8 History Lessons + 6 Births & 4 Deaths for March 6, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1521 – Ferdinand Magellan discovers Guam during his circumnavigation of the globe.
- 1820 – The Missouri Compromise is signed into law by President James Monroe, admitting Missouri as a slave state and Maine as a free state.
- 1836 – The Battle of the Alamo concludes after a 13-day siege, with Mexican forces capturing the fort and killing the Texian defenders, including Davy Crockett and James Bowie.
- 1857 – The U.S. Supreme Court delivers the Dred Scott decision, ruling that African Americans cannot be citizens and that Congress cannot prohibit slavery in federal territories.
- 1869 – Dmitri Mendeleev presents the first periodic table of elements to the Russian Chemical Society.
- 1912 – Nabisco introduces Oreo cookies, which become one of the best-selling cookies in the United States.
- 1964 – Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad gives Cassius Clay the name Muhammad Ali, marking his new identity after winning the world heavyweight boxing title.
- 1981 – Walter Cronkite signs off for the last time as anchor of “The CBS Evening News,” concluding a 19-year tenure.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1946 – David Gilmour, English singer-songwriter and guitarist of Pink Floyd (79).
- 1947 – Rob Reiner, American actor, director, producer, and activist (78).
- 1952 – Ernie Isley, American guitarist and member of The Isley Brothers (73).
- 1966 – D.L. Hughley, American actor and comedian (59).
- 1967 – Connie Britton, American actress known for roles in “Friday Night Lights” and “Nashville” (58).
- 1972 – Shaquille O’Neal, American basketball Hall of Famer (53).
Today’s Deaths:
- 1888 – Louisa May Alcott, American novelist best known for “Little Women” (age 55).
- 1982 – Ayn Rand, Russian-American philosopher and author known for “Atlas Shrugged” (age 77).
- 1986 – Georgia O’Keeffe, American modernist artist renowned for her paintings of enlarged flowers and New Mexico landscapes (age 98).
- 2016 – Nancy Reagan, American actress and First Lady of the United States as the wife of President Ronald Reagan (age 94).
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