Hinckley Watches Taxi Driver

March 11, 1980

Would be Presidential assassin John Hinckley, Jr. watches the film Taxi Driver for the first time. He would watch it many more times, developing his obsession with teenage actress Jodie Foster. His obsession led to his attempted assassination of U.S. President Ronald Reagan the following March in an effort to impress Foster.

First Armored Car Robbery

March 11, 1927

Members of the Flathead gang dynamite a Brink's armored car en route outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and make off with $104,000 (over $2 million in today's money).
One of the guards noted the license plate of the getaway car and several members of the gang were arrested the following day, including gang leader Paul Jaworski. Jaworski pleaded guilty to two murders committed during previous robberies and was sentenced to death. However, the following August he and another inmate shot their way out of jail, wounding two guards in the process. In June of 1928, a policeman was shot and killed by the gang during a robbery. In September, Jarworski was recaptured, but during the shootout a policeman was killed and another died of his wounds five years later. Jarworski was executed in January of 1929.

Great White Hurricane of 1888

March 11, 1888

One of the most famous snow storms in U.S. history, killing 400 people and creating 50-foot (15 m) snow drifts. It lasted for four days with snowfalls up to 58 inches (147 cm) in Saratoga Springs, New York. The destruction of telegraph lines led to their being placed underground in the future.

Anissa Jones

Born March 11, 1958 d. 1976

American actress. Anissa Jones is known for her role as Buffy in TV's Family Affair (1966-71). After Family Affair ended, feeling typecast as Buffy, she exited the entertainment business. Brian Keith offered her a role on The Brian Keith Show (1972-74) and she was invited to audition for the role of Iris in Taxi Driver, but turned both down.
She died at age 18 of a drug overdose that was ruled accidental. A toxicology report found cocaine, PCP, Quaalude, and Seconal in her body. The doctor who prescribed her Seconal was charged with second-degree murder, but died before he could go to trial.
Film: The Elvis Presley comedy The Trouble with Girls (1969, Carol Bix).

Douglas Adams

Born March 11, 1952 d. 2001

British author. Writings: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1980). The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy began in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy. It was then developed into five books, a television series, several stage plays, comics, a computer game, and a 2005 feature film. Don't panic and bring a towel.

Jacinta Marto

Born March 11, 1910 d. 1920

Fátima viewer. She was one of the three children who claimed to have seen the Our Lady of Fatima visions of the Virgin Mary near Fátima, Portugal (1917).
She and her brother Francisco Marto, who also claimed to have seen the visions, would both die in the Great Influenza Epidemic several years later. Also witness to the visions was Lúcia dos Santos.

Lawrence Welk

Born March 11, 1903 d. 1992

American orchestra leader, accordion player. Host of television's The Lawrence Welk Show (1951-82). "Ah-one, an' ah-two."
Known for his conservative wholesome values, he fired then Champagne Lady Alice Lon for showing too much leg, stating he would not tolerate such "cheesecake" performances on his show.

Shemp Howard (Samuel Horwitz)

Born March 11, 1895 d. 1955

American comic actor. One of the original 3-Stooges (1923-32, 1946-55). He was the brother of fellow stooges, Moe Howard and Curly Howard.
The term "Fake Shemp" was coined after an uncredited double was used to complete several The Three Stooges shorts after Shemp's death. The films were completed using old footage of Shemp and an actor who was filmed mostly from the back.
Shemp appeared in 77 (four of which were "Fake Shemps") of the 190 short subject films by Columbia Pictures that have been regularly airing on television since 1958.

Invented the Ice Cream Bar

Christian Kent Nelson

Born March 11, 1893 d. 1992

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.

First to Drive 300 mph

Sir Malcolm Campbell

Born March 11, 1885 d. 1948

British Hall of Fame auto racer. He was the first person to drive over 300 mph (1935 at the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah). With a 2,227 cu. in. 2,500-hp V-12 engine, his car "Bluebird" made two runs over a one-mile course averaging 301.129 mph (484.955 km/h). He later went on to set the water speed record of 141.74 mph in 1939.