11 History Lessons + 8 Births & 2 Deaths for March 18, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1766 – The British Parliament repeals the Stamp Act, which had imposed direct taxation on the colonies of British America.
- 1834 – The Portage Railroad Line in Pennsylvania builds the first railroad tunnel in the United States, measuring 901 feet (275 meters) long.
- 1850 – American Express is founded by Henry Wells and William Fargo.
- 1892 – Lord Stanley of Preston pledges to donate a challenge cup for the best ice hockey team in Canada, leading to the creation of the Stanley Cup.
- 1909 – Einar Dessau of Denmark uses a shortwave radio transmitter, becoming one of the first to demonstrate practical radio communication.
- 1922 – Mohandas K. Gandhi is sentenced in India to six years’ imprisonment for civil disobedience; he is released after serving two years.
- 1942 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs an executive order authorizing the War Relocation Authority, leading to the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II.
- 1963 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules in Gideon v. Wainwright that state courts are required to provide legal counsel to criminal defendants who cannot afford their own attorneys.
- 1965 – Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov performs the first spacewalk, exiting his Voskhod 2 spacecraft for 12 minutes.
- 1990 – East Germany holds its first and only free parliamentary elections, leading to German reunification later that year.
- 2018 – A self-driving Uber SUV strikes and kills a pedestrian in Tempe, Arizona, marking the first death involving a fully autonomous test vehicle.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1950 – Brad Dourif, American actor known for roles in “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” and as the voice of Chucky in the “Child’s Play” series (75).
- 1951 – Bill Frisell, American jazz guitarist and composer (74).
- 1963 – Vanessa L. Williams, American singer and actress known for hits like “Save the Best for Last” and roles in “Desperate Housewives” (62).
- 1969 – Mike Rowe, American television host known for “Dirty Jobs” (56).
- 1970 – Queen Latifah, American rapper and actress known for her music career and roles in films like “Chicago” (55).
- 1972 – Dane Cook, American stand-up comedian and actor known for his energetic comedic style (53).
- 1979 – Adam Levine, American singer and lead vocalist of Maroon 5 (46).
- 1989 – Lily Collins, British-American actress known for roles in “Mirror Mirror” and “Emily in Paris” (36).
Today’s Deaths:
- 1845 – Johnny Appleseed (John Chapman), American pioneer nurseryman who introduced apple trees to large parts of the U.S. (age 70).
- 1936 – Eleftherios Venizelos, Greek statesman and former Prime Minister, known for his role in the modernization
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