13 History Lessons + 5 Births & 4 Deaths for March 19, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1279 – A Mongolian victory at the naval Battle of Yamen ends the Song Dynasty in China.
- 1644 – 200 members of the Peking imperial family and court commit suicide in loyalty to the Emperor.
- 1687 – Explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle, searching for the mouth of the Mississippi River, is murdered by his own men.
- 1808 – Charles IV, king of Spain, abdicates after riots and a popular revolt at the winter palace Aranjuez. His son, Ferdinand VII, takes the throne.
- 1812 – The first Spanish constitution is enacted, one of the earliest constitutions ever promulgated.
- 1822 – Boston, Massachusetts, is incorporated as a city.
- 1831 – The first U.S. bank robbery occurs at the City Bank in New York, with $245,000 stolen.
- 1918 – Ensign Stephen Potter shoots down a German seaplane near the island of Heligoland in the North Sea, making it the first kill recorded by a U.S. Navy pilot.
- 1931 – Nevada legalizes gambling.
- 1953 – The 25th Academy Awards ceremony is the first to be televised; “The Greatest Show on Earth” wins Best Picture.
- 1962 – Bob Dylan releases his first album.
- 1966 – Texas Western (now the University of Texas at El Paso) becomes the first team to start five Black players in the NCAA basketball tournament’s championship game; they defeat top-ranked Kentucky in the final, 72-65.
- 2003 – U.S. President George W. Bush announces the beginning of the Iraq invasion by coalition forces.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1936 – Ursula Andress, Swiss actress famous for her role as Honey Ryder in the James Bond film “Dr. No” (89).
- 1947 – Glenn Close, American actress known for roles in “Fatal Attraction” and “Dangerous Liaisons” (78).
- 1955 – Bruce Willis, German-born American actor famous for his role in the “Die Hard” series (70).
- 1957 – Spike Lee, American film director, producer, and writer known for films like “Do the Right Thing” (68).
- 1996 – Peyton List, American actress known for her role in the television series “Jessie” (29).
Today’s Deaths:
- 1950 – Edgar Rice Burroughs, American author best known for creating the character Tarzan (age 74).
- 1982 – Randy Rhoads, American guitarist known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne (age 25).
- 2005 – John DeLorean, American engineer and founder of the DeLorean Motor Company (age 80).
- 2008 – Arthur C. Clarke, British science fiction writer known for “2001: A Space Odyssey” (age 90).
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