March 5th
Today in 1770,“The Boston Massacre” took place when British troops fired on a crowd in Boston killing five people. Two British troops were later convicted of manslaughter. African American Crispus Attucks was the first to die; and was later held up as a martyr. The incident galvanized growing anti-British sentiment.
Today in 1841,the first continuous filibuster began in the U.S. senate, lasting until March 11th. The issue? The hiring of senate printers.
Today in 1842,a Mexican force of over 500 men under Rafael Vasquez invaded Texas for the first time since the revolution.
Today in 1868,the U.S. Senate was organized into a court of impeachment against President Andrew Johnson. The House's primary charge against Johnson was with violation of the Tenure of Office Act, passed by Congress the previous year. Specifically, he had removed Edwin M. Stanton, the Secretary of War (whom the Tenure of Office Act was largely designed to protect), from office and replaced him with General Ulysess S. Grant. Johnson was later cleared, but only by a hair. Specifically one single vote- the final tally of votes for conviction was one fewer than the two-thirds required.
Today in 1872,George Westinghouse patented the air brake. They were, and remain, especially important to trains, big trucks, buses and amusement park rides.
Today in 1897, the American Negro Academy was formed.
Today in 1910,in Philadelphia,60-thousand people left their jobs to show support for striking transit workers. Lasting until March 27th, the strike
Today in 1946,Winston Churchill's"Iron Curtain" speech in Fulton, Missouri, popularized the term and drew attention to the division of Europe.
Today in 1960,Elvis Presley officially ended his two-year hitch in US Army.
Today in 1977,S. President Jimmy Carter appeared on CBS News with Walter Cronkite for the first “Dial-a-President” radio talk show.
Today in 1986,First Lady Nancy Reagan withdrew her support from the ill-fated anti-drug Concert That Counts because she couldn't censor the acts taking part. While the show’s initial premise was to support Mrs. Reagan’s “Just Say No” campaign…but she wanted to fold in raising awareness about “offensive” music and lyrics.
Today in 1993,sprinter Ben Johnson was banned from racing for life by the Amateur Athletic Association after testing positive for banned performance-enhancing substances for a second time.
Today in 1997,Tommy Lasorda, Nellie Fox and Willie Wells Senior were elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.
Today in 1998,NASA announced that an orbiting craft found enough ice on the moon to potentially support a human colony and a rocket fueling station.
Today in 1998,it was announced that Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Collins would lead the crew of the Columbia on a mission to launch a large X-ray telescope. She was the first woman to command a space shuttle mission.
Today in 2004,Martha Stewart was found guilty on all four counts in her obstruction of justice trial.
Today in 2015,Harrison Ford crash-landed his 1942 Ryan Aeronautical ST3KR airplane on a golf course in California. While he was injured significantly, he’s since recovered.
Today in 2018, China announced a military budget of 1.11-trillion yuan (about $175-billion US), To compare, the United States military budget for 2018 was $639-billion. For 2019? President Trump signed off ona $1.3-trillion spending bill, which includes a $160-billion boost in defense spending.