10 History Lessons + 7 Births & 4 Deaths for March 8, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1618 – Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion, stating that the square of a planet’s orbital period is proportional to the cube of its average distance from the Sun.
- 1817 – The New York Stock Exchange is founded, establishing a centralized marketplace for securities trading.
- 1910 – French aviator Raymonde de Laroche becomes the first woman to receive a pilot’s license.
- 1917 – In Petrograd (now St. Petersburg), Russia, food rationing protests escalate, leading to the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II and the end of the Russian monarchy.
- 1948 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that religious education in public schools is unconstitutional, reinforcing the separation of church and state.
- 1965 – The United States lands its first combat troops in South Vietnam, marking a significant escalation in the Vietnam War.
- 1971 – Joe Frazier defeats Muhammad Ali in the “Fight of the Century,” handing Ali his first professional loss.
- 1979 – Philips demonstrates the compact disc publicly for the first time, revolutionizing the music industry.
- 1983 – President Ronald Reagan refers to the Soviet Union as an “evil empire” in a speech, highlighting Cold War tensions.
- 2014 – Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappears en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, leading to one of aviation’s greatest mysteries.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1944 – Carole Bayer Sager, American lyricist and songwriter known for hits like “That’s What Friends Are For” (81).
- 1959 – Aidan Quinn, Irish-American actor known for roles in “Legends of the Fall” and “Elementary” (66).
- 1959 – Lester Holt, American journalist and anchor of NBC Nightly News (66).
- 1964 – Boris Kodjoe, Austrian-born actor and former fashion model known for his role in “Soul Food” (61).
- 1976 – Freddie Prinze Jr., American actor known for roles in “She’s All That” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (49).
- 1982 – Kat Von D, Mexican-American tattoo artist, model, and television personality known for “LA Ink” (43).
- 1983 – James Van Der Beek, American actor best known for his role in “Dawson’s Creek” (42).
Today’s Deaths:
- 1930 – William Howard Taft, 27th President of the United States and 10th Chief Justice of the United States (age 72).
- 1999 – Joe DiMaggio, American baseball Hall of Famer known for his 56-game hitting streak with the New York Yankees (age 84).
- 2016 – George Martin, English record producer often referred to as the “Fifth Beatle” for his work with the band (age 90).
- 2020 – Max von Sydow, Swedish actor known for roles in “The Exorcist” and “The Seventh Seal” (age 90).
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