 d. 1840
German surgeon. Founder of modern plastic surgery.
Deaths
Joe DiMaggio (Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio, Jr.)
Died March 8, 1999 b. 1914
American Baseball Hall-of-Famer, and ex-husband of Marilyn Monroe. He is the only major league player selected for the All-Star Game in every season they played. His record-breaking 56-game hitting streak in the 1941 season still stands.
Invented the Ice Cream Bar
Christian Kent Nelson
Died March 8, 1992 b. 1893
Danish-born American ice cream vendor. He patented the first ice cream bar (1922). Nelson's patent was "to provide a frozen dainty comprising a form retaining block or brick of ice cream or the like, also to, provide an encasement therefore which facilitates its ready handling." He originally sold them as "I-Scream-Bars", but later partnered with local chocolate producer Russell C. Stover to mass-produce them under the name "Eskimo Pie".
Nelson received the inspiration for his invention when a boy in his store was unable to decide whether to buy ice cream or a chocolate bar, so he ventured forth to find a way to combine the two.
Henry Hull and as werewolf in Werewolf of London
Henry Hull and as werewolf in Werewolf of London
First Leading Werewolf Character
Henry Hull
Died March 8, 1977 b. 1890
American actor. He played the main werewolf character in Werewolf of London (1935), the first werewolf film by a major Hollywood studio. His character was scratched and turned into a werewolf by Warner Oland's werewolf character, making Oland the first werewolf. Hull's character was the main protagonist of the film, making him the first leading werewolf character.
Lloyd in Safety Last
Lloyd in Safety Last
Harold Lloyd
Died March 8, 1971 b. 1893
American comic actor. Known for his dangerous stunts. Film: Grandma's Boy (1922), Safety Last (1923), and The Kid Brother (1927).
William Howard Taft
Died March 8, 1930 b. 1857
American politician. 27th U.S. President (1909-13), Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1921-30), and U.S. Secretary of War (1904-08). He was the first U.S. president to throw out the opening ball of baseball season (1910), starting a long-held tradition. He is the only person to serve as both a U.S. President and a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
A common myth is that Taft, weighing over 300 pounds (136 kg), got stuck in the White House bathtub. While this is probably just a myth, he did have an oversized tub installed.
Quote: "Don't write so that you can be understood, write so that you can't be misunderstood."
The LZ-1 on its maiden voyage
The LZ-1 on its maiden voyage
Count Ferdinand von Zeppelin
Died March 8, 1917 b. 1838
German aviator. He designed and built large dirigible balloons capable of long controlled flights. His Zeppelins were used by Germany during World War I as bombers and scout ships. The success of his airships launched the air transport business. Zeppelin also served as an official observer with the Union Army during the American Civil War.
Millard Fillmore
Died March 8, 1874 b. 1800
American politician. 13th U.S. President (1850-53) and 12th U.S. Vice-President (1849-50). Fillmore was instrumental in getting the Compromise of 1850 passed, a bargain that led to a brief truce in the battle over slavery.
A popular myth is that he installed the first bathtub in the White House; however, this myth was part of The Great Bathtub Hoax perpetrated by H. L. Mencken in 1917.
Max von Sydow (Carl Adolf von Sydow)
Died March 8, 2020 b. 1929
Swedish-born actor. Film: The Seventh Seal (1957, Knight Antonius Block), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965, Christ), The Exorcist (1973, Father Merrin), and Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015, Lor San Tekka). TV: The Game of Thrones (2016, Three-eyed Raven).
Martin (3rd from left) with the Beatles
Martin (3rd from left) with the Beatles
Sir George Martin (George Henry Martin)
Died March 8, 2016 b. 1926
English record producer. George Martin was producer for The Beatles, and was sometimes referred to as the "Fifth Beatle". Martin wrote much of their orchestral and string arrangements and he played piano and keyboards on a number of their records.
Most of their orchestral and string arrangements were written by Martin, and he played piano or keyboards on a number of their records.[
Billy Eckstine (William Eckstein)
Died March 8, 1993 b. 1914
American blues singer. Music: Blue Moon, Fools Rush In, and I Apologize. He was the first black singer to become a national sex symbol.
Sir Thomas Beecham
Died March 8, 1961 b. 1879
British conductor, founded the London Philharmonic orchestra (1932).
John Ericsson
Died March 8, 1889 b. 1803
Swedish-born American Naval engineer. He invented the twin-screw propeller and built the first armored turret warship (1862, USS Monitor). He originally offered the twin screw to the Swedish navy, but they rejected the idea, so he traveled to the U.S. where his design was used by the U.S. Navy.
Henry Ward Beecher
Died March 8, 1887 b. 1813
American preacher. Writings: Seven Lectures to Young Men (1844). He was one of the leading opponents to slavery in his time and brother of Uncle Tom's Cabin author Harriet Beecher Stowe.
Celestine II
Died March 8, 1144 b. ????
religious leader, 165th Pope (1143-44).