13 History Lessons + 7 Births & 4 Deaths for March 17, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1762 – The first St. Patrick’s Day parade is held in New York City by Irish soldiers serving in the British Army.
- 1776 – British forces evacuate Boston during the American Revolutionary War, ending the Siege of Boston.
- 1845 – The rubber band is patented by Stephen Perry of London.
- 1901 – A showing of 71 Vincent van Gogh paintings in Paris, 11 years after his death, creates a sensation.
- 1941 – The National Gallery of Art opens in Washington, D.C.
- 1942 – The first Jews from the Lvov Ghetto are gassed at the Belzec death camp in what is today eastern Poland.
- 1948 – Belgium, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom sign the Treaty of Brussels, a precursor to the North Atlantic Treaty establishing NATO.
- 1950 – Scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, announce the creation of the new radioactive element californium.
- 1969 – Golda Meir becomes Israel’s first female prime minister.
- 1992 – White South Africans vote to end apartheid in a national referendum.
- 2003 – U.S. President George W. Bush gives Iraqi President Saddam Hussein 48 hours to leave Iraq; the ultimatum is rejected.
- 2010 – Michael Jordan becomes the first former player to become a majority owner of an NBA team, the Charlotte Bobcats.
- 2023 – The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin for war crimes related to the abduction of children from Ukraine.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1944 – John Sebastian, American singer-songwriter and founder of The Lovin’ Spoonful (81).
- 1951 – Kurt Russell, American actor known for roles in “Escape from New York” and “The Thing” (74).
- 1955 – Gary Sinise, American actor known for his role in “Forrest Gump” and as a philanthropist (70).
- 1967 – Billy Corgan, American musician and lead singer of The Smashing Pumpkins (58).
- 1970 – Mia Hamm, American soccer player and two-time Olympic gold medalist (53).
- 1992 – John Boyega, British actor known for his role as Finn in the “Star Wars” sequel trilogy (33).
- 1997 – Katie Ledecky, American swimmer and multiple Olympic gold medalist (28).
Today’s Deaths:
- 180 – Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor and philosopher (age 58).
- 1941 – Nicolae Titulescu, Romanian diplomat and former President of the League of Nations (age 59).
- 1956 – Fred Allen, American comedian and radio host (age 61).
- 1999 – Rod Hull, English comedian and entertainer known for his puppet
Our revenue comes from a combination of direct subscriptions from users and commissions earned by affiliate commissions from sponsors’ links and banners. Some of the links you click may be affiliate links that generate that revenue.