What Happened On
The Dark Side of the Moon
March 1, 1973
Pink Floyd releases their concept album The Dark Side of the Moon. It would top the US Billboard Top LPs & Tapes chart, where it charted for 957 weeks in total. Each side of the album is a continuous piece of music. The five tracks on each side reflect various stages of human life, beginning and ending with a heartbeat.
It was their 8th studio album.
Jim Morrison Exposes Himself
March 1, 1969
The lead singer of The Doors Jim Morrison allegedly exposes himself in front of a Miami concert audience. He was arrested three days later and convicted the following year. But, he died while out on bail awaiting appeal.
Drummer John Densmore maintains that Morrison never actually exposed himself.
In 2010, Florida Governor Charlie Crist granted him a posthumous pardon.
Aikich being treated shortly before his death
Aikich being treated shortly before his death
First Hydrogen Bomb Fatality
March 1, 1954
A U.S. H-bomb test at Bikini Atoll, near the Marshall Islands, exposes a Japanese fishing crew to fallout. The fishing boat was outside of the declared danger zone, but the bomb was twice as powerful as predicted and covered the ship and crew with radioactive ash. The crew attempted to leave the area, but spent several hours retrieving fishing equipment from the sea, increasing their exposure. While being treated for radiation sickness, the crew members contracted hepatitis from the blood transfusions. Aikichi Kuboyama, the boat's chief radioman, died the following September from an underlying liver cirrhosis compounded by the secondary hepatitis infection.
The movie Godzilla (1954) was partially inspired by this event.
Lolita Lebron, one of the attackers, being arrested
Lolita Lebron, one of the attackers, being arrested
Attack on U.S. Capitol
March 1, 1954
Four Puerto Rican nationalists and independence supporters enter the U.S. House of Representatives and open fire with semi-automatic pistols, injuring five members of Congress. They wanted Puerto Rican independence from U.S. rule. They served 25 years in prison before being pardoned by U.S. President Jimmy Carter in 1979.
Hoover Dam as photographed by Ansel Adams (1941)
Hoover Dam as photographed by Ansel Adams (1941)
Hoover Dam Completed
March 1, 1936
The construction of Hoover Dam is completed. It was completed two years ahead of schedule. 112 people were reported killed as part of the construction of the dam.
Hoover Dam impounds Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the U.S. by volume and is located near Boulder City, Nevada about 30 mi (48 km) southeast of Las Vegas, Nevada. The dam's generators provide power in Nevada, Arizona, and California. Now a major tourist attraction, nearly a million people tour the dam each year.
Lindbergh Kidnapping
March 1, 1932
Charles Lindbergh's 20-month-old son is kidnapped. A ransom of $50,000 was paid a month later with the promise that his son was safe. However, he was found dead in May.
Bruno Hauptmann was arrested for the crime in September 1934 after using one of the ransom money bills at a gas station. $14,600 of the ransom money was found in his garage. Hauptmann claimed the money was left with him by his former business partner who returned to Germany, where he died March 29, 1934. A search of Hauptmann's home found further evidence linked to the crime.
Hauptmann was found guilty of first degree murder and executed by electric chair in 1936. He claimed his innocence to the end, and turned down a last-minute offer to commute his sentence to life-without-parole in exchange for a confession.
Yellowstone - The First National Park
March 1, 1872
Yellowstone National Park is established by the U.S. Congress. It was the first national park in the U.S. and is also considered the first national park in the world. It is the home of Old Faithful, a cone geyser that erupts every 44 to 125 minutes.
First UFO Sighting in America
March 1, 1639
The first recorded UFO sighting in the Americas occurs when UFOs are seen over Boston Harbor. Three men were rowing a boat on the Muddy River when they saw a bright light in the night sky which they described as two lights with sparks flying between them. "When it stood still, it flamed up, and was about three yards square" and "when it ran, it was contracted into the figure of a swine". The men reported that the light ran as swift as an arrow darting back and forth between them and the village of Charlestown, a distance of about 2 miles (3.2 km). When the light finally faded after several hours, the men found themselves about one mile upstream with no explanation of how they had traveled against the current.
The lights were witnessed by other credible witnesses as well.
It is believed these were the same UFOs that sighted in Boston Harbor five years later.
Pink Lady
March 1, 1980
NBC debuts a TV series starring the Japanese female singing duo Mie and Kei, known as Pink Lady; despite the fact that neither spoke English and had to sing their songs and deliver their lines phonetically. Each episode ended with the girls and co-host Jeff Altman together in a hot tub. Even though they managed to attract some big name stars, such as Donny Osmond, Jerry Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Lorne Greene, it was quickly canceled after only five episodes. TV Guide ranked it #35 on its 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list. It is also referred to as Pink Lady and Jeff, because the stars' agents couldn't agree on a name.
First Man-Made Object to Strike Another Planet
March 1, 1966
An entry probe launched from the Soviet Venera 3 lands on Venus, making it the first space probe to hit the surface of another planet. However, the Soviets reported losing communication with the probe in February and some doubt their claims of the probe's landing.
Venera is Russian for Venus.
The Venera 3 had been launched the previous November.
Civil Rights Act of 1875
March 1, 1875
U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant signs into law the Civil Rights Act of 1875. It decreed equal rights and enjoyment in places of public amusement without distinction of color.
Nebraska
March 1, 1867
Nebraska becomes the 37th state.
First U.S. State to Ban Capital Punishment
March 1, 1847
Michigan's law banishing capital punishment for murder and lesser crimes goes into effect. This made Michigan the first English-speaking territory in the world to abolish capital punishment.
The last execution under Michigan law occurred in 1830, when Michigan was still a territory.
Lone Star State
March 1, 1845
U.S. President John Tyler signs a resolution annexing Texas. Texas was admitted to the Union as the 28th state in December.
Napoleon Escapes Exile
March 1, 1815
Napoleon escaped his island exile in the Tyrrhenian Sea and landed at Cannes with 1,000 men and proceeded to march to Paris. Louis XVIII fled to Ghent and Napoleon entered Paris on March 20th, marking the start of the 100 Days war. The war included Napoleon's famous defeat at the Battle of Waterloo. It lasted from March 20 until July 8 (111 days).
Ohio
March 1, 1803
Ohio becomes the 17th state. Ohio is Iroquois for "fine river."
First U.S. Census
March 1, 1790
Congress authorizes the counting of U.S. inhabitants. It was completed in August, showing a population of 3.9 million.
The U.S. State of Franklin
March 1, 1788
The state of Franklin ceases to exist. It had been created in 1784 when East Tennessee declared itself an independent state. However, Congress denied its legitimacy.
American Revolution
March 1, 1781
Ratification of the Articles of Confederation by the states is completed.
First Woman Executed in the U.S. by American Courts
March 1, 1778
Joshua Spooner is murdered by three men in Massachusetts. His wife, Bathsheba Spooner, was hanged the following July for her part in the conspiracy.
Gregorian Calendar Adopted by Sweden
March 1, 1753
Today's date would have been February 18.
Gregorian Calendar Adopted by Denmark and Norway
March 1, 1700
Today's date would have been February 19.
Gregorian Calendar Adopted by Strassburg, Germany
March 1, 1682
Today's date would have been February 19.
Birthdays
Howard as Opie (left) and Richie
Howard as Opie (left) and Richie
Ron Howard
Born March 1, 1954
American actor, Oscar-winning director. TV: The Andy Griffith Show (1960-68, Opie Taylor) and Happy Days (1974-84, Richie Cunningham). Film: American Graffiti (1973), The Shootist (1976), Splash (1984, director), Cocoon (1985, director), Apollo 13 (1995, director), and A Beautiful Mind (2001, best director Oscar).
Howard made his directing debut with the low-budget film Grand Theft Auto (1977) after making a deal with Roger Corman, who let Howard direct a film in exchange for Howard starring in Eat My Dust! (1976).
Tonight with Belafonte
Tonight with Belafonte
Harry Belafonte (Harold George Bellanfanti Jr.)
Born March 1, 1927 d. 2023
American Tony-Emmy-Grammy-winning singer/actor. Known as the "King of Calypso." He was the first black to win an Emmy (1960, for his performance in the TV show Tonight with Belafonte). Music: Banana Boat Song (1956, aka Day-Oh).
"Deke" Slayton (Donald Kent Slayton)
Born March 1, 1924 d. 1993
American astronaut. Deke Slayton was one of NASA's original seven Project Mercury astronauts (1959). He made his only space flight on the Apollo-Soyuz mission (1975).
Slayton worked at NASA until 1982 and helped develop the Space Shuttle.
Imprisoned in Attic for 26 Years by Her Mother
Blanche Monnier
Born March 1, 1849 d. 1913
French socialite. When she was 25 years old, her mother locked her in a small room in the attic for the next 26 years. Her mother disapproved of her intentions to marry an older lawyer, stating that she would not allow her daughter to marry a "penniless lawyer". She said she would not release her until she agreed to break off the courtship, which Blanche refused to do. Blanche was renowned for her beauty and had attracted many other potential suitors for marriage. After her imprisonment, her mother and brother continued on with their daily lives, pretending to mourn Blanche's disappearance. During the time of her imprisonment she had no outside contact, not even exposure to sunlight.
She was rescued after 26 years when the police received an anonymous letter about her confinement. When found, her room was covered in bugs, feces, urine, and old food and she weighed only 55 pounds (25 kg). Her mother was arrested, but fell ill and died 15 days later. Her brother was tried and found guilty and sentenced to 15 months in prison, but was acquitted on appeal claiming that Blanche could have left at any time, but chose not to.
Catherine Bach
Born March 1, 1954
American actress. TV: The Dukes of Hazzard (Daisy Duke).
Alan Thicke (Alan Willis Jeffrey)
Born March 1, 1947 d. 2016
Canadian actor. TV: Growing Pains (1985-92, Jason Seaver) and Animal Crack-Ups (1987-90, host).
Lana Wood (Svetlana Gurdin)
Born March 1, 1946
American actress, Natalie Wood's sister. Film: Diamonds Are Forever (1971, Plenty O'Toole).
Dirk Benedict
Born March 1, 1945
American actor. TV: The A-Team (Faceman) and Battlestar Galactica (Starbuck).
Roger Daltrey
Born March 1, 1944
British singer, with The Who. Music: My Generation (1965) and Pinball Wizard (1969).
Robert Conrad (Conrad Robert Falk)
Born March 1, 1935 d. 2020
American actor. TV: The Wild Wild West (1965-69, secret agent Jim West) and Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976-78, Pappy Boyington).
Conrad had an undefeated professional boxing record of 4-0-1 and was inducted into the Stuntman's Hall of Fame for his stunt work on The Wild Wild West.
Possible Umbrella gun design
Photo Credit: Fred the Oyster
Possible Umbrella gun designPhoto Credit: Fred the Oyster
Umbrella Assassination
Georgi Markov
Born March 1, 1929 d. 1978
Bulgarian dissident. While waiting at a bus stop, he was stabbed with an umbrella that inserted a ricin-filled pellet. He died several days later. It is believed that the KGB was behind the assassination at the request of the Bulgarian Secret Service, but no one has ever been charged with his murder.
Markov had defected from Bulgaria in 1968, eventually relocating to London where he worked as a broadcaster and journalist criticizing the Bulgarian regime.
In 2000, Markov was posthumously awarded the Order of Stara Planina, Bulgaria's most prestigious honor, for his "significant contribution to the Bulgarian literature, drama, and non-fiction and for his exceptional civic position and confrontation to the Communist regime."
Pete Rozelle
Born March 1, 1926 d. 1996
American football executive, NFL commissioner (1960-89). He created the Super Bowl (1966) and presided over the merger with the AFL.
William Maxwell Gaines
Born March 1, 1922 d. 1992
American comic-book publisher. Comic books: Mad Magazine.
Ralph Waldo Ellison
Born March 1, 1914 d. 1994
American author. His book Invisible Man (1952) about an African-American man whose color renders him invisible, chronicling a black man's humiliations in the South and Harlem won the National Book Award.
David Niven
Born March 1, 1910 d. 1983
British Oscar-winning actor. Film: Around the World in 80 Days (1956, Phileas Fogg) and The Pink Panther (1964, the Phantom).
Paul Hartman
Born March 1, 1904 d. 1973
American actor. TV: The Andy Griffith Show (1967-68, Emmett the fix-it man).
Glenn Miller
Born March 1, 1904 d. 1944
American bandleader. His was the world's most popular dance band of the time. Music: Moonlight Serenade (1939) and Chattanooga Choo Choo (1941).
Lionel Atwill
Born March 1, 1885 d. 1946
British horror actor. Film: Doctor X (1932, title role), The Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933, disfigured sculptor), and Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (1943, Professor Moriarty).
Augustus Saint-Gaudens
Born March 1, 1848 d. 1907
Irish-born sculptor, regarded as America's greatest sculptor.
Alexander Melville Bell
Born March 1, 1819 d. 1905
American teacher, inventor of visual speech for the hearing impaired.
William Jenkins Worth
Born March 1, 1794 d. 1849
American general, for whom Fort Worth, Texas is named.
Deaths
Coogan with Chaplin in The Kid (left) and as Uncle Fester
Coogan with Chaplin in The Kid (left) and as Uncle Fester
Jackie Coogan (John Leslie Coogan)
Died March 1, 1984 b. 1914
American actor. TV: The Addams Family (1964-66, Uncle Fester). At age seven he starred with Charlie Chaplin in The Kid (1921), and became one of the highest-paid actors of his time.
Although Coogan had earned millions as a child star, when he turned 21 he found out that his mother and step-father had spent almost all of it on expensive clothes, jewelry, and cars. Coogan sued them, but after legal expenses only received $126,000 of the remaining $250,000. This incident resulted in the 1939 enactment of the California Child Actor's Bill, known as the "Coogan Law". It required that a child actor's employer set aside 15% of the earnings in a trust (called a Coogan account), and also specified the actor's schooling, work hours, and time off.
Coogan was married to actress Betty Grable from 1937 until they divorced in 1939.
During World War II, he was a glider pilot and landed British troops and jeeps behind Japanese lines at night in the Burma Campaign.
World's Shortest Woman
Pauline Musters
Died March 1, 1895 b. 1876
Dutch dwarf, world's shortest adult woman. She was 24 inches (61 cm) tall at the time of her death at age 19. She was just over 12 inches at birth and at age nine weighed only three pounds. Pauline began performing as an infant adding dancing and acrobatics to her act as she grew older. She died in New York City from a combination of pneumonia and meningitis.
Chance Browne (Robert David Browne)
Died March 1, 2024 b. 1948
American cartoonist. Artist for Hi and Lois (1989‑), which he took over after his father, Dik Browne, died.
Bonnie Franklin
Died March 1, 2013 b. 1944
American actress. Bonnie Franklin is best known for her role as Ann Romano in TV's One Day at a Time (1975-84). She made her Broadway debut in 1970 in the musical Applause, earning a Tony Award nomination while her recording of the show's title track "Applause" was the most successful Broadway song of the season.
Franklin died of pancreatic cancer at age 69.
Edwin H. Land (Edwin Herbert Land)
Died March 1, 1991 b. 1909
American inventor. He created the Polaroid instant camera, developed inexpensive filters for polarizing light, and founded the Polaroid Corp. (1937). In 1948, he introduced his Polaroid instant camera that made it possible for a picture to be taken and developed in 60 seconds.
Joe Besser
Died March 1, 1988 b. 1907
American comedian, member of the 3-Stooges. He replaced Shemp Howard after his death in 1955.
Emmett Littleton Ashford
Died March 1, 1980 b. 1914
American baseball umpire. He was the first black major-league umpire (1966, American League). His flamboyant style prompted one reporter to declare, "For the first time in the history of the grand old American game, baseball fans may buy a ticket to watch an umpire perform."
He also did some acting, appeared in commercials, television, and as an umpire in the movie The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings (1976).
Brace Beemer
Died March 1, 1965 b. 1902
American radio actor. Radio: The announcer for The Lone Ranger from its first radio broadcast in 1933. When the voice of the Lone Ranger, Earle Graser, died in a car accident, Beemer took over the role of The Lone Ranger character until the end of the series in 1954.
Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!
Frederick Stanley Mockford
Died March 1, 1962 b. 1897
English radio officer. While senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London in 1923, Mockford was asked to come up with a word to indicate distress that could easily be understood by all pilots and ground staff in an emergency. Since much of the traffic at the time was between Croydon and Le Bourget Airport in Paris, he proposed the word "Mayday", the phonetic pronunciation of the French m'aidez ("help me"). Convention requires the mayday be repeated three times in a row during the initial emergency declaration ("Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!") to prevent it being mistaken for similar-sounding phrases.
Alfred Korzybski
Died March 1, 1950 b. 1879
American scientist, pioneer in the study of semantics, founded the Institute of General Semantics (1938) in Chicago.
First U.S. Governor Removed from Office by Impeachment
William Woods Holden
Died March 1, 1892 b. 1818
American politician, governor of North Carolina (1865, 1868-71). He was the first U.S. governor to be removed from office by impeachment (1871). Although before the Civil War he favored expanding slavery, after the war his attempts to control the Ku Klux Klan using military force lead to his impeachment.
Leo VIII
Died March 1, 965 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 131st Pope (963-965).
Saint Felix III
Died March 1, 492 b. ????
Italian religious leader, 48th Pope (483-492).