14 History Lessons + 10 Births & 6 Deaths for March 23, 2025
Today’s History:
- 1775 – Patrick Henry delivers his famous speech declaring, “Give me liberty, or give me death!”
- 1806 – Explorers Meriwether Lewis and William Clark begin their return journey after reaching the Pacific coast.
- 1839 – The first recorded use of “OK” appears in the Boston Morning Post.
- 1919 – Benito Mussolini establishes the Fascist political movement in Italy.
- 1933 – The German Reichstag passes the Enabling Act, granting Adolf Hitler dictatorial powers.
- 1965 – NASA’s Gemini 3, the first two-person U.S. space mission, is launched.
- 1983 – U.S. President Ronald Reagan proposes the Strategic Defense Initiative (“Star Wars”).
- 1989 – The oil tanker Exxon Valdez runs aground in Alaska, causing a massive oil spill.
- 1993 – Scientists announce the discovery of the gene linked to Huntington’s disease.
- 1998 – “Titanic” wins 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.
- 2001 – The Russian space station Mir re-enters Earth’s atmosphere and falls into the Pacific Ocean.
- 2010 – President Barack Obama signs the Affordable Care Act into law.
- 2021 – The Ever Given container ship becomes lodged in the Suez Canal, disrupting global trade.
- 2025 – The world celebrates the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
Today’s Birthdays:
- 1953 – Chaka Khan, American singer known for hits like “I’m Every Woman” (72).
- 1957 – Amanda Plummer, American actress recognized for roles in “Pulp Fiction” and “The Fisher King” (68).
- 1959 – Catherine Keener, American actress known for “Being John Malkovich” and “Capote” (66).
- 1964 – Hope Davis, American actress featured in “About Schmidt” and “American Splendor” (61).
- 1965 – Richard Grieco, American actor from “21 Jump Street” (60).
- 1966 – Marin Hinkle, American actress known for “Two and a Half Men” and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” (59).
- 1968 – Damon Albarn, English musician, lead singer of Blur and co-creator of Gorillaz (57).
- 1971 – Randall Park, American actor recognized for “Fresh Off the Boat” and “WandaVision” (54).
- 1976 – Michelle Monaghan, American actress known for “Gone Baby Gone” and “True Detective” (49).
- 1985 – Kyrie Irving, Australian-born American professional basketball player (40).
Today’s Deaths:
- 1555 – Pope Julius III, head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States (age 67).
- 1931 – Bhagat Singh, Indian freedom fighter and revolutionary (age 23).
- 1964 – Peter Lorre, Hungarian-American actor known for roles in “M” and “Casablanca” (age 59).
- 2006 – Desmond Doss, American pacifist and Medal of Honor recipient (age 87).
- 2011 – Elizabeth Taylor, British-American actress and humanitarian (age 79).
- 2014 – James Rebhorn, American character actor known for roles in “Independence Day” and “Homeland” (age 65).
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