March 9th
Today in 1945,America’s B-29 bombers launched incendiary bomb attacks against Japan during World War IIin an attack on Tokyo that lasted for 48 hours. Almost 16-square miles in and around the Japanese capital were incinerated, and between 80,000 and 130,000 Japanese civilians were killed in the worst single firestorm in recorded history.
Today in 1959,the Barbie doll made her debut at the American Toy Fair. According to Mattel, her full name is Barbie Millicent Roberts from Willows, Wisconsin. The first Barbie dolls cost 3-dollars. If you could find an original edition today, it might be worth up to $5,000. More than 800-million Barbies have been sold since then – at a rate of two Barbies sold every second!
Today in 1964,the first Ford Mustang rolled off of the Ford assembly line.
Today in 1965,became“Turnaround Tuesday.”This was the day that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. lead another march to the Edmund Pettus Bridge – in answer to the horror of Bloody Sunday days before. About 2,000 people, more than half of them white and about a third members of the clergy, participated in the second march.
Today in 1977,one person was killed and 130 victims were taken hostage when about a dozen armed Hanafi Muslims invaded three buildings in Washington, DC. The siege ended two days later.
Today in 1981,Dan Rather made his debut as the anchorman of "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather.”
Today in 1986,Navy divers found the crew compartment of the space shuttle Challenger along with the remains of the astronauts on the ocean floor. The Challenger disaster had occurred on January 28th.
Today in 1989,John Tower became the first person rejected by the U.S. Senate as a choice for a cabinet member in 30 years.
Today in 1990,Antonia Novello was sworn in as the first female/Hispanic surgeon general.
Today in 1993,Rodney King testified in California at the federal trial of four Los Angeles police officers accused of violating his civil rights.
Today in 1993,Janet Reno sailed through her confirmation hearing on her way to becoming the nation's first female attorney general.
Today in 1994,the U.S. Pentagon introduced new smoking policies that would ban smoking on military bases.
Today in 1997,just weeks before his latest album “Life After Death” dropped, rapper Notorious B.I.G. (Christopher Wallace)was shot and killed during a drive by shooting while at a stoplight in Los Angeles. The murder was brought upon between rival rappers from the East and West coast. Rapper and former friend of B.I.G., Tupac Shakur was killed in a similar incident six months prior.
Today in 1999,RJR Nabisco Holdings Corporation, the food-and-tobacco conglomerate,announced it was getting out of the cigarette business.
Today in 2006,liquid water was discovered on Enceladus, the sixth largest moon of Saturn.
Today in 2009,President Obama ended restrictions on stem cell research.
Today in 2011,Illinois became the 16th state in the U.S. to abolish the death penalty.
Today in 2011,Space Shuttle Discovery made its final landing after 39 flights.
Today in 2012,Coke and Pepsi soda changed their formulas to avoid having to place a cancer-warning label on bottles of their products. They now add less 4-MEI, the carcinogen in question.
Today in 2013,Asteroid 2013 ET came within 606-thousand miles from Earth…that’s considered a “close call” by astronomers.
Today in 2015,President Barack Obama signed an executive order declaring Venezuela a national security threat to the US.